Professional Inquiry Project (Spring 2018)

Building a Community of Writers: Promoting Student Engagement through Writers

Workshops.
Inquiry Question:
How do writing workshops promote literacy and language learning in the primary grades?
Background/Rationale:
-I would like to learn about the Writing Workshop approach to teaching Language Arts
that Sunnyside School uses throughout their classes.
-How best to teach Language Arts is not covered in great depth for preservice teachers
and if you are becoming an elementary teacher this is a huge part of what you will be
teaching. Therefore, I think this is a critical area for professional development for many
teachers.
-The Writers Workshop is a philosophy for teaching Language Arts. This approach
promotes a love for reading and writing by empowering students and allowing them
choice on what they will be writing about. Students learn the skills of writing through
mini lessons, writing practice and conferring. The Writers Workshop follows a
predictable and structured order starting with a mini lesson in which the teacher explicitly
teaches one skill or strategy. A big chunk of time is then devoted to writing practice and
concludes with a sharing session.
Description of Activities/Process Involved:
-Read and take notes on Lucy Calkins A Guide to the Common Core Writing Workshop
(by Feb 15)
-Read and take notes on Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher and
JoAnn Portalupi (by Jan 30)
-Construct an overview of writing workshops (by Feb 30)
-Team Teach with Mentor Teacher during Writing Workshops and reflect on it (Jan
through April)
-Interview Sunnyside Teachers about how they use the writers workshop approach to
teaching and their thoughts on it. Do some observation on other classrooms. (Feb-
March)
Description of Anticipated End Product
-End product: A Teachers Guide for Implementing Writing Workshops in the Primary
Grades (Website)
-Philosophy behind Writers Workshop: Why Writers Workshop?
-What is Writers Workshop?
-Structure of Writers Workshop
-Mini lesson
-Writing Time
-Sharing
-Conference Strategies
 -Sample Writers Workshop lesson
-Assessment in Writers Workshop
-Sample Grade 1 work –sample writing from the beginning of a unit and at the
end
-My reflections from team teaching Writers Workshop.
-Common Questions about the Writers Workshop?
-What are my beliefs and vision for the literacy lives of students in primary grades?
Come up with a teaching philosophy for writing instruction.