1. Quit Kicking it OLD School!
HOW TO RE-INTRODUCE Writing instruction into the high school classroom
Samantha Caulder
English Teacher
9th, 10th, and 11th grade

2. poetry

3. What do you think of when you hear the word “Poetry”?
Expression
Beautiful words
Figurative lang
Structure
Breaking rules
Out loud
Tempo
Rhyme
Simple
Words that are hard to understand
Sitting on the grass/ Whitman
Sandburg quote
Imagery
Rhythm
Music
symbolism

4. On the Playlist… Instructional Roadblock
History of the Writing Workshop
Why We Need Writing Workshop in the Secondary Classroom
Why Aren’t More High School Classrooms Using Writing Workshop?
Why Students Need to be Better Writers
Understanding and Implementing the Writing Workshop
How to Assess Using Writing Workshop
How Writing Workshop Rights Writing Wrongs

5. Teaching writing is a battlefield
MY INSTRUCTIONAL ROADBLOCK

6. I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TEACH WRITING!!
In my own classroom..
Class would study a literary piece
I would assign a paper
Students would write the paper
I would grade the paper
Kicking it old school
In high school and college, I was taught to read the text, analyze the text, and write about the text
PAPERS!!!
USUALLY analytic
Thesis at the end of intro
5+ paragraphs

7. Workshop? What workshop?
What my idea of “Writing Workshop” USED to be..
Give students notes of the College Essay Format
Lecture on College Essay Format
Class as a whole would write intro & thesis
Paper would be due in 1-2 weeks
Students could me drafts OR come before and after school
No time in class because…well, there was NO TIME!

8. And the problem with that was…
I was doing all the work!
I would get frustrated and stop assigning essays
I never let them explore their own ideas OR other genres other than analytic essays
I wasn’t being consistent
My students were failing because I was failing my students.

9. We’ve only just begun
History of the Writing Workshop Theory

10. 1983- Donald Graves and Lucy Calkins
1971- Janet Emig
The Composing Process of Twelfth Graders
Studied composition habits of high school students
Described the teaching of writing in high schools as “a neurotic activity”
Think- aloud protocol
Noted that writing came in stages and learning to write may be a matter of practice with the stages
Among the first to isolate the stages of writing and identify them in a linear order
“The Writing Process”
Planning
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing
The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
Jennifer Berne

11. ALTHOUGH THE WRITING PROCESS DEVELOPED THROUGH RESEARCH DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS,THE INSTRUCTION OF THE PROCESS HAS NOT FOUND A SECURE HOME IN THE SECONDARY CLASSROOM

12. Late 1980’s- early 1990’s
Elementary education programs began introducing writing process concepts and practices to upcoming teacher candidates
Writing process is now a commonly accepted practice in K-5 literary instruction
College- level instructors start pushing for writing workshops to remedy the stifled writing style of freshmen students
HOWEVER, little has “trickled up from elementary or down from university to influence process writing theory and practice in high school classroom instruction”
The Writing- Rich High School Classroom
Jennifer Berne

13. The times they are a’chaning
Today, writing instruction is needed more than ever!

14. “Writing ‘is no longer a concern, as it was in Harvard in 1894, of an exclusively white, male elite; in today’s increasingly diverse society, writing is a gateway for success in academia, the new workplace, and the global economy, as well as for our collective success as a participatory democracy’”
– Carl Nagin and the National Writing Project
“The ability to write well, once a luxury, has become a necessity. Today, writing is foundational for success”
- Kelly Gallagher
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher

15. Where have all the workshops gone?
Why Aren’t More High School Classrooms Implementing Writing Workshop?

16. Sure, we can dwell on issues we can’t control such as Poverty
Lack of parental involvement
English as a second language
Teaching to the test
“… well-trained teachers of writing produce student who write better…despite the obstacles we inherit…”
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher

17. Top Ten Writing Wrongs in Secondary Schools
#1 Students are not doing enough writing #2 Writing is sometimes assigned rather than taught #3 Below grade level students write LESS when they should write MORE #4 ELL are often shortchanged #5 Grammar instruction is ineffective or ignored
#6 Students are not given enough timed writing instruction/ practice #7 Some teachers have little or no knowledge of district and/or state standards #8 Writing topics are often teacher mandated #9 Teachers are doing too much work and students aren’t doing enough! #10 Teachers need help assessing student writing
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher

18. My BIGGGEST OBSTACLE…
How do I motivate reluctant writers?? “Although young children scribble and create with great joy, once students reach high school, they often face writing tasks with anxiety and the resulting experience can be painful” -- Jennifer Berne The Writing-Rich High School Classroom

19. WRITING HAS TO BE RELEVANT!!!
The Answer…
WRITING HAS TO BE RELEVANT!!!
“Writing his hard, and if students don’t have intrinsic reasons to work hard at developing their writing skills, they won’t diligently develop their writing skills. Simply assuming our students come to us with the desire to improve their writing is a recipe for failure.”
-- Kelly Gallagher
Teaching Adolescent Writers

20. I Heard it through the grapevine…
Why students need to be better writers
TEACHING ADOLESCENT WRITERS
Kelly gallagher

21. Writing reason #1- Writing is hard but hard is rewarding
Don’t sugarcoat!
Writing has been called the “most complex of all human activities”
Use this difficulty as an opportunity for students to create something truly rewarding
“When was the last time you got a lot of satisfaction without trying hard?”

