I love the fact that the authors included this quote at the very beginning of this chapter because I feel that the word "classrooms" could be substituted in for the phrase "writing workshops" and the quote would still hold true. In order for amazing revelations and learning to occur, teachers need to invest time at the beginning of the year making the classroom and each period of the day (including the period for writing workshop) a predictable place through setting up routines. If teachers set up the management structures and routines early on in the year, before any type of academic instruction, less time will have to be spent on re-explaining directions and expectations later on when academic instruction should be taking precedence. In our EDEC 4030 class, we have also discussed that the teacher should expect to dedicate at least a week to teaching students rules, routines, and expectations so that they are aware of what they are expected to do during each period of the day with the materials provided them. While I feel that this is a great idea and could result in an enormous pay off, I have a hard time imagining having at least a whole week's worth of material relating to management structures and routines. However, I feel that maybe, when my first week as a teacher actually comes, I will find that I have more material in regards to rules and procedures than that which I am able to teach in just a week's worth of time.
I found it particularly interesting that some teachers are beginning to include a two-week genre study of testing in the upper grades to their year-long plans for writing workshop. I personally think that this is an ingenious idea because it allows students to understand how they are to deal with issues that result from having to take a writing test which may not regularly arise during the writing workshop. By spending some time conducting a genre study of testing, teachers will be able to adequately prepare their students for the test without having to teach to the test. However, my question is this: would younger grades benefit from such a genre study of testing as well or should such a genre study be saved for those grades in which standardized writing tests are usually administered?
Ray, K.W. with Laminack, L.L. (2001). The writing workshop: Working through the hard parts (and they’re all hard parts). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Good question, Natasha...I think I'd just wait until whatever grade they start testing them to work on preparation for a prompted writing test. For me, if they are learning about writing all along (which is preparing in itself), we hope that the genre of writing tests won't be too difficult to grasp. My fear is that people wait to teach writing at all until it is tested! (but I know you all won't do that!)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you've read Wong's First Days of School - I think he suggests well over a week for procedures. Once you've got them down, you can have room for great things to happen...