Planning and Resources

Workshops

The workshop format provides a variety of activities and changes of pace while helping students to learn by allowing time for in-depth content/concept and writing skills work. Even if you are not a language arts or reading teacher, try using a workshop in your subject area. A sample set of activities might look like this:

15 minutes	Sustained silent reading (Students read.)
15 minutes	Reader response forms (Students write in response to an analysis of the reading selection.)
30 minutes	Choices (Students must do one of the following.): journal reflections peer review or a required essay/product research (including a pass to the library/media center to do multimedia searches) conference with the teacher (oral discussion of work in progress) publishing center (final print-out of work in progress) presentation rehearsal (practice/feedback with peer or small group)
30 minutes	Whole group instruction (This may include you reading to the class, the class reading to you, discussion of story/themes, critical review of the reading, etc.)