In previous articles in this series I have discussed how to launch a successful writers workshop in the elementary classroom and I went on to give ideas about how to maintain the writers workshop.
The biggest challenge I find in implementing a daily writers workshop is keeping track of what every child is doing from day to day. I emphasize to children that as writers their goal is always publication of material, but that they will not reach that end with every piece they write. Some they'll start and stop while others they'll continue straight to the end. Their folders at any given time will contain writing samples that have been placed to the side and writing pieces they went on to publish. In essence, a teacher in this context cannot bank on what a given child will be doing one day to the next. If Johnny is writing a rough draft one day and seems to be sitting in a corner thinking the next day,I might discover by asking that he has put the previous day's work aside because he was struck with a tantalizing new idea. On the other hand, a teacher may see Johnny seemingly trapped in a brainstorm session for days on end, which could signal intentional or unintentional writers block.
In order to bring more student control over their place in the writing process at any given moment I devised a simple bulletin board that contains the heading for each part of the writing process. Brainstorming, First Draft, Editing, Revision, Final Draft, and Publication. On sentence strips I wrote each child's name and on the first day asked where in the writing process they would be for that particular day. I then placed each name under the specified heading, creating columns of names under each heading. I told the children that each day it was their job to move their name in the column that best matched where they were in the writing process for that day. That way, on any given day I can look on the board and find out where any child is, or is supposed to be, in the writing process. Likewise, if a particular child is showing up under the same heading day after day I know it's time to conference with him to talk about time management.
I like the bulletin board because children have to take responsibility for where they are each day and by looking at where they have placed themselves on the board I can hold them to it.
Try it out!
