As a 7th grade English teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your students love a book they are reading so much so that they do not want the period to end. This year I will continue implementing Reader's and Writer's Workshop into my classroom. Workshop ultimately means that as a teacher, you want to implement a structure that will allow for whole group, small group, and individualized activities surrounding students and their reading and writing. It is the vehicle that opens up possibilities to differentiate instruction, allowing room for individual conferencing, one-on-one instruction, feedback, and goal setting.
How is Workshop different than before?
Before teachers were introduced to the Workshop model, teachers taught their lessons using whole group instruction and class novel studies. Now with Reader's Workshop, students read on-level text of their choice and apply the skills learned through discussion and writing. Instead of the teacher teaching a lesson geared towards one class novel for the whole class period, the Workshop model allows for the teacher to focus on a specific skill using a mentor text. Then, when the students are independently reading their novel they can apply the skill or skills to their leveled read.
Conferences are also a major part to a successful Workshop model. After a reading or writing skill is taught, students are then able to practice and apply the skills and add different strategies to their "tool belt". At this time of independent reading or writing, the teacher holds individual or small group conferences helping students with specific areas and goal setting.
Flexible Seating
The Workshop model lends itself to a new way to look at classroom seating. Instead of the students sitting at their desks the entire 55 minutes, flexible seating allows for different seating options to stimulate focus and concentration. I have redesigned my classroom and have implemented unassigned flexible seating such as: bean bag chairs, yoga balls, rugs, a futon, different sized pillows, etc. Thisis a shift in both structure and teaching philosophy that lends itself to an entire mindset shift!