22. Writing reason #2- Writing helps you sort things out
Students are becoming burdened with serious problems more and more each year
Impress upon students that writing is a good place to
sort out thoughts
Say things you couldn’t otherwise verbalize
Release emotions
Talk to that person you are unable to talk to in person

23. Motivates them to be active participants in the world around them
Writing reason #3- Writing helps to persuade others
Writing reason #4- Writing helps to Fight Oppression
Gives them a voice
Motivates them to be active participants in the world around them

24. Writing Reason #5- Writing makes you a better reader
“Reading development does not take place in isolation; instead a child develops simultaneously as reader, listener, speaker, and writer.” -- Carl Nagin Because Writing Matters
Better writers tend to be better readers
Better writers tend to read more
Better readers tend to produce more mature writing

25. Writing reason #6- Writing Makes you smarter
Brain = muscle
Muscles + exercise= strength
mental stimulation improves brain function and protects against cognitive decline
Writing sharpens the brain
Different writing sharpens different kinds of thinking
“While all writing helps learning, it is important for teachers to be selective about the kinds of writing activities they ask their students to engage in, depending on the kinds of learning they are seeking. Analytic writing leads to a focus on selective parts of the text, to deeper reasoning about less information. Summary writing and note-taking, in contrast, lead to a focus on the whole text in more comprehensive but more superficial ways. Short answer study questions focus attention on particular information with little attention to overall relationships.”
-- Langer and Applebee 1978

26. Writing reason #7- Writing helps you get into and through college
College admissions looks at 4 criteria:
GPA
Involvement on campus
Involvement in community
Writing ability
Being accepted into college/university is becoming more competitive each year
Decisions often determined by writing ability

27. “…by the first year of college, more than 50% of the freshman class are unable to produce papers relatively free of language errors or to analyze argument or synthesize information…” -- National Commission on Writing 2003
“The writing weaknesses of incoming college students costs our campuses up to $1 billion annually.” -- C. Peter Magrath Chair, National Commission on Writing

28. writing reason #8- writing prepares you for the world of work
2004- national commission on writing
2005 survey of members of National association of manufacturers
Writing: A Ticket to Work… or a Ticket Out
writing is a “threshold skill” for employment and promotions
½ of all companies surveyed take writing into account when hiring and making promotion decisions
2/3 of all salaried employees in large American companies have some writing responsibility
84% say k-12 schools aren’t doing a good job of preparing students for the workplace
81% say they are currently facing a moderate to severe shortage of qualified workers
61% say applicants with high school diplomas were poorly prepared
51% say employees will need more reading/writing skills within the next three years

29. You say you want a revolution…
Understanding and implementing the writing workshop

30. What is writing workshop?
Writer’s Workshop is designed to emphasize the act of writing itself— students spend most of their time putting pencil to paper, not just learning about it.
emphasis is placed on:
sharing work with the class
peer conferencing and editing
Collecting a wide variety of work in a writing folder, and eventually in a portfolio.
Teachers write with their students and share their own work as well.
The workshop setting encourages students to think of themselves as writers, and to take their writing seriously.
Welcome to the Writer’s Workshop
Steve Peha

31. How do I get started? The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
“I have finally realized that the most creative environments in our society are not the kaleidoscopic environments in which everything is always changing and complex. They are, instead, the predictable and consistent ones– the scholar’s library, the researcher’s laboratory, the artist’s studio. Each of these environments is deliberately kept predictable and simple because the work at hand and the changing interactions around that work are so unpredictable and complex.”
-- Lucy Calkins 1983
The most productive writing workshops take place in environments where:
Students observe standards
Adhere to processes that minimize off- task behavior
The first few weeks..
Careful, up-front preparation AND continual monitoring and refinement are essential
Helps minimize disruptions
Helps students focus and thus reap long-term benefits
The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
Jennifer Berne

32. Organize your space The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
Writing workshop classrooms are modeled after fine-arts classrooms
Students are always moving ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE
Instructor’s primary role– to circulate among the students as the work AND to provide guidance and feedback
ROWS WILL NOT WORK!!
NEED for areas to follow the writing process
Planning– at student desk
Drafting– at student desk
Getting/giving feedback
Peer editing– on the floor or at a table, enough space for 4 or 5 students
Teacher conferencing– at teacher’s desk
Revising—at student desk
Editing– separated from peer response
On the floor or at a table
Publishing– computer stations, laptops, computer labs
The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
Jennifer Berne

