The Writing-Rich High School Classroom: Engaging Students in the Writing Workshop

by Jennifer Berne

This unique resource gives teachers everything they need to set up and manage a successful writing workshop in a high school classroom. By creating a classroom centered on writing, the workshop approach helps students develop skills and strategies for mastering numerous writing tasks and genres. After introducing the workshop's fundamental principles and methods, the book explains how to guide students through the entire writing process, from planning and drafting to revising, giving and receiving feedback, editing, and publishing their work. Guidelines for valid, reliable assessment and evaluation of student work are included. Enhancing the book's utility are numerous tables, figures, and "How's it done?" boxes that offer classroom-tested tools and tips.

Genres: Professional Development, Education, Nonfiction

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Jennifer Berne is an acclaimed children's author whose books include On a Beam of Light, Manfish, On Wings of Words (all Chronicle), and Look Up with Me (Katherine Tegen Books). Jennifer lives in Columbia County, New York, and spends her summers sailing along the coast of Maine.

Reviews

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have taken so much from this text that my head is spinning. I will need to read the entire text again to clarify before I bring the writer's workshop into my classroom.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Pathways to the Common Core, I was inspired to take a stab at writing workshop again. Unfortunately, most of the books--and all of the references in Pathways--concern elementary or middle school classrooms, not high school classrooms. This was the highest rated one I found about high school. I gave it three stars because it pretty boring and can be skimmed. But it does offer some insight into how a workshop approach might work in a high school class. The thing that hooked me--and was most liberating--is that the book didn't insist, like most other writing workshop books I've read, that high school teachers have to "do workshop" 100% of the time. It offered doable schedules. It also offered some suggestions about how to manage the paper load in high school. Overall, it made writing workshop sound like something that I could at least try in some of my classes.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but the writing was kind of dry and repetitive. Which is ironic for a book about writing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about Writing Workshop and can be used for junior high too. Her writing workshop model works! It is easy to implement and follows best practice in literacy instruction.

[Ann Yanchura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer gives explicit, practical advice about how to manage it all WELL in the writing workshop. She covers every aspect of the process!