New Year, New Lens on Reading and Writing Workshop

 This past summer I had the privilege of joining the writing leadership team at school to write the curriculum. After the few minutes of celebrating that I would have this opportunity I realized one thing... I had to actually write the curriculum for a brand new method we were implementing... (input scary music of choice here...) 

I was fortunate that we had amazing trainers throughout the year last year to introduce us to Writing Workshop. On my own time, I conferred with previous trainers we worked with for Reading Workshop, and I am forever grateful for their guidance. Knowing myself as a learner, and taking my own advice I'd give my own students, I knew that I needed to continue my own self-directed learning in order to even attempt fully grasping the essence of Writing Workshop. I am excited to say I joined Literacy Partners Membership, purchased many books from Heinemann on Workshop, and I've been learning more everyday. 

I'm noticing during my Launching unit for Reading this year, I'm already improving on my ability to deliver mini-lessons faster, and even combine them. Looking at my plans from last year I'm seeing where I can skip around, rearrange lessons in a better sequence, and where my students this year need more support (or not) as we work through lessons. For example, my class this year already had great knowledge how to use the classroom library successfully. I was able to show them one time quickly, and I mentioned it in the link part of another lesson. If you were to ask me this time last year if I would feel this confident I would've provided a hard "no" for certain. This year I am stronger at instructional delivery in this model and I'm learning more about workshop through my own reading and research. 

Writing. however has been a challenge. Again, I am grateful to the wonderful trainers we had last year who have inspired me to continue reading, yet I still feel there were gaps to be filled. I watched as many videos as I was able to from Literacy Partners to improve my skills, and. learn more about Writing Workshop than I had already to not only plan for my students, but to guide other teachers through my work on the curriculum. 

One thing I've learned more about is planning. I appreciate the process of planning for workshop now than before as I gradually increase my practice with it. I also make sure before I write a mini-lesson plan that it's meaningful, and something I want my young writers to know about. I feel for reading this year, I'm encountering plans that aren't necessary (as mentioned above) so my goal to plan for writing is to make sure they are plans I know I'll need again in the future. 

My goal for a few postings is to share more specific thoughts around "how it's going" with workshop to share my experience so far, and what I notice in my practice. 

Final Thoughts- Keep learning all you can about Workshop, there are many resources available to help you refine. your practice or get familiar with it. Keep noticing what your readers and writers need daily, and consider making that into a mini-lesson. Keep the heart of why we read and write in mind; it's what we want to shine through our lessons everyday.