33. Prepare students for participation
Teachers HAVE to explain and model for students the process
How to work collaboratively – see handout 1
How to stay on task– see handouts 2 and 3
How to provide feedback– see handouts 4, 5 and 6
How to conference with teacher– see handouts 7 and 8
What to do if in a “holding pattern”– see handout 9
How to track who is off task– see handout 10
The Writing-Rich High School Classroom
Jennifer Berne

34. The writer’s notebook Section Title Purpose Table of Contents
A place for students to play with their writing
Helps students organize thoughts, materials, and products
Section Title
Purpose
Table of Contents
Students keep track of all mini-lessons taught for easy reference
What Should I write?
Brainstorming activities
Writing/Literary Terms
Literary terms and definitions for reference
Spelling Demons
Students track their own spelling issues
Craft
“Craft” mini-lessons– those things that good writers do (good intros, syntax, voice, etc.)
Editing
“Editing” mini-lessons– mechanical/ grammatical mistakes (run-ons, improper citations, etc.)
Writing
The heart of the writer’s notebook. Writing created throughout the year.
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher

35. The writing workshop format
The basic structure never changes ALTHOUGH it allows for flexibility Introducing and modeling this format early on in the year will help students get into the routine
Mini- lesson
5- 15 minutes
A short lesson on a single topic; don’t have to give each day; 2-3 times a week is fine
Status of the Class
2-5 minutes
Quickly finding out what each student is working on
Writing Time
20-45 minutes
Students write. Teacher writes OR conferences with individuals/ small groups
Sharing
5-15 minutes
Writers read what they have written, seek feedback. Teacher shares, too
Welcome to Writer’s Workshop
Steve Peha

36. Great things come in small packages: the perks to using mini- lessons
What makes a good mini- lesson?
Brevity
usually minutes in order to keep the majority of the time open for writing
Focus
Covers a single, narrowly defined topic
Authenticity
Based on real things real writers need to know
Practical and immediately useful
Targeted to address specific challenges a writer may face
What are the advantages of the mini- lesson?
Students incorporate their writing in an authentic way
Students are not intimidated by new concepts because they aren’t focused on performing well on a test
Class time wasn’t wasted on giving tests
Students spend less time on “busy work”
Students develop greater confidence and independence
Teachers spend less time correcting papers
Most teachers like it, once they get used to it
Students tend to like it better right away
Welcome to the Writer’s Workshop
Steve Peha

37. Just SEEING WHAT YOU’RE UP TO… checking the status of the class
Strategies
Simply ask students where they are and make notations
Use a chart with student names, the dates, and the status/ progress
Clothes- pin chart
Sign up sheets
Students will be working on different areas at different paces

38. The right TIME for write time
You write, too
Conferencing
It is always good for a teacher to model what they are expecting of students
Write for minutes before conferencing with students
Important conference questions:
What are you working on?
Can you read me some of what you have written?
How’s it coming along? Is there anything I can do to help?
What are you going to do next?
Welcome to the Writer’s Workshop
Steve Peha

39. Sharing well with others
Teachers often run into two problems when it is time to share…
Problem
Solution
So many students want to share that you can’t get everyone in
Keep a record of who wants to share and let them sign up for when they want to share
So students spend minutes reading a piece
Encourage students to read a small section– a part they are struggling with, a part they like, a part for which they need feedback
Welcome to the Writer’s Workshop
Steve Peha

40. If you like it, then you should put a grade on it
How to assess student progress in the writing workshop

41. Grading through the writing workshop
Formative assessment
Summative assessment
Peer feedback
Teacher feedback
The Writing Portfolio
Students have created enough products that they select what they want to share publicly
Teaches students to look through and at their own work
“The process of looking at all the writing one has done over a period of time, deciding what to present, and pointing to the positive elements of what one has chosen can be a powerful lesson in audience, purpose, and the traits of writing.”– Jennifer Berne
The Writing- Rich High School Classroom

42. Bye, bye, bye
How Writing Workshop rights the writing wrongs

43. WRITING WORKSHOP INHERENTLY INCORPORATES COMMON CORE WRITING STANDARDS
Allows students to move physically through the writing process
Planning
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing– CCSS 4 and 6
Allows students the time to practice their writing– CCSS WS 10
Allows students to write a variety of styles– CCSS WS 1- 3
Mini-lessons introduce students to various styles and mentor texts– CCSS WS 7-9
CCSS WS 5

44. Effective teenage writers emerge when six student needs are met
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher
Students need a lot more writing practice
Students need teachers who model good writing
Students need the opportunity to read and study other writers
Students need choice when it comes to writing topics
Students need to write for authentic purposes and for authentic audiences
Students need meaningful feedback from both teacher and peers

45. Works Cited
Berne, Jennifer. The Writing- Rich Classroom: Engaging Students in the Writing Workshop. New York, NY: The Guilford Press, Print. Gallagher, Kelly. Teaching Adolescent Writers. Portland, Me: Stenhouse, Print. Peha, Steve. "Welcome to the Writer's Workshop." N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2013.