The Challenge. . . Visiting Every Writing Workshop in the Building

It was December.  I'd just come from a building literacy team meeting.  We'd been grappling with understanding the similarities and differences between writing workshops in the different grade levels in our building.  I was feeling both encouraged and confused about how all the pieces fit together.  And then the idea came to me.  Before our team would meet again in February, I wanted to go out and see for myself. 

I wanted to visit every single writing workshop in our building.  Not just once, but multiple times.  I wanted to really study and think deeply about what goes on across the building, across classrooms, across grades, and across days.  I wanted to be in rich and wonderful conversation with the young writers in our building and their inspirational and tireless teachers.

My goal . . visit every writing workshop in the building at least three times during the months of January and February.  We have 21 classrooms in the building, so this would mean a total of 63 visits. 

I e-mailed the teachers prior to Christmas vacation.  I announced my "big idea".  I let them know they should expect me.  I asked them to update me on their schedule, so that I knew precisely when writing workshop was taking place each day.  I explained my thinking.  I offered and encouraged that teachers consider visiting each others writing workshops as well.  "Let's open the doors of our writing workshops!"

When we returned to school in January, I was excited and ready to go, armed with schedules and good intentions.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all slipped by without me succeeding at making a single visit!  I began to panic.  How in the world would I ever get 63 visits in in less than 6 weeks. 

But on Thursday it happened!  I cleared my calendar and began to fulfill my mission.  I successfully visited six writing workshops!  And what I saw so inspired me that I knew I had to grow my idea.  It wouldn't be enough to simply visit classrooms, engage in conversations with individual teachers, and report back to the literacy team . . .

I needed to share this work more broadly.  I myself needed to write in response to all of the amazing writing I was seeing happening in our school.  So. . . .

Here I go!  Jumping into the world of blogging as a means of paying tribute to the young auhors and dedicated writing teachers at HOTL.