Workshop For Beginners

My journey with workshop has been a long one, and one that I continue to pursue. A few years ago, when I suddenly became very interested in learning to be a better teacher, I started reading more professional books (on my own), blogs and online articles. I started listening to teacher experts and what they said about how they spent their reading and writing time.

I started to notice a trend, that almost all of these top literacy people, people whom I knew I could trust, were all using Workshop. This made me think that if they all felt like it was the best way to present reading and writing to their kids, who was I to do or say otherwise? I jumped right in and decided to try it out for myself.

I get personal messages DAILY asking me for more information about Workshop. In this post I will lay out some resources for teachers looking to learn more about the Workshop format and the logistics of implementation. This is by no means an end all be all, just a list of things that have helped me along the way.

Reading Workshop

• ​A Guide to the Reading Workshop: This resource comes with the Reading Units of Study, so if you have the Units, you already have access to this resource.
• Reading and Writing Project: Here you will find general information, yearly unit calendars, rubrics, running records, etc. (this site has writing information as well)
• 5 Ways Workshop is Different Than Traditional Literacy Teaching: This post from my friend Megan Smith will help lead you to her blog series about Workshop. She has composed over five blog posts laying out anything you could want to know about how to use this format and what supplies to have ready for students.
• Launching Your Readers Workshop: This is the resource I used to launch workshop before I decided the purchase the Reading Units of Study from Heinemann. This free unit really helped me get a feel for the day-to-day of workshop. I did not have all of the materials, and some I altered, but nonetheless, this is a great start if you currently have NOTHING.
• The Reading Strategies Book: While this book will not give you specific Workshop information, it can be used with a reading workshop format. I use the strategy lessons with my readers in small groups and during conferences. I don't use them exclusively, but they are a big help and I love that one of the first strategies centers around student engagement. I use those resources often to help get kids interested in books in genuine, authentic ways.
• The Reading Units of Study: You do not have to purchase the units of study, since workshop is really just a format. However, these units have helped my kids do some outstanding reading work. I purchased them for fourth grade and the amount of resources included and on the website once your units are registered are so helpful. I do not know that I will always use these, but they are great for teachers just getting started. The guide helps you understand how to navigate the units. It also comes with an If, Then book that has supplemental units.

Writing Workshop

• A Guide to the Writing Workshop: Like the reading companion, this book comes with the Writing Units of Study. Do not purchase this if you plan on buying the units or already have them.
• In the Middle: This book by Nancie Atwell, now in it's third edition was a tremendous help as a I started learning about writing workshop. So much of my core belief in full student choice was shaped by this cornerstone workshop text. There are also a lot of great sheets in here for writing notebooks.
• All Children Can Write: The article by Donald Graves that helped spark the movement towards a writing workshop format. This is a cornerstone text as well. Something to read, and breathe in with your heart. To fully reap the benefits of a workshop style classroom, I feel that you must really value and appreciate the voices of your kids. This article helped solidify that a large amount of heart is required to effectively teach writing, and most importantly, that the teacher must be a writer herself.
• Units of Study for Teaching Writing Video Orientations: These videos are a tremendous help when it comes to logistics and breaking down the Units of Study. I watched these videos and took notes. If you have a colleague or friend taking the journey with you, it would be great to sit down with them and use the videos as PD. These could even be shared in your district if there is no formal training.
• TCRWP Vimeo: Most of these videos are outdated, but they have given me a glimpse into some workshop classrooms. A big tip I can pass along is that your mini-lessons should be mini. Think 7-10 minutes, and these videos helped show me how to stay focused and how to present the material with a sense of excitement and urgency.
• Launching the Writing Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide in Photographs: This book is almost ten years old and it is one of my favorite professional texts. This book helped me get a grasp on the layout of the classroom. It has pictures of supply set up, anchor chart storage, supply lists, and more. It even gives you lessons to actually launch workshop with mentor texts and daily mini-lessons. I wish more people knew about this book.
• The Writing Units of Study: This is the writing version of the Units of Study. Again, not something you have to have but definitely quality resources to act as a curriculum.

I hope this post helps you get started with Workshop. My learning has come a long way over the past few years, but I can honestly say that I don't need a "program" to teach reading and writing. Now that I know about the layout of Workshop and I have some key ideas under my belt, I feel more comfortable with switching things up and trying new things.

A lot of my learning this summer has been surrounded by inquiry, and my next goal is to continue to get a handle on reading and writing workshop, while including more inquiry and space for student wonderings in the units. The two complement each other and I am excited to see how they come together.

Disclaimer: I do not level my classroom library, my kids do not know their reading levels, my kids do not use the homework or reading logs in the unit of study. This is where my Nancie Atwell, Donalyn Miller and Donald Graves training comes into play. Even though some of these resources suggest those things, I will never do them. I believe it is a basic right for my kids to have full choice when it comes to reading and writing. I also believe that for me to help them become better readers, writers and thinkers that I cannot be the one placing labels on books that tell them where they go. I work to help them develop the strategies they need to find books and find writing inspiration outside of the walls of our classroom. Bottom line: This way of teaching does not require "stuff." It requires a shift in thinking, and the willingness to provide many books, a lot of time to practice and a skilled coach who leans into kids as they work.

If you have any questions or recommendations, please share below!