WRITER'S WORKSHOP WORKS

I'd abandoned my philosophy and true beliefs for a few years.  I embraced another program because everyone else was hopping on that bandwagon.  The method I abandoned was workshop...a method that I saw results with.  Workshop works...it turns kid's and teachers into writers and readers.  Workshop builds a community based on each writer's talents and strengths.  Students thrive in workshop because they feel comfortable in the classroom environment.  There are no tricks to workshop.  There are no gimmicks...it is simply good teaching.

I won't say that incorporating workshop into your classroom will be easy.  It takes a change in the way that you think about learning.  It puts the learning back in the hands of the students where it belongs.

In workshop, students spend their time writing and reading.  The teacher is not the sage on the stage...she's much more than that...she's more like an improv actor.

The teacher does have to be prepared.  That's why I'm writing my next book about workshop.  It will include an overview of the method, but the best part is that it will include day by day lessons for the entire year.

I'm so excited, and I'm looking forward to sharing my progress with you.

Melissa Reese Etheridge

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