Here's a place to talk about writing. What works! What doesn't work and maybe some ideas and/or links to answer the questions that come up. I think we can talk K-5 because the workshop format, lesson organization, and philosophy are all the same across the grades.
I am posting a picture of the Non-Negotiables of a Writing Workshop that are in the 3-5 Units of Study. Here they are: time to write, explicit instruction, ownership of topics, write for an audience, and "Teach the writer, not the piece." I think the last one is the biggest shift in thinking. I know it was for me. I had to change from creating the perfect product to developing the skills of the writer across pieces. I was able to focus my conferences better when I remembered my goal and let go of revising and editing everything, every time.
