Unit of Study in WW!

I enjoyed reading chapter 12 from The Writing Workshop. I have learned so many new things that I didnt know before I began engaged in this book. I used to think that I would dread writing unit, but I think I will end up enjoying them in the long run. Chapter 12 gave examples of different ways to study and different topic during Writing Workshop. I have always known that unit plans are very tedious work and hard to do but after reading this, I think that it is going to come easy and interesting to me from now on. I have never had to write a unit lesson plan until this year. I have not had to write my unit plan yet for this semester but I am about to have to turn mine in. This chapter has motivated me and made me want to complete this unit to see how it is going to turn out in the end.
My mentor teacher gave all of the students a composition notebook and they have began to write poems and anything that they want to about life in general. I think that this is such a good idea for the students to be able to express their thoughts and is can be personal if they want it too or they can share with the class as a whole. I have been working with some of the students in small groups and letting them read aloud to me about what they are feeling and writing in their journals. I had a writing workshop period with my last mentor class but it was nothing like this semester. This is so much more organized and the students are able to be more free and are allowed to "just write" their thoughts and things that they have on their minds. Being able to share with the class is a positive thing. Just from me being in the class for two days a week, I have learned so much about all the students that read their journals out loud. I think that by doing this, I get to know the class more as a whole and each individual student personally.