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The structure of Writing Workshop comes from the Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia. From the very beginning, I refer to the children as writers and authors, while reinforcing the idea that, as writers, they need to learn how to make their own decisions: What will I write about?Who will the characters be? Will I sink my teeth into this writing,see it through several revisions, and perhaps even publish it?

The workshop takes place daily during the week. It has 3 components: mini-lesson, writing, and sharing. During the mini-lesson, we gather for about 10 minutes, and I teach a concept related to writing; for example,how to write a powerful lead, how to revise, or what to do whenyou don't know what to write.? I do so by sharing my life as a writer, using the craft of an author in our classroom, or that of a published author. After the mini-lesson, the children write, which makes up the bulk of the writing workshop. While they're hard at work, I circulate around the room to have a short conference with some children. In our one-on-one meetings, I serve as a guide asking questions to prompt further growth. Each child selects their own topic to write about. This is a powerful and meaningful way for children to be in charge of their ownl earning. Before the end of the writing workshop, we conclude with a group share. We gather at our meeting area so that the children can volunteer to read what they have written and their classmates can offer them feedback.. I model and teach this writing process so that kids have the opportunity to practice, offering specific and thoughtful compliments as well as suggestions for improvement. The process strengthens their creative and critical thought as well as technical abilities.

**Important thing to remember during conferences is that we are NOT trying to improve the student’s piece of writing; we are trying to help student improve as a writer. Teach the child a strategy that he/she can use each time s/he writes. This is not a time to tell the child how to change their piece of writing or to fix spelling and punctuation mistakes. We are looking at the content of the piece only, and how we can help the child as a writer.