Chapter 4 & 5 of In The Middle were very instructive on preparing your classroom for workshopping. An in-depth account of how Atwell organizes her classroom and structures to the workshops was helpful; however, the amount of rules she has for the classroom was surprising, but in hindsight make sense: perhaps the students would consider the lack of structure as an invitation to be unruly. An invitation to be independent and creative is not an invitation to waste time; on the contrary, the point is to gain a high level of productivity and quality of work through freedom of thought. On page 110 Atwell points out that she must frequently remind her students of her expectations in the fall but that once her students get the hang of it they are very productive and on task.
I also appreciate her inclusion of two options for including Workshops into your class on page 97. It seems that with the set curriculum of most schools workshopping may not be entirely possible, but her suggestions are helpful. I like that she assigns independent reading every night as homework along with flexibly scheduled writing homework. I am not a big advocate of using homework to supplement in class learning, but I can get behind encouraging students to read mostly independently chosen novels outside of class.
There are a few points that she makes about types of text for SSR that I disagree with. On page 101 she says that she doesn’t approve of adolescent serial novels written by authors such as Christopher Pike and R.L Stine (I hate to admit it but after I read as many Nancy Drew books as I could get my hands on in Middle School, I moved onto Christopher Pike and hence, have a certain affinity for this type of novel). I also disagree with her about the use of comic books. I am under the impression (maybe falsely?) that the point is to get students reading! I can respect not including these materials in a classroom library, but if a student selects something like this on their own, I think its important to validate that students choice in literature (maybe suggest an author they may also like that is more “literary”), and just encourage them to keep reading.
I’m sorry to say, but I find her sample lectures in Chapter 5 to make for tedious reading, but I enjoy her application of the word “territory.” I was a little stumped at the beginning of this class about what to write, but I think I am going to have to create a list of my own territories to inspire me. I have not had a lot of time to write outside of what is required for my classes, but I am beginning to feel her influence to “practice (and model) what you preach,” and believe that I should start reading and writing more to understand how to best incorporate a love of reading and writing in my classroom.
Nancie Atwell’s fourth and fifth chapters were in-depth examinations of how the author structures her writing and reading workshops. Atwell emphasizes the nitty-gritty of her teaching style, including the rules her students are expected to follow, the materials she expects each student to have and to use, and a multitude of authors and materials she prefers.
As I frequently feel when reading this book, I like Atwell’s ideas in theory but I have a hard time imagining putting them into practice. She does specify two possibilities, for “when a workshop approach is the curriculum” and “when a required curriculum must be covered” (97), but at this point, why even bother distinguishing? It seems that almost every school in the country has a required curriculum. Further, her specification is to alternate the required curriculum and the workshop by semester, but do required curricula allow for that kind of drastic change? It seems like Atwell has a lot more freedom than what most schools will allow a teacher today. While I like her ideas, I wish she would spend more time on how to work them into a rigid curriculum.
I’m really not familiar with how funding and acquisition of materials works in schools. I have heard the adage that ten percent of a teacher’s wage goes immediately into his or her classroom. From Atwell’s description beginning on page 98, though, it seems like she must use an incredible amount of her own money to supply a classroom with all these materials. I can see a school supplying the basics: “pencils,” “ball-points,” “lined paper,” and other fundamentals. Atwell’s class not only has an extensive library of novels, non-fiction, reference books and periodicals, but also furniture, bookshelves, and a huge amount of office supplies per student. I understand that much of this is the accumulation of years, but how much of this can we expect to be provided or, realistically, to fit in a room also filled with thirty students?
On the other hand, I love Atwell’s lists of rules and expectations. It’s clear from her language (“take care,” “establish and work,” “take a deliberate stance,” [114] etc.) that she takes English seriously and expects her students to do so, too. As much as Atwell’s class seems freer than others, there are still goals to be met and progress to be made. I also like her continuous harkening back to the idea of learning to love to read, which is also visible in her list of rules. (“Don’t read a book you don’t like,” “It’s all right to reread a book you love,” [116] etc.) This kind of attitude will inevitably be infectious to students.
