30. Using Writing Workshop to increase motivation and writing growth in upper elementary

How can you differentiate for such a wide range of writing levels in upper elementary, especially when it feels like pulling teeth to get your kids excited about writing? Writer’s Workshop is a great solution, and with a few key moves in your teacher toolbox, your students’ writing will start to soar! 

***There are TONS of great references and resources shared throughout this episode. Scroll down to the Links section to check out the books I use and those free Jen Bengel resources I mentioned.

The Navigator: Use this to find what you need most!

• (3:30) My favorite book of creative writing prompts for upper elementary
• (6:50) A quick rundown of the four component of a writing workshop model - be sure to check the links below for those articles and free resources that have been very helpful in getting the pieces functioning in my 3rd - 6th grade classrooms
• (9:50) My current favorite teacher book full of writer’s workshop strategies and prompts: The Write Thing is written by one of my favorite authors, Kwame Alexander, full of his beautiful narratives of the workshop model’s impacts on students he’s worked with…seriously, this one is MAGIC!
• (11:10) The classroom management secrets! How do you manage such a variety of writing levels, topics, modes of publication…?!? Here’s what the workshop block looks like in many classrooms.
• (15:55) Teacher move #1: How do you decide what to focus your conferring and small group time on? 
• (18:25) Teacher move #2: Use mailing labels for your student workshop notes! It builds such a great picture of your young writers’ progress.
• (20:30) Teacher move #3: How I use their graphic organizers to identify instructional focus points, quickly group students on the spot, and get students started with a specific goal while I pull group number one.
• (24:40) Teacher move #4: How do you figure out what to say to help students with the goal you’ve identified? Use my motto: “What would Jennifer Serravallo do?!”
• (26:50) Teacher move #5: How do you decide whether to confer one-on-one or pull a small group?
• (29:35) A workshop pep talk for teachers, in beautiful words, by Kwame Alexander
• (31:41) Teacher move #6: Use a wide variety of mentor texts - here’s how a student used popular kid’s podcasts to craft his own introduction, AND why this motivated more writing!

Links and resources from this episode:

• Check out all the children’s book creators who contributed to Colby Sharp’s The Creativity Project book I shared about 
• What is Writing Workshop? A quick overview on We Are Teachers
• FREE Reading & Writing Workshop Webinar and downloadable materials from Jen Bengel of Out of this World Literacy (I’ve watched this the last few summers and get energized and refine my craft each time!)
• The Write Thing: Kwame Alexander engages students in Writing Workshop, and you can too!
• The Writing Strategies Book from Jennifer Serravallo
• Get on the waitlist for the FREE virtual training on how to take your upper elementary lessons from rote to “REAL” - leave with 5 “purposeful project” planning templates and the tools you need to increase student engagement, boost motivation, and create lasting learning!
• Read my Edutopia article about the 5 authentic audiences that will motivate your upper grade writers. 

Loved this episode? Take a screenshot, add it to IG, and tag me @appleblossomteachers so we can help even more teachers just like you!

Don’t forget to submit your Curriculum Conundrum at appleblossomteachers.com/mycc, and subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss an answer!