Writing Workshop in the Culturally Engaged Classroom

Although the focus of my research has been on the teaching of grammar to African American students, the focus of my classroom is helping students become effective communicators in all areas of the language arts. In this section of the website, I want to show the interrelationships between instruction in grammar and teaching writing. There has been long and hot debate among English educators over whether grammar is best taught through direct instruction or embedded in the writing process. These two approaches are neither mutually exclusive nor hostile.

My students actually respond best when I use both methods. However, I find it counterproductive to simply react to whatever “errors” or problems may appear in students’ work by having a mini-lesson during the writing workshop. Every error does not require an immediate fix. Furthermore, over the course of a semester or school year, some students become more confused and frustrated by the jumping from one grammar topic to another. Too often, the mini-lessons turn into marathons because the students lack prerequisite knowledge (terminology or rules) for such conversations. Instead, I focus their attention (and mine) on particular areas that we have already discussed during opening activity sessions. We use the works in progress to help practice and hone their handling of those skills. If, as I observe and confer with students during the writing workshop, I see major problems with topics we have not yet discussed, I will hold off commenting on (and, yes, marking) those items until I know the students have sufficient preparation for a productive discussion.

Follow Moore's students through a week's work of instruction in August of the 2004-2005 academic school year.

Featured below: Day 4. View activities and student work from my 9th grade English class, periods 2 and 4.

Additional materials: View Days 1-3 of my 9th grade English class, periods 2 and 4.

Period 2		Period 4
PLANS FOR THE LESSON, DAY 4
Day 4, Plans for the lesson (mm:ss) I discuss my plan for my 9th grade classes in Periods 2 and 4, a Writers' Workshop session on "influence" essays; working on revision. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
THE LESSON
Period 2 Lesson (mm:ss) Influence essays: I introduce the essay writing activity. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin		Period 4 Lesson (mm:ss) Influence essays: I introduce the essay writing activity. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
STUDENT CONFERENCES
Adrian's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Darius' Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	David's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Terrance's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
View Adrian's rough draft, p.1 View Adrian's rough draft, p.2 View Adrian's rough draft, p.3	View Darius' rough draft	Student work (NA)	View Terrance's rough draft
Contrell's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Chris L.'s Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Carl's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin Corrected title slide forthcoming	Michael's Conference (mm:ss) Transcript pdf. Headphones recommended. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
View Contrell's rough draft View Contrell's final, graded essay.	View Chris' rough draft, p.1 View Chris' rough draft, p.2	Student work (NA)	View Michael's rough draft, p.1 View Michael's rough draft, p.2
LESSON CLOSE
Lesson Close (mm:ss) Wrapping up. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin		Lesson Close (mm:ss) Wrapping up. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
REFLECTIONS ON PERIOD 2 & 4
Reflections (1) (mm:ss) I reflect on individual conferences during Writers' Workshop. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Reflections (2) (mm:ss) I reflect on setting up procedures for successful Writers' Workshop. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin	Helping students gain confidence (mm:ss) Reflections on helping students gain confidence in writing. play Quicktime Player high • low get plugin Windows Media high • low get plugin
STUDENT WORK: ADDITIONAL FINAL, GRADED ESSAYS
These are the graded electronic versions that I returned to students, so highlighted areas and comments are included. At the end of each essay are my grades (in blue).  These were scored using the same rubric as our state English II test.  Scoring rubric for narrative writing: 1 = Development of clear thesis 2 = Use of supporting details 3 = Organization and coherence 4 = Control of grammar and mechanics   For grading purposes I gave them their score on the 1-4 scale and its corresponding 1-100 score.  The first number indicates what they would have gotten on the state test. On the test, the highest score is 4 and the lowest is 1. The second number is their point grade for the class assignment.  Most of these are in the same condition they were when the students wrote them; they did very little revision (this was early in the year).  See above for Contrell's final, graded essay.			PDF FILES: Antreshia Contrell Errelle Laquisha Leuviska Zakiya