When Writing Workshop Isn't Working

by Mark Overmeyer

Writing is hard work. Teaching it can be even harder. As most teachers know, writer's workshop doesn't always go as planned, and many find there are obstacles that they consistently struggle with. In his role as a literacy coordinator and teacher, Mark Overmeyer has heard the same issues raised again and again by both new and experienced colleagues. When Writing Workshop Isn't Working provides practical advice to overcome these common problems and get your writing workshop back on track. Acknowledging the process-based nature of the writing workshop, Mark does not offer formulaic, program-based, one-size-fits–all answers; rather, he presents multiple suggestions based on what works in real classrooms. The ten key questions this book addresses include:


How do I help students who don't know what to write about?
How do I help students develop stronger vocabulary and word choice?
How do I prepare my students for standardized tests without compromising my writing program?
How should I assess student writing?
How can I help my students use revision effectively?
This book is a handy reference tool for answering specific questions as they pop up during the year. Mark uses student examples throughout to help teachers envision these solutions in their own classes, and he includes an array of classroom-tested ideas for helping primary and intermediate English language learners.

There may not be any easy answers to the complexities of writer's workshop, but by identifying and providing advice on the most common stumbling blocks one encounters, When Writing Workshop Isn't Working provides a solid groundwork—freeing up time and creativity for teachers to address the specific needs of their students.

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Priscilla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text is a wonderful and easy read professional text. This text offers the reader opportunities to revise and reflect on writer's workshop in their classroom. Mark provides the readers with ten questions that might arise when implementing writer's workshop in grades 2-5. Each chapter is focused on a particular part of the writer's workshop framework and has common questions that might be related to those parts. He asks questions and provides several options that might be solutions when teachers are struggling with implementing writer's workshop in the classroom. Each chapter has a section that is devoted to ELL's and how writer's workshop should be differentiated for those learners. This book was super easy to read and provide a lot of great ideas and solutions for implementing writer's workshop when components are not working exactly how you planned. While reading this text, there were so many great ideas that I practically highlighted the entire book so I could reference back to it in the future. I loved how Mark also provides plenty of examples using mentor texts and how he solves many issues in writer's workshop with many different classes and grades. I especially loved his use of Owl Moon as a mentor text to help teach vocabulary and ways to get students writing memoris. At the end of this text, he also provides some consumables for rubrics that could be used to help guide teachers. The layout of this text is great! If you only need support in the conferencing portion of writer's workshop you could only read that chapter and get enough information to help provide some support in your classroom.
Mark gives several options for peer and teacher conferencing during this chapter and also gives ideas for scheduling it into your lesson. Provides time frames for each component of the writers workshop to help teachers who are already implementing writer's workshop. You can tell the author is very passionate about this text and it is exemplified through the entire text. This author wants the readers to remember the importance of reading his text is to gain ideas to help students become great writers.


I think this is such a good and easy read text for a book study when working on professional development geared to writer's workshop. I know most teachers understand the process of writer's workshop but sometimes don't know how to make sure each component is effectively taught. This text gives so many options to help teachers feel comfortable with writer's workshop if they have already been using this model in their classroom. I feel this text is a great resources for teachers to use after they have been incorporating writer's workshop. This will help them fine tune their implementation of writer's workshop and make it stronger.

I also think this is a great professional text for support staff such as ELL teachers to have in their classrooms. This text provided many different ways to help meet the needs of all ELL students in the classroom with their own section in each chapter. It would be a quick reference for ELL teachers to use during the school year to help meet the needs of their students, especially since their students writing abilities vary in all grades. The ideas that were mention throughout the text were simple and creative solutions that would be simple to follow and probably be the most effective for ELL students to become better writers.

This text was such a great read and I now have so much more insight into writer's workshop and ways to make this process better in grades 2-5. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it all in one sitting, that's when you know the text is a great text! I would recommend this text to any teacher teaching writing and especially teachers who already implement writer's workshop daily in their classroom. This text will help them develop a deeper understanding of this process and solutions to questions they might have while they are implementing writer's workshop. Great text and you should definitely look into reading it!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we prepare, again, to start writing workshop I decided to take another look at this. It has great ideas not only to help with a problem but it succinctly address the topics teachers want to know . I've hi lighted and made clear notes to guide me as I attempt this instructional path, again. Helps to have an idea of where your students are as writers so I can plan their instruction.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5- I read this book way too fast. It was due at the library and I wanted to finish reading it, so I did a lot of skimming. Great resource if you need to teach writing. After reading it, I feel slightly overwhelmed, realizing that I should change how I teach English/writing, but not feeling comfortable enough to go at it right away/cold-turkey switching.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy to read book for anyone teaching writing. It helps us to see that everyone struggles with how best to run a writing workshop.

[Robin Tzucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful ideas!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great resource. I am so excited to have a chance to go to one of his workshops/trainings today!

[Ann Yanchura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author poses common questions we all have about writing workshop, and then proceeds to answer them in a constructive, manageable way. I thought this was a great (and friendly) read!