Cynthia Barnett
Materials
Needed:
Personal
Revision Checklist
Personal
Editing Checklist
Time
required:
10 minutes
Purpose: An important part of the
workshop is becoming familiar with the day to day activities. For the workshop
to run smoothly, students must know the procedures in the classroom. A simple lesson on the materials, structure,
or setting of the classroom is well worth the time when students feel
comfortable in their environment and are independent in the daily routines of
the workshop. Once they understand the
expectations of the workshop the teacher can focus all of his or her time on
developing the quality of students’ writing and conventions.
Script: The focus of this lesson is to help you become familiar with the procedures for the conference you will conduct with yourself. This conference will be completed after you have finished a draft of your work. We will keep the forms for both revision and editing in the back of the room. They will be labeled in a folder entitled “Conference with Yourself.” When there is only one sheet remaining bring it to me so that I can make copies of it.
You are to take the checklists to your desks after you are finished drafting and conference with yourself about your writing. Please take your time and read carefully through your drafts, because this is a great opportunity for you to evaluate your own writing. Answer each question as thoroughly as you can, paying particular attention to the areas you know give you difficulty.
Activity: Give the students an opportunity to become familiar with the folders in the back of the room and what the checklist look like. This mini-lesson may be given before the writer’s craft or writer’s convention minilesson, and you may want to take the time to see if they have any questions about the procedures for the conference. This will be a decision the teacher makes for his or her own classroom, because only you will know how and where you want the conference conducted.