Chapters four and five of In the Middle discuss how to prepare one’s classroom for workshop instruction and how to implement the workshop in the first few weeks of class. Atwell begins her discussion by first noting the importance of organization in the workshop environment. Although organization is important for every type of lesson plan, I agree with Atwell that it is especially essential for the workshop setting because this form of instruction is probably totally new to most students. Structure is an important component of students’ education (and lives) and therefore if the teacher creates an organized environment for his or her students, the students can focus less on understanding the logistics of assignments and more on learning the content and engaging with it. Atwell discusses organizing files, folders, and reading and writing logs. However, on another level, she also argues that it is necessary to help students organize their reading and writing habits. She urges us to teach children how to be active writers and emphasizes that successful “writers need regular, frequent chunks of time they can count on, anticipate, and plan for” (Atwell, 1998, p. 91). Setting aside regular appropriate class time for free writing can establish good habits for future writing. In fact, I wish my teachers had allowed us this time in high school.
Similarly, Atwell reminds us that the best readers read often (1998, p. 95). Additionally, I would like to add that good writers also read on a regular basis. I like the idea of devoting class time to both reading and writing workshops, as Atwell suggests, but while I was reading I also wondered about the logistics of these activities. Like we talked about in class last week, how can a teacher balance a given curriculum with creating a successful workshop environment? Devoting time to both free writing and free reading during every class seems idealistic—and I would very much love to implement it! I just do not know if it is possible. Furthermore, outside of workshop-related advice, Atwell gives us some very good tips for conducting class in general. I think we can heed Atwell’s advice in all our lesson plans when she recommends setting expectations, allowing students to experiment, using several ways to track students’ progresses, and establishing clear and fair rules for conducting learning in the classroom. Finally, one last key idea I found interesting is that Atwell encourages reading aloud to students of any age.
I took a lot from the “Getting Ready” chapter, mainly because I think that if you want anything to happen writing wise, everything needs to be perfected the the very beginning, and that all starts off with good preparation. I noted that Graves told Atwell that she was organized, meaning, “discovering what writers and readers need and providing plenty of it in a predictable setting (Atwell, 1998, 90). Knowing what needs to be worked on is only going to make the students better writers. So i was intrigued about how to achieve this organization and preparedness. This chapter is going to be a great resource going forward. We get to see exactly how organized she can be and how we can use that to make our planning easier.
It was exciting to see the results from her students and hearing their comments about how their writing is coming along (my only hope is that achieving what she has is realistic. I think her book is setting my expectations pretty high for when I get my own class). Graves recommends allotting at least three class periods a week in order for students to be able to develop and refine their own ideas... Regular Frequent time for writing also helps students write well (Atwell, 1998, 91). It makes the most sense; practice makes perfect. The expectations for reading and writing were nice (Atwell, 1998, 111-114). I really like them for the students because it encourages them to really work hard and take it seriously. It’s a good motivation in my opinion.
Chapter 5 I enjoyed reading the little strategies she’s developed over the years. I especially was a fan of the process she went through in getting students to pick out an outside reading book. She draws them in; she doesn't just force the work upon them. And that’s how students get interested and stay interested. I also liked the length of time for reading. A half an hour of reading something they are hopefully interested in. It might become their favorite homework assignment. Maybe it won’t feel like homework. Maybe they will read for more than a half hour! She also keeps it interesting when she’s checking up on their reading. They do have some time in class to read, so it gives her a chance to jot down where they are int he book compared to where they were a few days before. She also takes the time to ask about the book, whether they like it, or how it’s coming along in general. She’s trying to keep them engaged the whole time.
Chapters 4 & 5 of In the Middle offered helpful insights into how Atwell prepares for and structures her writing and reading workshops in the classroom. Atwell notes that organization is essential for planning ahead, and that it means “discovering what writers and readers need and providing plenty of it in a predictable setting” (p.90). I enjoyed how she describes in the “Creating the Context” section of chapter 4 the ways in which she consciously creates a “studio” where students can easily “create a routine” of writing and reading (p.96). She carefully chooses her supplies, making sure that she always has plenty, has a “publication center” where students can reference the rules, and makes examples of good writing in many different genres easily accessible to students (p.99). I particularly enjoy her system of rating books – I think this not only assists students in determining what their classmates may have found a good read, but also helps the teacher determine what students enjoy reading, so that selecting literature for the classroom becomes easier and more relevant to the students.
