This document summarizes information from two writing workshops held at Yale Junior High School. The morning workshop with 7th and 8th graders covered revision techniques for poetry like stanza breaks, line breaks, poetic shape, and using similes and metaphors. It also discussed assessing poetry. The afternoon workshop with 6th graders included information on writing conferences and a positive-negative chart for student work.

1. Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Writing Workshop
Yale Jr. High – a.m. 7th-8th Grades

2. Positive-Negative Chart

3. Where I’m From
Jason Michael Carroll

4. Possible Revision-Decisions
 Stanza breaks:
These are the
“paragraph” Breaks in
poetry that signal a
shift in an idea, voice,
time’s passing, or a
new image.
 Line breaks: Use line
breaks to create a
visual or rhythmic
pause. Reading
poems aloud can help
to establish
 Shape: Poems can
have shapes that
match either the
meaning or idea they
are conveying.
 Simile and
Metaphor: Poets use
similes and
metaphors to
compare two things in
unconventional ways.

5. Poetry Assessment
Grade 8 – Launching the Writer’s Notebook

6. Suggested Grammar
Units
Commas Separating Coordinate
Adjectives
“His jeep jounces along the dusty,
rugged roads. He is hot and tired.”
- Carmen Agra Deedy, Cows for America

7. Suggested Grammar
Units
Parentheses, and Dashes
“Ob and I climbed in the front seat of the
Valiant (I wasn’t about to let Cletus take my
front seat) and Cletus settled himself into the
back…”
-Cynthia Rylant, Missing May
“We’d already packed up our sleeping
bags, suitcases, and two folding chairs – all
neatly wedged into the back of Mom’s Volvo.”

8. Writing Conferring
Conference Examples
 Check in Conference:
This is when you go
around and check the
same skill with each
student to see how they
are progressing. You
should be able to get to
the whole class during
writing time.
 Compliment
Conference: Here you
should be able to get to
most of the class if not
 Small Group
Conference: This is
similar to skill group or
re-teaching in small
groups.
 Research / Formal
Conference: 3-7
minutes each
conference – 3-5
students during writing
time.

9. Writing Conferring
Conference Examples
 Coaching
Conference: 3-7
min. each conference
– 3 to 5 students
during writing time.
 Student Conference:
3-7 min each
conference. Students
work in pairs.

10. Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Writing/Reading Workshop
Yale Jr. High – p.m. 6th Grade

11. Positive-Negative Chart

12. Writing Conferring
Conference Examples
 Check in Conference:
This is when you go
around and check the
same skill with each
student to see how they
are progressing. You
should be able to get to
the whole class during
writing time.
 Compliment
Conference: Here you
should be able to get to
most of the class if not
 Small Group
Conference: This is
similar to skill group or
re-teaching in small
groups.
 Research / Formal
Conference: 3-7
minutes each
conference – 3-5
students during writing
time.

13. Writing Conferring
Conference Examples
 Coaching
Conference: 3-7
min. each conference
– 3 to 5 students
during writing time.
 Student Conference:
3-7 min each
conference. Students
work in pairs.

14. Choice in Reading