Teacher

I can spend all day talking about writing, but this is a blurb, a short but sweet note, so I’ll go straight to the heart of the Writing Workshop: Environment.
Donald Graves states that the single most important aspect of the Writing Workshop is “Environment.” Writing environment is a feeling, a state of mind. Forget about your skill and craft lessons for a few minutes and chew on this stuff. Lets go people, grab a fork and dig in.
Teachers Who Write
Yes, I know, you’ve heard this before. Well, just think: If you keep hearing it from authors and teachers, it probably works, right? There’s no other way around it, no short cut. If you care about writing, your students will, most of them anyway. And, unfortunately, the opposite will happen if you don’t write. Do you have a journal? Do you take ten minutes a day sitting in silence writing? I’m not sure teachers realize how supportive this is to your writing instruction. Let’s say, the pillars under the bridge. Yeah, that important. The fact that you care about writing, and your students see it, is earth-shattering. Give it a try. I bet you’ll see a difference in the writing environment almost immediately.
Choice
“No Choicey, NO Voicey,” croons from the mountains of Vermont, by non other than Mr. Barry Lane, a giant in the kid writing field. The freedom to choose genre, style, subject or tone adds reality to the W.W. It’s totally natural to want choice, it’s human nature.
For all you teachers who brandish the kid remote, clicking buttons for the desired behavior or outcome, Drop it, and walk away. I repeat, step away from the remote. If you want your students to feel comfortable and safe (Both important environmental properties), and take risks in writing, you need to give them freedom. Vicki Spandel states in her book, The Nine Rights of Every Writer, that without risk, it is nearly impossible to grow as a writer.
When I say freedom, I mean FREEDOM. Not, “Children, You can write whatever you want, BUT.” Leave out the stinky BUTT! Please, for the love of creativity, leave out the BUT.
Buzz

I know my Workshop is rockin’ when writing is the buzz. We need to talk, especially about anxiety filled situations. Writing would qualify as such a situation for sure. Kids need to know writing is hard, but that’s not a reason to give up. Struggling together as a writing community will lead to progress. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Yeah, probably worn out, but true.
When your Shop consists of writers helping writers, instead of teachers helping students, you’ve got it. Two ways to spark chatter are: Teacher/ Student (AKA: The Writing Conference) and Student/Student (AKA: The Peer Conference) Carl Anderson wrote a great book on conferencing called How’s It Going? Check it out!

Teacher Writers, Choice, and Buzz are just a few ways to massage the “feeling” of the Shop into your writers. So, warm up those hands and start kneading.

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