How I Use Socratic Seminar to Deepen Writer's Workshop

When I became an English teacher I really disliked the idea of students writing a paper, turning it in, and me staring at the pile for two weeks on my dining room table while I walked past it to sentry Netflix. That pile was ever waiting for me, just taunting me. I'd come upwards with ways to bribe myself to class. Class 5 papers correct at present and and then go to Target. Grade five more than and you can have Starbucks. I'd find myself sorting them into meaningless piles, and then inevitably the pile would become shuffled in my bag and I'd take to find a new way to procrastinate. There had to exist a better way!

My favorite teaching strategy in the whole broad world is from Socrates himself, the Socratic Seminar. Why not use that strategy to discuss writing as well? The students ain the word, and this fourth dimension we'd be discussing their ain work!

Before Workshop

Hither's how it works. When students finish the first draft of their paper, they plough it in via Google Docs. I remove their names and assign a number to it. I besides carve up the class into 2.

After I number all the papers, I make copies for each group. I then create a schedule, and alternate every other solar day for each group. This takes some conscientious planning, but I ordinarily had iii papers presented in one menses (49 minutes).

Next, I copied student-friendly rubrics for my students and printed them in the parcel along with the schedule, rules for the workshop, and focus questions to guide the word.

I posted the schedule digitally besides so that students were always aware of what was coming upwards next for them in class.

We discussed what critical feedback would look similar in advance, using my own writing as an case. I projected a descriptive paragraph on the lath that I had written, and I asked students for feedback.

We discussed how feedback should exist specific, helpful, and non derogatory. We too talked about how feedback that is overtly positive doesn't help the writer get better. Explain why yous liked it specifically, and suggest ways to continue to exercise that throughout the newspaper.

Students were required to read and brand comments on the papers that were going to be discussed. This was their required homework for the evening. I explained that information technology was critical that they annotate the text and make comments, otherwise their score would have no support or explanation. They assigned each paper a score out of six based on a six traits rubric.

During Workshop

Adapt the desks in a circle to start. Sit next to any students who may need some encouragement from you to stay on job.

Students will have a zillion questions, and that'due south okay on the start day. Your excitement will rub off, I promise. General rules for discussion include participating in a respectful fashion, not yelling over each other, and non hogging the conversation. In a Socratic seminar, students practise not raise their easily.

We often spend a few minutes demonstrating what not to do, which they greatly enjoy. I ask them to speak all at the same time and bear witness them how difficult that is. We hash out how conversations work in general, and that they don't period very well when we raise our hands. I also included some judgement starters in their packets such equally "An interesting point I saw was…" "Something I would like to see more of is…"

If a student does not come prepared with their three papers graded for the day, they cannot participate in the discussion, and volition lose those discussion points.

For each paper, a different student leads the discussion as facilitator. The facilitator marks downwards which students spoke and keeps track of time. The also had to continue the discussion going past asking questions, and keeping the conversation focused.

Each student was asked to participate twice during the entire course menstruation, but almost students spoke much more.The student author who wrote the newspaper in discussion could not speak until the finish, but could besides remain anonymous if they chose. I did have some students chime in during discussion in defence force of their papers, so I had to jump in and remind students not to speak if their newspaper was currently being discussed.

At the end of each discussion, students pulled off the paper that was discussed and passed it downward to me. I stapled all of the edited papers, along with mine, and gave it to the author at the end of the flow. The student then had two days to revise and edit their newspaper based on the feedback they received from me and their peers. They also had to turn in the edit package every bit well.

What do I do with the other half of the class?

They'll sit and behave and be perfect, correct? Well, yes, if they have something to exercise. You tin always give them an alternate assignment or review work to exercise. Yet, information technology should be something that requires minimal assist from yous, every bit y'all'll exist busy during the discussion with your grouping. On days students were not discussing, my students could take the fourth dimension to read and brand comments for papers the next solar day, or if their paper had already been discussed, they could make edits during this time.

Subsequently Workshop

When students turned in their last papers I was already familiar with what they had written, and I could also run into how well they took the feedback they were given and practical information technology to their writing. It definitely helped me to exist more thoughtful in my grading, and more than intentional.

Students came away with a better understanding of their purpose when writing, and received authentic feedback. All students were demonstrating the ability to discuss a newspaper and thoughtfully annotate and edit while using a rubric equally well.

Yes, some students struggle with the discussion aspect, just information technology is an important standard and life skill. If you have students with who are hesitant to discuss, sit downward with them and talk almost how they can participate in a meaningful way. The wonderful thing near this strategy is that students have important things to say written in their notes. Remind students that their opinion and expertise is non only welcome, it's helpful and valued. If you are unfamiliar with Socratic Seminar, I highly recommend taking a quick trip to google and checking it out, equally it is easily down my favorite way to appoint students in a word.

If you are as excited as I am near trying out Writer'due south Workshop, but you lot don't accept time to practise the legwork of creating calendars and rules and what not, feel free to check out my Writer'due south Workshop resource on TpT.

Have you tried Socratic Seminar in Writer'due south Workshop? How exercise you manage information technology? Come up and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, read how another teacher runs Socratic Seminar in her classroom.

murphymuseltook.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.weareteachers.com/socratic-seminar-writers-workshop/

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