Developing Writers: A Workshop for High School Teachers

Workshop 1

Key Points

Things To Consider

In the Classroom

Additional Resources

workshop 1 guide
(PDF)

In the Classroom

"It's important to think about what you want students' writing to look like at the end of the year."

- Kelly Quintero

JUMP TO WORKSHOP

In preparation for the year ahead, teachers featured in this workshop noted that they often read books about writing and teaching writing during the summer. Susie noted that, in 2003, she read Tom Romano's Blending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers. Here's a list of other books on writing you might want to use to reinvigorate your teaching.
You can also consult this article of peer-recommended books to find other useful references. These recommendations are from an article in NCTE's English Journal.
The teachers in this workshop noted that, as they think about the first few days of classes, they often plan to help their students get to know them better as teachers and writers. Kelly Quintero used this activity to start off her 2003-2004 school year. This activity builds on a writing exercise that was part of a writer's workshop led by Judith Ortiz Cofer. You can participate in this activity through the interactive A Writer's Notebook.
This list of the top ten myths of writing (prepared by the NCTE) might be a good starting point for your first discussions with student writers.
A good lesson plan helps you put your goals for the year into action. GEM, the Gateway to Educational Resources and The Educator's Reference Desk, formerly AskERIC, (both sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education) offer extensive lesson plans related to writing. Use the site's search function to locate them, entering terms such as "writing," "essays," or other specific writing genre.
Do you have a favorite tip on linking classroom activities to local, state, or national standards? Share your thoughts on Channel-Talk.

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				INTERACTIVES
				Arbiter
				Build a Rubric
				Writer's Notebook