Chapters 9 10 & 13*

I think that chapter 9 was very interesting. I would have never thought of the different ways to teach and prepare for reading workshop would have been some of these. These ideas are great ways to use in my reading workshop as a teacher. It explains that we as teachers need to no only give the students writing and make them write but we do as well. I never thought and understood why this was such a big deal, but after reading this, I see. The students are looking as us as role models and I know as a student that I would not want to do something that others didn't have too. It also talks about focus lessons. I really was a little confused on what exactly this is and how it is used in classrooms. Teachers explains in great detail of how they expect and want their writing workshop and classroom to be ran is important to state very early on in the school year. I enjoyed reading this chapter because it gave great examples and real life situations and classroom experiences in it.

Chapter 10, The Nature of Workshop Curriculum was also complex but informational in my opinion. The five things that should be taught in a writing workshop are really detailed and helpful to know. Its important to know that many of the students will be used to and it will come easy to them because this is part of their daily routine in school to write. Letting students know and feel that we know what and how they are doing is crucial. I think they should have an understanding and sense that we as teachers care about what, how, and why they feel and write about what they do. We have all had to do this same kind of thing in our younger years.

As I read chapter 13, Focus Lesson: Whole-Class Teaching in the Writing Workshop, things started to make more sense to me and all come together. This helped me understand and grasp a better understanding of what an actually focus lesson was. Having students be brought back together after their workshop has began is important. I know in my mentors classroom, he never lets or give the students the opportunity to drift away or pull apart. I think that this is a great idea and way of running a classroom so the students will always feel connected and involved in each other writings. As a teacher, I will always ask myself before I begin and when I wrap up if this is what my lesson was suppose to be about and did my students understand the material that I taught them. Teachers should also make sure that their students are learning and involved in your lesson, or there is no need in wasting your time if no one cares what you are talking about. Being able to ask yourself "what am or was I meaning to teach" and you can answer that question, then I think that you have a successful lesson. This gave me some great ways and ideas of how to have a good focus lesson for my students.

These were really interesting chapters and information that I read. There were many helpful and useful tips that I will use in my classroom and Writing Workshop when I have my own class. I have never seen a point or why writing workshop is required but after reading these chapters, I have a different view on this subject.