Learning, Growing and Waiting Beside Them

The Opportunity of a Writer's Workshop

On page 62, Kittle introduces Writer's Workshop! I can identify with a cluttered desk but sometimes you have to free yourself to write! I can totally resonate with her feelings of inadequacy and the temptation to think you are less than the great writers of literature. Sometimes I feel as though I am underneath the teachers. You know, those teachers that parade the fact that all their methods to reaching students work and their students eventually turn out to be writers of literature. However, Kittle says to embrace those feelings of inadequacy! Where do you find your hope in those moments?

Look and Live!

Look at the students and live, O teacher, one that dies from the feelings of inadequacy! Look at how they fiddle, look at how they get distracted, look at how much they procrastinate. During these writing workshops, it will remind you that it is all a process.

Another thing I took solace in while reading about the writers workshop is that the workshop will not always be easy or successful. Be realistic.

I appreciate the seven independent principles. There are two that I want to highlight.

1. I expect everyone to write well - I think it is important to remember some kids might be able to read at an appropriate grade level while doing this though.

5. I learn from watching and listening to students - The other day my students taught me something new. It really caught me off guard. I had to ask myself, "Why did I feel uncomfortable about them teaching me?" It takes a lot of humility to sit under the school of your students.


I like the low-stakes personal writing. "You will decide what you want to write about because "I respect you", I believe you will choose wisely" I really love those words and I believe they're so empowering for our students. I will definitely practice this more during our Friday Writer's Workshop Days.

There was so much in this chapter that I mostly found validating. I think it also gave me more confidence in terms of not giving my students the liberty of doing anything and writing anything but also having expectations for them in saying "I will not tolerate anything less than their best and most sincere effort..."

Kittle admits that we must leave room for Variation, interruption, and teachable moments. Rehearsal, rereading, and revision! I VALUE how she allows time for them to have reading in her class. Every month, for one period, I do this thing called "Sustained Silent Reading" where students are graded for the day on bringing their books to class and reading it. I think it's a fantastic, sacred moment in which habits are born, worldviews are shaped, and lives are changed.

In Chapter Nine, I appreciate the part of the reason she suggests that we need to let them write about what they want ti us that they are more likely to put more voluntary care and personal investment into the revision process when they are writing about topics on which they care. My big question is: How can we effectively balance students' writing about literature alongside their writing about life? I think she Lismore concerned with her audience asking themselves this question than she is with providing the answer to it.

These are my looming thoughts to these chapters. What do you think Professor?