Another significant part of the chapters that I found very useful as a future teacher is that teachers need to establish expectations, and make those expectations very clear to our students. Atwell makes sure that each student has a copy of the rules for writing and reading workshops, and that the expectations for each workshop are posted in the classroom. If a student ever had writers block or trouble formulating ideas, the expectations would be a great starting point for students to stay on track and gain inspiration.
There was one part of Chapter 4 that I found both extremely valuable and slightly distressing. Atwell stresses the fact that writers need time, and that to become what she calls “habitual writers,” writing workshop should take place at least 3-5 times per week in the classroom (p.91). As ideal as this may sound, how realistic is it in a practical sense? She does offer suggestions for adjusting the curriculum if you are required to follow a set curriculum, but I cannot help but remember the administrator who came in and remarked about how “it looked as if nothing was happening” (p.95). Thinking back on my public school days, I would much rather have had writing workshops where I could develop ideas and practice my writing as opposed to writing 5 paragraph essays in preparation for MCAS, and I cannot help but think that the only reason for this torture was to please the administrators. As teachers who are expected to follow a curriculum, how do we make time for writing and reading workshops? Atwell notes that in addition to developing their short and long term writing skills, her students’ test scores went up because they were reading more, which is not at all surprising. Writing and reading workshops not only help students in the short-term by developing their writing and reading skills, they also help students get to know themselves, learn about the world around them and become life-long learners.
Chapter 4 of In the Middle starts out by discussing one incredibly important aspect of writing workshop implementation in the classroom. Time. Time is one thing that always seems to be lacking when it comes to teaching. It’s that one resource that I really wish we could simply order from W. B. Mason to ensure that we always have a backup supply. Unfortunately, time doesn’t work like that; once it’s lost, it’s lost. But the way we organize time can have a direct connection to the growth of our students as writers in the classroom. When students are regularly able to write in the classroom, their skills improve. Continuous association with their writing allows them to think about their writing and examine areas for improvement.
A lack of time is one thing that always stressed me out in class in regard to writing. This was especially true when it came to writing in answer to prompts on standardized tests. On standardized tests, my writing responses hardly reflect my strengths and abilities as a writer because I don’t have the time to sit, think, reflect, reorganize, and revise. If there is one thing I can do to support my students in their growth in the writing process, it would be to give them as much time as possible to work in writing workshops.
Atwell makes another important observation in regard to writing: “When students have regular, frequent time set aside to write, writing can also play a crucial role in helping them grow up” (p. 93). During my junior and senior years of high school, I was able to keep a writing journal and a personal diary. When I graduated from college this past May, I was able to read these and reflect upon my personal growth and development. It was an incredibly insightful experience. I think for me, this experience demonstrated just how valuable writing can be for students.
Also related to time, Atwell discussed organizing the classroom so as not to waste precious writing time. I found her suggestions really helpful, but a bit too detailed and overly organized for my taste. I would however, follow Atwell’s suggestion to have a place where all writing and reference materials are readily available for students. This would not only make writing time more organized, but it would also create an environment that is conducive to the writing mood.
In chapters four and five of Atwell’s In the Middle, I really enjoyed what she was sharing with the reader and her students. I felt like I was able to see a different level of her here. Like when she talks about sharing her reading territories with students and how she felt that could be more raw and intimate than the writing territories.
In chapter four there was a lot of talk about giving students time to write at least three or four times a week (Atwell, 1998, p. 91). Atwell talks about all of the positive things that can come out of this, such as students learning whom they are as writers and figuring out what and where they want to take their writing. This is something I really want to learn from and pass on to my students, not because it is something I experienced, but because it is something I did not. I consider myself an okay writer, I can write a good paper for class and I have decent ideas, but I do not take my writing to the next level the way Atwell’s students do, so I want to make sure that my students have that opportunity.
