Part of incorporating writer’s workshop into classroom instruction is creating a writing environment for all students. As researched, writer's workshop was a time specifically used for writing. I used language to compliment this such as calling the students 'authors'. I also incorporated culturally responsive teaching by allowing students choice in as many ways as I could during their independent work time.

 

All students in the class followed and received the same core instruction during the whole group mini-lessons. Not all students were a part of each small group instruction because it did not pertain to them. Small groups during writer's workshop allowed me to differentiate my instruction for specific students to support certain skills. Creating small groups fostered student equity for learning by differentiating skills per group.

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I also differentiated instruction for my students was by providing choice of what to write about. Incorporating mentor texts connected students to writing and created a better understanding of how to do what was asked of them, as they could see a specific example. All students have different backgrounds and experiences, I do not find it “fair” to ask them all to write about a specific topic when they all may not be able to connect with that topic. Allowing them choice in writing helped to motivate and connect them to their writing. Provided prompts, such as seasons, school, or family, gave students a broad enough topic to form some type of connection.

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Another example of culturally responsive teaching was including different types of paper students could use. This included different sized lines of paper that were printed for students. Students also had the choice to use their notebook, which was a wide ruled notebook. Along with this process, another piece that helped to foster equity with writing was allowing students to decide what steps they felt they needed to complete before starting to write. Some students were able to begin right away with writing, where others struggled with this. To support these learners, I encouraged them to sketch their ideas prior to writing, to brainstorm, and verbally talk through their ideas with an adult before beginning their writing. This helped to motivate the reluctant writers as they began their writing. 

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Another form of support that was provided to my writers who struggled was dictation. These few students struggled to form full sentences and transfer all their thoughts to paper. Students who received this support could verbally express full stories and details but were cognitively unable to put it down on paper because they were focused on the act of writing, rather than the idea development of writing. Although their story was written by an instructor, students were responsible for recreating that writing on their own, copying what the instructor wrote for them.