One way to highlight both choice and independence is to leave some time at the end of the year for students to engage in independent writing projects. In the most open iteration of these, students can write in any genre, and for any purpose, to create a final piece of their choosing. Perhaps they will return to a genre they particularly enjoyed - they might write an opinion piece on a hot issue, a fictional narrative about a character they’re obsessed with, or an information piece on a beloved topic. For whatever kind of writing they choose, they can make a plan for how their work will go - how much time they’ll spend in each part of the writing process, the strategies they’ll use, perhaps even how they’ll assess their own work.
Or, you might end the year with an emphasis on revision. Students could return to previous writing projects, this time with their increased experience and knowledge, and could choose a few pieces to revise based on all they now know about good writing. For many writers, there is something very engaging about returning to previous work with renewed energy and fresh eyes.
Another way to spotlight independence and how far students have come is to encourage them to take on the role of teachers. Even younger students can teach each other a thing or two they’ve learned about writing. You might organize your whole class to visit a class of younger students to share expertise on a particular genre of writing. Or, you might set up each student to be an expert on a writing strategy or skill they feel is a strength, and suggest that other students meet with the resident expert when they need help with this skill or strategy. You might have experts such as the “dialogue expert,” the “setting details expert,” or the “refining thesis statements expert.” Students could sign up to meet with each other for tips on these topics.
Cindy Williams and Lisa Hernandez Corcoran, TCRWP staff developers, will lead this week’s Twitter chat on how to keep engagement high as your writing workshop winds down. Join them for more tips and ways to wrap up your writing workshop on the strongest possible note.
Each Wednesday night at 7:30pm eastern, The Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project hosts a Twitter chat using the hashtag #TCRWP. Join @cwilliamsark & @lisa_ladybugsx3 to chat about keeping engagement high as writing workshop winds down tomorrow night.
Not on Twitter? Take Heinemann’s free Twitter for Educators course here.
Follow her on Twitter @annagcockerille