Past Interviews

VOICES ON: Focus on Classroom Practices I: The Writing Workshop Barrie Stevens is a full-time lecturer in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, Stony Brook University. She holds an M.Ed. from Harvard University and a B.A. in English Literature from Barnard College. How do you run a writing workshop? At least once during the semester each student is given the opportunity to receive extensive feedback from the entire class, for an extended period (approximately forty minutes), on a complete draft of one essay. On the day of the workshop, the student volunteer brings twenty copies of his or her rough draft to share with the entire class. The student comes prepared with at least three questions he or she wants addressed during the workshop and writes these questions on the board. Before the actual writing workshop we have already reviewed some "Writing Workshop Guidelines" which remind the students that our goal is to help each other in the process of becoming better writers, that our job is not to edit or evaluate or criticize but to help the writer see the strengths we see, and to point out the places that need work or revision. During the workshop, the class follows a few "Reader-response Guidelines" which guide the students through the workshop process. Students are asked to write marginal notes on anything that puzzles them, to label the topic of each paragraph, and to underline any sentence or phrase that confuses or troubles them. Then as a class we discuss our responses to questions like: What is the best paragraph? What makes this paragraph so effective? Is there anything to be learned about revising the essay as a whole from reading this paragraph? What are our responses to the writer's three questions? And what three concrete steps can the writer take to improve the essay overall? At the end of the workshop, the writer is given the opportunity (about five minutes) to ask for suggestions, clarifications, or restatements of problems. The writer collects all papers and uses the workshop experience to help revise his or her paper for the final draft. What training have you received in writing workshop design? I first learned about the writing workshop by going through the process myself as a student writer in a short fiction class. I was impressed by how involved and invested we all became in the process. The workshop raised the stakes for all of us. Knowing I would be sharing my work in its entirety with the whole class motivated me to work harder to produce something I would feel good about sharing. My writing also benefited greatly [as I became a] much better reader of others' writing. It was clear that the writers really wanted to hear from everyone—the more specific the response, the better. The workshop really encouraged everyone and made us feel like we were all in this together as a community of writers. It took the focus and energy away from the "teacher" as "expert" and gave us (the students) the power to give and receive feedback from each other as fellow writers. Why is the writing workshop a valuable teaching tool? Like most writing instructors I provide many opportunities for students to receive feedback on their writing (small groups, individual conferences, instructor comments, etc.). The distinguishing characteristic with the writing workshop model is time. The workshop promises each student the opportunity to receive in-depth peer response on a completed work. How have your students responded to the workshops? The student response has been incredibly positive. By the end of each semester, I always have more students signing up for a second workshop than I have time to give them. Most students express how helpful the workshops are, and I definitely see positive results in their subsequent drafts. The regular writing workshops help lessen student anxiety and increase the sense that we, as writers, are all involved with "works in progress," and that revision is a part of every good writer's life. The workshops also help provide me with a frame of reference when talking to students individually about their writing. I can say things like, "Remember in Jamie's workshop when we helped her find a more effective way to end the paper?" The students get a real sense that they are not alone—that their writing challenges are not exclusive to them. They also become much better at knowing what "works" in a piece of writing and what "doesn't work." The writing workshops truly help create a community of writers with expertise, common purpose, and collegiality.

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