Language Arts Policies and Procedures

 

Course of Study - Writer's Workshop

 

 What is Writer's Workshop? It is an instruction model that focuses on the strengths and needs of each individual writer. Teachers provide direct instruction on the writing process, craft, genre, and mechanics. Students are given time and choice of what to write, and opportunities to share their work. The schedule for a Writer's Workshop class period is as follows:

• 10 minute mini lesson where the teacher teaches a whole class lesson on writer's craft or conventions based on the needs of the students. Mentor texts are used to model the strategy or skill to learn what writers do. This lesson is taught on the carpet so that students can separate when they are listening and when they are working.
• 25 minute Student independent work time: Students are writing a variety of genres, practicing in a writer's notebook what they were taught in the mini-lesson, brainstorming, drafting, revising and editing, publishing and sharing their work with their writing partner. The teacher conferences with individual students about what they are writing and provides small group instruction based on need.
• 5 minutes of sharing: the students will have a chance to share their work. This may be done as a whole class or as a small group.
• Assessment in writer's workshop is ongoing. You may not see as many grades in the Grade Portal as you are normally used to, but please understand that I am assessing your students' growth and success as a writer every day. I will grade their notebooks and final writing pieces. I will also provide class participation grades frequently throughout the marking period.

 

 

 Requirements

      1. Argument Writing

      2. Narrative Writing

      3. Informational Writing

      4. Revising/Editing/Elaborating

• Writing Assignments

      1. Creative Writing

      2.  NJSLA writing

      3.  In-class timed writing and outside of class writing assignments

• Projects

      1. Newsletters

      2.  Newspaper/Magazine response projects

      3.  Public Speaking

• Homework and Classwork

      1.  All work must be on time; Incomplete and or late work will not be accepted