Monday, January 24, 2011

LLED- First chunk of readings

I want to be a fourth grade teacher and I can clearly see how writing workshop can function in an older classroom. What I am having trouble seeing, however, is how writing workshop is supposed to look for Kindergarten and the other beginning grades. As I read chapter 2, I mentally checked off whether the writing that takes place in my classroom fits the book's standards for writing workshop. It was something like this:

1) Choices about content: No. As far as I've seen (and I've only seen a day) writing is on a specific prompt, but there is wiggle room within the prompt. (An example in class was to write 4 factual sentences about themselves.)
2) Time for writing: Yes. Students had around 30 minutes to complete their work and it seemed that this specific amount of time was cut-out in the schedule just for writing.
3) Teaching: Sort of. There was a talk before the writing took place about what a fact was and a reminder about what a complete sentence was. There was also a checklist for the student to go over before they handed in their work. However, there was no talk about any kind of strategy, technique, or even a published example.
4) Talking: Sort of. It was not quiet and it was not supposed to be. The students were not to talk to each other though, only to a teacher. Students did not share their work or share ideas to get started.
5) Periods of focused study: It's hard to tell. I haven't been in this classroom long enough.
6) Publication and rituals: Sort of. There were publication and volume deadlines but they were within the period. The assigned work was to be done by the end of writing time.
7) High expectations and safety: Yes. Each student was encouraged to do their best work. Not writing was not an option.
8) Structured management: No. The only structure in place was for students to sit in their seats, and work in relative quiet until the piece was finished or until time elapsed.

So, does my class have a writing workshop? I think not. I do not believe that you have to meet every single one of the requirements perfectly to qualify, but my answers seem far flung from what is acceptable. It seems more like writing is done solely for the purposes of integrating and assessing other topics in my classroom. I think it would be interesting to see if the students thought of themselves as writers or even knew how they would write best. I saw a bit of this during writing time. Each student at the table that I was helping had their own way of doing things. Some would begin by drawing a picture, others by talking aloud to themselves, and the rest simply by writing and erasing. I wonder if the kids are cognizant of their qualities?

As I read chapters 4, I  asked myself, "Have I seen this? Does my classroom carry a certain tone during writing time?" I think overall my classroom has a tone of friendship, caring, fear, and high standards. The students love each other and the teacher and parapro obviously care deeply for the students, but they also don't let the students get away with much. If rules are broken, consequences are given. The teacher is also explicit about her expectations from the beginning of the day to the end and holds students to a high, but not unachievable, standard.

2 comments:

  1. Brilliant approach to this week's post - it makes perfect sense to pull out the yardstick Ray has given us and measure what you're seeing up next to it. I wonder....could simple changes be made in order to make the classroom more like the one Ray envisions? If you made those changes, what would be lost? What might be gained? The workshop in 4th grade is very different than one in K, to be sure, but some of the principles are still there. If they are writing personal informational pieces, the 4 facts would fit that genre. The pieces are shorter and the process doesn't draw out in time the way it does in the older grades. But you can still give them freedom, even if it is just to draw pictures about things they are interested in. Then, you can teach lessons about adding details, etc. You are keeping a keen eye on the kids, which will serve you well now and into the classroom. keep comparing and measuring...

    Beth

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  2. I love the name of your blog! It describes my life completely! haha

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