Writers’ Workshop Troubleshooting Guide
Writers’ Workshop Dilemmas |
Questions/Ideas to Consider |
Possible Solutions |
There is not enough time in the day to do Writers’ Workshop. |
Rethink the way you use time in your classroom in order to have at least 4 days a week for students to write. |
|
My students are not excited about writing. They dread writing time and spend most of the time off task. |
Reflect on the ways you encourage choice:
|
|
My students are writing very simple pieces that do not show any risk-taking. All of the words are spelled correctly in first drafts; there is no experimentation with different writing strategies, etc. |
Reflect on the ways you encourage students to take risks in their writing:
|
|
Students are distracted during Writers’ Workshop. They are interrupting during conferences; the classroom is noisy; etc. |
Spend 15 minutes watching Writers’ Workshop. Write down your observations. Decide which issues need to be addressed with the whole class. |
|