Tips For Successful Writing Mini Lessons

How create you lot learn writing? I used the writing workshop model. I did alteration the model slightly to acquire inwards operate inwards my classroom. You tin read to a greater extent than well-nigh that past times clicking HERE. I loved that this model helped my students to grow equally writers, but it also got them excited well-nigh writing. That's non ever slowly to do!

One of the components of a successful writing workshop is a mini lesson. The mini lesson is a whole grouping lesson that focuses on a writing science that you lot desire students to practise too implement inwards their writing. 

I induce got had many mini lessons flop, but that only gave me the chance to larn to create them better! Here are a few tips that made my mini lessons engaging too meaningful for my writers.

Don't skip the lesson.

Due to fourth dimension constraints (and maybe our comfort grade amongst teaching writing), to a greater extent than or less teachers induce got a style to desire to skip the writing mini lesson. DON'T! 

The mini lesson is your chance to give students valuable tools too strategies that volition assist them to grow equally a writer. It is your fourth dimension to model skillful writing. Giving them to a greater extent than or less newspaper too telling them to write, does non learn kids to write. You learn kids to write! And you lot create that through mini lessons! 

Keep the lesson mini!

I think that the biggest error I made equally a writing instructor was delivering long writing lessons. It was thus dull to my students. But, fifty-fifty to a greater extent than importantly, it ate into their independent writing time. That's the most of import element of a successful writing program!

Mini lessons should mostly last well-nigh 10-15 minutes. If your's are longer than that, you lot volition involve to induce got a longer independent writing time. Independent writing fourth dimension should last the biggest piece of the pie!

Or, you lot tin operate on making those lessons shorter...

This may audio a lilliputian goofy, but if you lot desire to acquire the mini lesson dainty too short, it is a skillful sentiment to rehearse them for a while. Set a timer too give the lesson to your spouse, dog, teddy comport or reflection inwards the mirror. 

Are you lot fifty-fifty close? If not, you lot mightiness involve to suspension the lesson into 2 days of mini lessons. If you lot are close, too thus kicking the bucket on rehearsing. Eliminate anything repetitive. You volition acquire faster equally you lot practise too acquire to a greater extent than comfortable amongst what you lot desire to say. You won't induce got to create this forever! You volition acquire to the indicate where the timing is 2nd nature.

Use mentor text inwards your writing lessons.

Prolific readers tend to last amend writers. They induce got to a greater extent than sense amongst character writing too tin mimic it inwards their ain stories. For this reason, I beloved using mentor texts equally business office of my writing lessons whenever possible.

There are tons of wonderful painting exhibit books that tin last used for mentor text. Just accept a await at your favorite painting exhibit books inwards your classroom. Do you lot induce got ane amongst an interesting lead? Do you lot induce got ane amongst dialogue? Maybe you lot induce got ane amongst unique intelligence choice. Read them to your shape too indicate out these attributes when you lot learn these skills inwards mini lessons. (If you lot involve mass recommendations for a detail genre or skill- I highly recommend searching on Pinterest.)

I beloved using books, but I also discovered that curt reading passages tin brand remarkable mentor texts! Some of the reasons that I beloved using passages are:

• If I choose, the passage tin last copied for every educatee inwards my classroom. This allows them to follow along equally I read, read it to themselves or read amongst a partner.
• The passages tin create double duty past times using them inwards reading groups. Have deep discussions well-nigh the characters, text features, principal idea, etc. (Reading them inwards reading groups helps to kicking the bucket on the writing mini lesson shorter too!)
• The passages tin last written on! Students tin score them up. For example, you lot tin induce got them highlight every transition intelligence when you lot are giving that mini lesson. 
• The passages tin last kept inwards the resources department of their writing notebook to last referenced later.

I loved the passages thus much that I added them to all of my writing units!

Use anchor charts.

Anchor charts tin last a powerful agency to assist students to visualize too recollect content. 

Lots of teachers are super artsy too create masterpieces for anchor charts. I am not. But my students didn't care. In fact, I would only projection a slide on my white board amongst the skeleton of the anchor chart. Everyone inwards the shape could come across it from their seat.

I used the anchor nautical chart to model the writing skills. Modeling is thus powerful! I would fill upward out the nautical chart using the skills that nosotros were learning too that provided examples for my students. Sometimes I had them assist me amongst the charts too other times, I only had them heed to me equally I sentiment out loud. Change it upward to kicking the bucket on them on their toes!

All of my anchor charts are included inwards my writing units.

Keep students actively involved inwards the lesson.

This tin last tough to create when nosotros are trying to kicking the bucket on the lesson short. You induce got to last creative too you lot induce got to practise procedures amongst your students.

One nifty agency to kicking the bucket on them involved is amongst quick distich shares. "Turn too tell your partner what a subtopic is." "Turn too give your partner an event of a transition word." These types of shares should accept well-nigh 20 seconds. 

I would also kicking the bucket on my students engaged inwards the mini lesson past times having them fill upward out their ain anchor nautical chart piece I was filling ane out inwards forepart of the classroom. They had a smaller version that stand upward for perfectly inwards their writing notebook. (Save fourth dimension past times having them gum all of the charts inwards the notebook ane twenty-four hours during the starting fourth dimension calendar week of schoolhouse or during morn work!)

Sometimes I would inquire students to re-create precisely what I was writing on my anchor chart. This was faster too ensured that they had an accurate event subsequently when they were writing. Other times, I mightiness fill upward out one-half of the nautical chart too and thus inquire them to consummate the rest. Sometimes I had them fill upward out the nautical chart equally a planner to ready for their ain writing. Any agency you lot piece it, my students were actively participating too engaged inwards the lesson.

Plus, they were creating a wonderful reference resources for later!

Need to a greater extent than writing tips?

I did a serial of videos all well-nigh teaching writing! You tin scout them on my YouTube channel past times clicking HERE.

I induce got also created a FREE e-mail course for teachers amongst tips too gratis resources for getting writing workshop started inwards their classroom. You tin read to a greater extent than well-nigh that e-mail course of pedagogy too acquire signed upward past times clicking HERE.

Are you lot looking for lesson plans, anchor charts too mentor text passages that are create to impress too use? Click HERE to banking corporation check out my writing units!

Have a Not So Wimpy day!