In chapter five, Atwell moves to “getting started” and gives us a look into how she introduces her class to the workshops and how she gives them a look at herself, not just as their teacher, but as a whole person. The section on first workshop routines was most helpful to me because she outlines how she spends her class time (she does this in chapter four as well, which was also helpful. She does not just give a certain amount of time to each task, some are more flexible than others because she might want to focus more on the mini lesson that day or the independent writing (Atwell, 1998, p. 140). I appreciated this section because I was starting to think that we should only have a certain amount of time for each task, but from this I can see that we, as teachers, need to stay flexible depending on the day and what is happening with our students.
Chapters 4 and 5 of Atwell discuss reading and writing workshops in greater detail. In theory, I love what Atwell is proposing. According to Atwell we should use “at least three class periods a week in order for students to be able to develop and refine their own ideas” (91). Though I’d love this classroom, it is not realistic in today’s classroom. Public schools around the country spend as much time as possible on the common core, standard curriculum, and high stakes tests. Teachers already feel as if they are cramming in content wherever they can. With the time restrictions and the expectation placed on teaching to the test, having an Atwell classroom is not possible in public schools. Her focus on good writing and fostering good writing: “Good writers and writing don’t take less time; they take more” (92-93). In a perfect world, a classroom could give writers all the time they needed to develop their writing and refine their ideas. As teachers, we must learn how to balance the expectations of school districts and administrations with the need to foster good writing and good writing practices.
Another important aspect of an ELA classroom is fostering a love of reading. Much like Atwell’s ideas about writing and how to teach writing, I love her ideas about how to encourage reading in and out of the classroom. Atwell discusses two options for how to arrange class time. Atwell used the workshop model in her classroom, spending four days in writing workshops and one day in a reading workshop. Though I found this impressive, I also found it idealistic. I’d love to be able to dedicate an entire class period to a reading workshop. As an English teacher, my ideal scenario would be a discussion based classroom where we all respectfully talk about our reading and writing. Though I do believe these classrooms could and do exist, I don’t believe that I will end up in one of these classrooms. I want to be able to encourage reading to my students and I want to be able discuss what they find in their reading. In public schools, I will have to balance a variety of activities and requirements and I hope that I will be able to do some reading and writing workshops.
Chapter 4 & 5 of In The Middle were very instructive on preparing your classroom for workshopping. An in-depth account of how Atwell organizes her classroom and structures to the workshops was helpful; however, the amount of rules she has for the classroom was surprising, but in hindsight make sense: perhaps the students would consider the lack of structure as an invitation to be unruly. An invitation to be independent and creative is not an invitation to waste time; on the contrary, the point is to gain a high level of productivity and quality of work through freedom of thought. On page 110 Atwell points out that she must frequently remind her students of her expectations in the fall but that once her students get the hang of it they are very productive and on task.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate her inclusion of two options for including Workshops into your class on page 97. It seems that with the set curriculum of most schools workshopping may not be entirely possible, but her suggestions are helpful. I like that she assigns independent reading every night as homework along with flexibly scheduled writing homework. I am not a big advocate of using homework to supplement in class learning, but I can get behind encouraging students to read mostly independently chosen novels outside of class.
There are a few points that she makes about types of text for SSR that I disagree with. On page 101 she says that she doesn’t approve of adolescent serial novels written by authors such as Christopher Pike and R.L Stine (I hate to admit it but after I read as many Nancy Drew books as I could get my hands on in Middle School, I moved onto Christopher Pike and hence, have a certain affinity for this type of novel). I also disagree with her about the use of comic books. I am under the impression (maybe falsely?) that the point is to get students reading! I can respect not including these materials in a classroom library, but if a student selects something like this on their own, I think its important to validate that students choice in literature (maybe suggest an author they may also like that is more “literary”), and just encourage them to keep reading.
I’m sorry to say, but I find her sample lectures in Chapter 5 to make for tedious reading, but I enjoy her application of the word “territory.” I was a little stumped at the beginning of this class about what to write, but I think I am going to have to create a list of my own territories to inspire me. I have not had a lot of time to write outside of what is required for my classes, but I am beginning to feel her influence to “practice (and model) what you preach,” and believe that I should start reading and writing more to understand how to best incorporate a love of reading and writing in my classroom.
