4.+Workshop+FAQs

What is the Reading + Writing Workshop?
Our class is a course that will help you become an engaged, active citizen. It's a place where you will be asked to WAKE UP, observe, LISTEN, explore, SEE, wonder, SPEAK OUT, probe, CHANGE, grow, & TAKE ACTION. It's called a //work//shop because you will be //working—//hard! But have no fear, because it's meaningful work with a priceless reward: knowing that you are the author of your future.

What does a workshop class look like?
One of the first things you will notice about our class is that there's a carpet at the center of the room. That's our meeting place. We will gather there at the start of each day for a mini-lesson, discussion, or read aloud. You will also notice plenty of independent work spaces; you will spend most of your time at one of the tables—working, of course! Finally, you can't miss our class library; it's loaded with books that you'll love to read.

What is your role as a student?
You will read daily, bringing a voracious appetite to your books. Together with your peers you will make meaning of texts through talking and listening. You will grow your writing from seeds of ideas into public works. You will pursue rigor with joy. You will use your literacy skills to create a better world.

What is my role as your teacher?
Like you, I will always be reading and writing. My job is also to study you—the students—and decide what course we should travel throughout the year to best equip you for life beyond school. I will listen, appreciate, and coach you along the way. I will guide you along a rigorous path toward success and help you to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Course Outline
As we commence the year we will set out on our journey by launching the Reading + Writing Workshop. From there, the units of study in our course will move in and out like waves, with the skills of //reading//, //writing//, and //talking// serving as your paddles. The workshop is student-centered so many of our lessons will germinate from conversations I've had with students or observations I've made while watching groups at work. The course is designed so that, through studying yourself as a learner and exploring the world of literature, you will continue to uncover your latent potential. As T.S. Eliot wrote, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." The ultimate goal of participating in the workshop is to become an empowered citizen for life beyond school—to know yourself, to envision a better world, and to take action. It is with great anticipation that I embark with you...