Chapters 7, 8, & 19

I really enjoyed the chapter on managing predictable distractions in the writing workshop because as I have grown to love the idea of having a functioning writing workshop in my class, I have feared the possibility of it not being well managed. When I think of writing workshops, I think of the students in their own world doing their writing and having very little interaction with the teacher except for when they are conferencing; therefore, I assumed that it could turn into a free for all, yet I enjoyed reading about a strong teaching presence. Without threatening the students with penalties or consequences, the teacher can have a strong presence by simply moving about the room as opposed to having the students come to her. There is something very powerful about sharing the same space as the students, and if this becomes a routine behavior during writing workshop, the students will get into the routine of behaving accordingly. I think that utilizing the entire room is one of the most important aspects of writing workshop. With it being the students’ personal time to write, I think that it is extremely important that they not feel confined to their desk that they sit at all day. They should have the freedom to go to the place where they can do their best writing. I have always been the type of person who needs complete silence in order to write out a complete thought, so I think that the quiet zones are very beneficial and quite necessary. They are good for students who prefer to work in a quieter setting, and they are a good place to send students if they need help getting on task. I like the idea of sending students to the quiet zone because it is not a punishment in the least—it is simply a place where the teacher may think that the student is better suited for the time being.

Publishing is absolutely necessary in a writing workshop. Without it, writing workshop can often feel like running a race with no finish line. To have a piece of writing published is so exciting because it gives students the opportunity to show off all of the hard work that they have put into their writing. Although the publishing process may seem daunting at times for teachers, we need to remember how important it is for the students to have something to aspire to when it comes to their writing. I also like incorporating curriculum support into the publishing process. The students can learn a great deal from finding their own mistakes and correcting their errors in their writing. I like the idea of teachers assisting the students with their editing process during conferences and choosing one consistent error to focus on. Even though writing workshop is student-centered, I do think that it is extremely important for the teacher to capitalize on a teaching opportunity, so I like the integration of writing workshop and curriculum support.

Chapter 14, 15, and 17

       I think that conferencing is such a vital aspect to teaching. I really enjoyed Ray's take on the idea that as a teacher, you have no idea what you are going to hear or learn in conferences; however, I think that there is something very special about conferences in this sense. I think not being able to be prepared creates an opportunity for a genuine reaction to students' writing, so it is a great learning experience for both the teacher and the student. As a student, I was always the constant perfectionist, so from what I can remember, I think that I was the student who was always signing up for conferences and needing my teacher's help for my writing. Looking back when I needed help, I was always asking questions concerning proper spellings, new word choices, or correct grammar- never realizing that in reality, these were not pressing problems that needed to be fixed at that very moment. I liked how Ray's idea of conferencing was not about the students relying on the teacher for help or editing, rather it was a time for teaching. I still struggle with my perfectionist complex as a teacher and often want to correct my students spelling errors and grammatical miscues during writing workshop. I am glad that I am able to recognize this folly of mine, so I can learn from my mistakes and hopefully, grow from them in the future when I conference with students. I have learned that when I spend time focusing on these mechanical errors, I am wasting precious time that I could be spending teaching them about writing.

            I also liked learning about the four different kinds of sharing. Before reading Ray’s book, I only though that there was one form of sharing. I thought that students would write during the allotted time and once that time was up, students would read there texts aloud. Often times, that is all the sharing would entail and very little feedback would come of it, yet with simple response share, survey share, focused share, and student-as-teacher-share, there provides so much room for variety and multiple responses. I like the idea of switching the form of sharing up because it does not allow for students to get stuck in a routine and some very influential and positive feedback.