Nancie Atwell’s fourth and fifth chapters were in-depth examinations of how the author structures her writing and reading workshops. Atwell emphasizes the nitty-gritty of her teaching style, including the rules her students are expected to follow, the materials she expects each student to have and to use, and a multitude of authors and materials she prefers.
ReplyDeleteAs I frequently feel when reading this book, I like Atwell’s ideas in theory but I have a hard time imagining putting them into practice. She does specify two possibilities, for “when a workshop approach is the curriculum” and “when a required curriculum must be covered” (97), but at this point, why even bother distinguishing? It seems that almost every school in the country has a required curriculum. Further, her specification is to alternate the required curriculum and the workshop by semester, but do required curricula allow for that kind of drastic change? It seems like Atwell has a lot more freedom than what most schools will allow a teacher today. While I like her ideas, I wish she would spend more time on how to work them into a rigid curriculum.
I’m really not familiar with how funding and acquisition of materials works in schools. I have heard the adage that ten percent of a teacher’s wage goes immediately into his or her classroom. From Atwell’s description beginning on page 98, though, it seems like she must use an incredible amount of her own money to supply a classroom with all these materials. I can see a school supplying the basics: “pencils,” “ball-points,” “lined paper,” and other fundamentals. Atwell’s class not only has an extensive library of novels, non-fiction, reference books and periodicals, but also furniture, bookshelves, and a huge amount of office supplies per student. I understand that much of this is the accumulation of years, but how much of this can we expect to be provided or, realistically, to fit in a room also filled with thirty students?
On the other hand, I love Atwell’s lists of rules and expectations. It’s clear from her language (“take care,” “establish and work,” “take a deliberate stance,” [114] etc.) that she takes English seriously and expects her students to do so, too. As much as Atwell’s class seems freer than others, there are still goals to be met and progress to be made. I also like her continuous harkening back to the idea of learning to love to read, which is also visible in her list of rules. (“Don’t read a book you don’t like,” “It’s all right to reread a book you love,” [116] etc.) This kind of attitude will inevitably be infectious to students.
Chapters four and five of In the Middle discuss how to prepare one’s classroom for workshop instruction and how to implement the workshop in the first few weeks of class. Atwell begins her discussion by first noting the importance of organization in the workshop environment. Although organization is important for every type of lesson plan, I agree with Atwell that it is especially essential for the workshop setting because this form of instruction is probably totally new to most students. Structure is an important component of students’ education (and lives) and therefore if the teacher creates an organized environment for his or her students, the students can focus less on understanding the logistics of assignments and more on learning the content and engaging with it. Atwell discusses organizing files, folders, and reading and writing logs. However, on another level, she also argues that it is necessary to help students organize their reading and writing habits. She urges us to teach children how to be active writers and emphasizes that successful “writers need regular, frequent chunks of time they can count on, anticipate, and plan for” (Atwell, 1998, p. 91). Setting aside regular appropriate class time for free writing can establish good habits for future writing. In fact, I wish my teachers had allowed us this time in high school.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Atwell reminds us that the best readers read often (1998, p. 95). Additionally, I would like to add that good writers also read on a regular basis. I like the idea of devoting class time to both reading and writing workshops, as Atwell suggests, but while I was reading I also wondered about the logistics of these activities. Like we talked about in class last week, how can a teacher balance a given curriculum with creating a successful workshop environment? Devoting time to both free writing and free reading during every class seems idealistic—and I would very much love to implement it! I just do not know if it is possible. Furthermore, outside of workshop-related advice, Atwell gives us some very good tips for conducting class in general. I think we can heed Atwell’s advice in all our lesson plans when she recommends setting expectations, allowing students to experiment, using several ways to track students’ progresses, and establishing clear and fair rules for conducting learning in the classroom. Finally, one last key idea I found interesting is that Atwell encourages reading aloud to students of any age.
Atwell 4 & 5
ReplyDeleteI took a lot from the “Getting Ready” chapter, mainly because I think that if you want anything to happen writing wise, everything needs to be perfected the the very beginning, and that all starts off with good preparation. I noted that Graves told Atwell that she was organized, meaning, “discovering what writers and readers need and providing plenty of it in a predictable setting (Atwell, 1998, 90). Knowing what needs to be worked on is only going to make the students better writers. So i was intrigued about how to achieve this organization and preparedness. This chapter is going to be a great resource going forward. We get to see exactly how organized she can be and how we can use that to make our planning easier.
