Launching Writer's Workshop

This post is dedicated to launching a successful continuous writing block in your classroom. This is how I launch writers workshop in my classroom in the beginning of the school year.


First - Explain to students what writers workshop will look and feel like. Remind students that this is a new year with a new teacher and that even if they had a set routing last year doesn't mean it will be the same this year.

Second - Tell students what the routine will look like. For me this means taking the students on a "tour" of our writers workshop routine. We start on the carpet in our writing corner. I, the teacher, will model or show them what that day's goal is. It may be "how to hook your reader" or "how to begin a sentence". It's always important to put your objective either into a question or a statement. For example, "Good writes hook their read with a good opening line" OR "How can you hook your reader to make them want to continue to read your writing?".

Third - Explain to students that after you - the teacher, teaches them that day's goal they will then go to their desk and write, trying to use what they learned that day in their writing. (You may or may not say this but you can tell them that they will start off writing just a little bit and then as the year goes on they'll be given more and more time. You can also tell them you will walk around and help some students. It's important to remind them that you cannot help everyone everyday, but you'll do your best to help as many as possible. ---Side Note: It's a good idea to try to conference with 3-5 students a day).

Fourth - Then tell them that after they read we will all come back to the carpet and get to share our writing with our friends and then give one another feedback.

Remember, the first day you "launch" writers workshop, you won't actually be teaching it. Then the following days you will be walking them through it. It takes about 2 solid weeks to get them started and then an another 3 weeks to officially get them in the habit. Basically the "First 30 Days".  It may seem like a long time, but 5 weeks of 10 months is not that much, it will make the rest of 8 months and 3 weeks go smoothly and successfully!