Our bookshelves are jammed full with books meant for elementary and middle school teachers. Donald Graves, Nancie Atwell, Georgia Heard, Katie Wood Ray, Ralph Fletcher, the gals at Two Writing Teachers — these are the teachers who have taught us how to teach writing, who continually push us to reconsider what we think we know […]
Category: Writing Workshop
Writing Workshop: Rhythms vs. Routines
This summer a good friend introduced me to the Slow Home podcast about simple, intentional living and slowing down. I started with episode 5, “Rhythm, Baby,” about the differences between rhythm and routine. In this episode, the host Brooke McAlary discusses the differences between the two and explains how they play out in her life […]
Our Top 3 Tips for Using Your Summer to Plan Next Year’s Writing Workshop
My summer to-do list is LONG. In addition to around-the-house projects that only get done during the summer, trips to take, friends to see, and books to read, I have planning to do for the upcoming school year. I bet you do, too. A lot of writing workshop can’t be planned for — we have […]
Writing Workshop Finals (or Wrapping Up a Year of Writing Workshop)
In our workshops, we want our students to learn to craft moving pieces of authentic writing. But we hope that this will extend far past our classroom — how do we do this? How do we assess and ensure the independence we hope we have instilled in students all year long? As a final project […]
Literary Analysis Week Wrap-up: Observations, Conclusions, & Lingering Questions
You might remember that this burning desire to meaningfully bring literary analysis into a real, thriving writing workshop began because I was trying to find a solution for the mutual malaise experienced by my students and me in my IB English class. There had to be something more — something better — than the by-rote […]
Literary Analysis Blog Blast Day #3: Character Analysis Writing Workshop
On Wednesday, I shared the rationale for analysis workshops centered on different analytical techniques, and I shared one technique-based analysis study in which students analyzed two texts side-by-side. Today, I want to share another technique-based analysis study with you — this time, a character analysis. The Assignment Without choice, there really is no writing workshop, […]
A Technique-Based Literary Analysis Workshop
But even if we want to, how can we teach literary analysis in writing studies throughout the school year using a workshop approach? Do we just repeat the same mini-lessons again and again until the students have mastered them? Do we teach the mini-lessons once at the beginning of the year and just bring out […]
Thinking About Mentor Texts for Literary Analysis
When we are choosing genres to teach in workshop, one consideration is always at the forefront: is this real writing? Is this writing real writers do? Can I find authentic examples of it out in the world? Generally, if the answer is “no”, we don’t teach it. With one notable exception: literary analysis. In our […]
Moving Writers’ Literary Analysis Blog Blast: April 27 – May 6
Last week, I promised more details on using the workshop approach to teach literary analysis. I haven’t forgotten you! And, so that you won’t have to wait to hear all we have in store, next week we will celebrate our very own Literary Analysis Blog Blast Week. Here’s the lineup: Monday, April 27: Ways to Think […]
Writing Workshop Transforms Literary Analysis, Too
Last Friday, I dismissed my fourth period IB English class early. We simply couldn’t go on. They filed out, sniffling, wiping away tears, heads down. Some were silent and left alone; most found a friend or two and whispered as they left, arms around shoulders. They had just finished sharing their first piece of workshop […]