It was exciting to see the results from her students and hearing their comments about how their writing is coming along (my only hope is that achieving what she has is realistic. I think her book is setting my expectations pretty high for when I get my own class). Graves recommends allotting at least three class periods a week in order for students to be able to develop and refine their own ideas... Regular Frequent time for writing also helps students write well (Atwell, 1998, 91). It makes the most sense; practice makes perfect. The expectations for reading and writing were nice (Atwell, 1998, 111-114). I really like them for the students because it encourages them to really work hard and take it seriously. It’s a good motivation in my opinion.
Chapter 5
I enjoyed reading the little strategies she’s developed over the years. I especially was a fan of the process she went through in getting students to pick out an outside reading book. She draws them in; she doesn't just force the work upon them. And that’s how students get interested and stay interested. I also liked the length of time for reading. A half an hour of reading something they are hopefully interested in. It might become their favorite homework assignment. Maybe it won’t feel like homework. Maybe they will read for more than a half hour! She also keeps it interesting when she’s checking up on their reading. They do have some time in class to read, so it gives her a chance to jot down where they are int he book compared to where they were a few days before. She also takes the time to ask about the book, whether they like it, or how it’s coming along in general. She’s trying to keep them engaged the whole time.
Chapters 4 & 5 of In the Middle offered helpful insights into how Atwell prepares for and structures her writing and reading workshops in the classroom. Atwell notes that organization is essential for planning ahead, and that it means “discovering what writers and readers need and providing plenty of it in a predictable setting” (p.90). I enjoyed how she describes in the “Creating the Context” section of chapter 4 the ways in which she consciously creates a “studio” where students can easily “create a routine” of writing and reading (p.96). She carefully chooses her supplies, making sure that she always has plenty, has a “publication center” where students can reference the rules, and makes examples of good writing in many different genres easily accessible to students (p.99). I particularly enjoy her system of rating books – I think this not only assists students in determining what their classmates may have found a good read, but also helps the teacher determine what students enjoy reading, so that selecting literature for the classroom becomes easier and more relevant to the students.
ReplyDeleteAnother significant part of the chapters that I found very useful as a future teacher is that teachers need to establish expectations, and make those expectations very clear to our students. Atwell makes sure that each student has a copy of the rules for writing and reading workshops, and that the expectations for each workshop are posted in the classroom. If a student ever had writers block or trouble formulating ideas, the expectations would be a great starting point for students to stay on track and gain inspiration.
There was one part of Chapter 4 that I found both extremely valuable and slightly distressing. Atwell stresses the fact that writers need time, and that to become what she calls “habitual writers,” writing workshop should take place at least 3-5 times per week in the classroom (p.91). As ideal as this may sound, how realistic is it in a practical sense? She does offer suggestions for adjusting the curriculum if you are required to follow a set curriculum, but I cannot help but remember the administrator who came in and remarked about how “it looked as if nothing was happening” (p.95). Thinking back on my public school days, I would much rather have had writing workshops where I could develop ideas and practice my writing as opposed to writing 5 paragraph essays in preparation for MCAS, and I cannot help but think that the only reason for this torture was to please the administrators. As teachers who are expected to follow a curriculum, how do we make time for writing and reading workshops? Atwell notes that in addition to developing their short and long term writing skills, her students’ test scores went up because they were reading more, which is not at all surprising. Writing and reading workshops not only help students in the short-term by developing their writing and reading skills, they also help students get to know themselves, learn about the world around them and become life-long learners.
Chapter 4 of In the Middle starts out by discussing one incredibly important aspect of writing workshop implementation in the classroom. Time. Time is one thing that always seems to be lacking when it comes to teaching. It’s that one resource that I really wish we could simply order from W. B. Mason to ensure that we always have a backup supply. Unfortunately, time doesn’t work like that; once it’s lost, it’s lost. But the way we organize time can have a direct connection to the growth of our students as writers in the classroom. When students are regularly able to write in the classroom, their skills improve. Continuous association with their writing allows them to think about their writing and examine areas for improvement.
