Chapters 9, 10, 13

       I have come to find that I have to be in the perfect environment in order to produce my best writing. I can't sit in a crowded room with a ton of chatter and commotion going on because it will disrupt my stream of thoughts. However, I think that there is a lot more to it than simply background noise. I really liked Ray's thoughts on what types of resources should be included in the writing workshop area. I think it is extremely important to be surrounded by texts of all different genres, lengths, writing styles, and formats. Writers can learn so much about writing and gather their ideas through peering into works of other authors, whether it be J.K Rowling or their classmate who they sit next to everyday. I simply love the idea of being surrounded by pages and pages of writing whilst in the writing workshop area.

     I was very surprised by the fact that she put so much importance on having the teachers lead the focus groups. I feel like every single one of our classes has harped on the importance of making activities and projects student centered. I know that the student-centered aspect of writing workshop is the hour spent writing, but I still would have assumed that the students would play a larger role in the focus group process as well. Although I was surprised, I also understand the rationale behind this thought process. Writing can lead to very extensive and lengthy conversations, and since the main part of the writing workshop is the actual writing, teachers don't want to let the precious writing time slip away. With that being said, I do think that it is very important for students to have their opinions heard, so I think that the teacher should make every effort to meet with each individual student and talk about their writing during conferences. I think the idea of a work-in-progress folder is brilliant, so both the teacher and the students can keep track of their work and what direction it is headed towards.

       I think that one of the most important forms of appreciation and recognition is shown through displaying children's work. I will absolutely have a bulletin board filled with my students' writing, so they have the opportunity to be proud about the work that they have completed. One of the most important aspects about writing is self-confidence, so I think it our job as teachers to instill this confidence within our students. I can't wait to brag about the good work that they have completed and assist them with the school-wide publishing.