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Grade 8 Language Arts Name:________________________ Writer’s Workshop Introduction Period:________ Date:___________ What is Writer’s
Workshop? Writer’s Workshop is a chance, in English class, for you to write. You will be able to experiment with, try out,
and explore different kinds of writing… …choosing
subjects that interest you …having a
chance to make mistakes without worrying about a grade …learning
to produce writing in the classroom, with others working around you …trying to
write different kinds of things--fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama… Why is it called a
“workshop”? A workshop is
where craftsmen and artists work creatively.
A workshop is a
place work gets done. A workshop is a
place where craftsmen have the tools they need to work. In a workshop,
the tasks usually come from within the artists, not from a boss. A workshop is
usually risk free; if the craftsman produces something that the craftsman
doesn’t like, s/he can treat it as a learning experience without having it
graded by others. In a workshop,
artists are free to ask other artists for opinions about each other’s work
without fear of being intimidated or laughed at. A workshop,
finally, produces work that craftsmen and artists are eventually proud to show
the world. A Writing Workshop
lesson: 1.
Mini-Lesson on some type of writing 2. Practice
of that type of writing 3. Time to work
on the piece of writing you are currently working on (from your folder*) or
start a new piece 4. The last 10-15 minutes are “sharing time” to
sit with a friend and share what you’ve written. 4. Putting
writing back in folders; replacing folders* in their box. But what will I
write? Anything, really. You might be writing poems, while someone
else is writing a short story, while someone else is writing a comic book. You decide…However, as you’ll see, you do have to at least try different forms of writing as the weeks go by. You can’t write the same form all the time. Sounds
easy. I can do whatever I want. This class is going to be nothing! An easy grade! Actually, there are requirements. Writing Workshop gets three grades for the term: 1) Working in class, instead of wasting
time. 2) Producing writing (or brainstorming)
while you are in class, whether it’s good or bad. 3) The final pieces you select for
evaluation. MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS
ABOUT PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS ARE COMING *Your folders will be given to you in class. FAQ, and other matters… Won’t we be reading
books in class? Writing Workshop is two lessons per week. We’ll be reading books and doing other things
in class, too, of course. I can’t write on
paper; I like to write on a computer. There are lots of advantages to that. But if you think you can write only on a computer, you have some bad
news coming in the rest of your educational career. Learning to write with paper and pencil/pen
is still, even in the 21st Century, an important and valuable skill. You mean even my
final copy will be written by hand? Not
typed on a computer? As amazing as it seems, written copies are fine. In fact, for some personal pieces,
handwriting is better than a computer.
But you will have a chance to do a neat copy on the computer, too. I can’t write in a
classroom with all these other people. I
have to be alone by myself. Again, there are lots of advantages to that. But again, if you think you can only write in a room by yourself, or
that you can’t write or come up with
ideas in a classroom, you also have some bad news coming. Learning to generate ideas, and write, in a
room with others working around you is something to practice and get better at. How can you give a
grade to creative work? Isn’t that just
an opinion? In many ways, yes. That’s why the “Reasons Sheet” and your
drafting and re-drafting are such important documents. I am mainly trying to judge how seriously you are taking your own
writing. In addition to that, my
experience as a teacher of English gives me some leeway in judging the
quality. What you have to trust is that
I will be fair (which I will be), and that I will never make fun of you or your
writing (which I will not). What if I’m a slow
writer? You can be slower than others in class; that’s natural. But there is a requirement about producing
work, remember—good or bad. Plus,
there’s the requirement of producing different forms of writing. I believe you will have enough time in class
to write everything that you need to write.
If you think you need to take your writing home, please ask me before
taking your writing folder from the room. What about those
requirements? How many finished pieces
will get graded? Let’s find out together how long it takes you to produce
finished writing. These first five weeks
will be an experiment for that. We will
work out the requirements together after we’ve been working a while, and you
have a better idea of how much you can actually produce in class each week. So I write all this
stuff, some good, some bad. Then do I
just throw it all away? No! You’ll find
you’ll want to keep a lot of your writing, and I will, too. Plus, all of this leads to the major project
of the last quarter…drum roll… * * * * * * * * * * * * Your Personal Anthology/Memoir The anthology/memoir
will consist of… …pieces of your writing …pieces of writing some of your
friends have written …pieces of writing you like that
you’ve found in books More details
about the anthology/memoir are coming later.
For now, just be aware that you are going to produce this anthology/memoir. So: Be
on the lookout in books
for poems, stories, sections of novels, and other writing that you like. Be
on the lookout around the classroom
for good writing by your classmates that you like, and you might ask to include
in your anthology/memoir. Be
on the lookout in your own writing folder for the stuff you most want to share with others in your
personal anthology/memoir. |