ReplyDeleteA lack of time is one thing that always stressed me out in class in regard to writing. This was especially true when it came to writing in answer to prompts on standardized tests. On standardized tests, my writing responses hardly reflect my strengths and abilities as a writer because I don’t have the time to sit, think, reflect, reorganize, and revise. If there is one thing I can do to support my students in their growth in the writing process, it would be to give them as much time as possible to work in writing workshops.
Atwell makes another important observation in regard to writing: “When students have regular, frequent time set aside to write, writing can also play a crucial role in helping them grow up” (p. 93). During my junior and senior years of high school, I was able to keep a writing journal and a personal diary. When I graduated from college this past May, I was able to read these and reflect upon my personal growth and development. It was an incredibly insightful experience. I think for me, this experience demonstrated just how valuable writing can be for students.
Also related to time, Atwell discussed organizing the classroom so as not to waste precious writing time. I found her suggestions really helpful, but a bit too detailed and overly organized for my taste. I would however, follow Atwell’s suggestion to have a place where all writing and reference materials are readily available for students. This would not only make writing time more organized, but it would also create an environment that is conducive to the writing mood.
In chapters four and five of Atwell’s In the Middle, I really enjoyed what she was sharing with the reader and her students. I felt like I was able to see a different level of her here. Like when she talks about sharing her reading territories with students and how she felt that could be more raw and intimate than the writing territories.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter four there was a lot of talk about giving students time to write at least three or four times a week (Atwell, 1998, p. 91). Atwell talks about all of the positive things that can come out of this, such as students learning whom they are as writers and figuring out what and where they want to take their writing. This is something I really want to learn from and pass on to my students, not because it is something I experienced, but because it is something I did not. I consider myself an okay writer, I can write a good paper for class and I have decent ideas, but I do not take my writing to the next level the way Atwell’s students do, so I want to make sure that my students have that opportunity.
In chapter five, Atwell moves to “getting started” and gives us a look into how she introduces her class to the workshops and how she gives them a look at herself, not just as their teacher, but as a whole person. The section on first workshop routines was most helpful to me because she outlines how she spends her class time (she does this in chapter four as well, which was also helpful. She does not just give a certain amount of time to each task, some are more flexible than others because she might want to focus more on the mini lesson that day or the independent writing (Atwell, 1998, p. 140). I appreciated this section because I was starting to think that we should only have a certain amount of time for each task, but from this I can see that we, as teachers, need to stay flexible depending on the day and what is happening with our students.
In a Perfect World
ReplyDeleteChapters 4 and 5 of Atwell discuss reading and writing workshops in greater detail. In theory, I love what Atwell is proposing. According to Atwell we should use “at least three class periods a week in order for students to be able to develop and refine their own ideas” (91). Though I’d love this classroom, it is not realistic in today’s classroom. Public schools around the country spend as much time as possible on the common core, standard curriculum, and high stakes tests. Teachers already feel as if they are cramming in content wherever they can. With the time restrictions and the expectation placed on teaching to the test, having an Atwell classroom is not possible in public schools. Her focus on good writing and fostering good writing: “Good writers and writing don’t take less time; they take more” (92-93). In a perfect world, a classroom could give writers all the time they needed to develop their writing and refine their ideas. As teachers, we must learn how to balance the expectations of school districts and administrations with the need to foster good writing and good writing practices.
Another important aspect of an ELA classroom is fostering a love of reading. Much like Atwell’s ideas about writing and how to teach writing, I love her ideas about how to encourage reading in and out of the classroom. Atwell discusses two options for how to arrange class time. Atwell used the workshop model in her classroom, spending four days in writing workshops and one day in a reading workshop. Though I found this impressive, I also found it idealistic. I’d love to be able to dedicate an entire class period to a reading workshop. As an English teacher, my ideal scenario would be a discussion based classroom where we all respectfully talk about our reading and writing. Though I do believe these classrooms could and do exist, I don’t believe that I will end up in one of these classrooms. I want to be able to encourage reading to my students and I want to be able discuss what they find in their reading. In public schools, I will have to balance a variety of activities and requirements and I hope that I will be able to do some reading and writing workshops.