Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Reading and Writing Workshop Training: Other Possibilities

Earlier I mentioned a little bit about the schedule for my workshop training and how I decided which components to include. When it was complete, I reflected on how it all went. For future trainings I will definitely start with a getting to know you (or you as a reader and writer) activity, as well as background about the current context of literacy and workshop philosophy. I will also make sure to include time for teachers to collaborate and plan. However, I may organize it a little bit differently.

I am thinking that after the morning of the first day would be very much the same, but then I would shift to planning and collaborating for either reading or writing workshop (whichever one I focused on in the morning) for the afternoon. Then on the second day I would start by focusing on the whichever I did not highlight on the first day before shifting over to planning and collaboration.

I am weighing advantages and disadvantages of both the way the training was set up and this alternate idea, thinking about which would be most beneficial, which would provide a better blend of introducing concepts, reflecting, thinking, processing, and planning.

Another aspect that I would emphasize more would be encouraging teachers to set up a plan for focusing on themselves as writers or providing a scaffold for a long term teachers as writers community. Many of us already participate in a book club (and here), which has been so fulfilling and a great learning experience for me. It would be nice to also have a writing component.

There's always so many possibilities with teaching and growing as professionals...

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