7 ate 19!!! hahahahah

I was interested in the idea that students could have different jobs that applied to the writing workshop time, such as having some students who could be in charge of regulating who gets to sit in special spaces, or managing the time during the workshop. I really like letting students have jobs in the classroom and giving them the feeling that they are important enough to have the power over some aspect of the school day (because they are!). But these were jobs that I hadn't thought of as possibilities, so that was interesting to me. And besides making the kids feel good, it would also be very helpful to the teacher...
I also really like the idea of the "presence" that the teacher must have in order to keep the order in a writing workshop. When the students are doing individual work, it may seem like an opportunity for a teacher to get his/her own stuff done while the kids have something to occupy their attention, but this could lead to chaos or a general lack of engagement among the students. If the teacher doesn't seem to care what you're doing, then you probably won't care either. The teacher having a presence will make a huge difference for the students, in terms of engagement and behavior.
I wasn't sure at first how I felt about the idea that the Writer's Workshop would always be a little bit messy and just a little bit beyond our control so that no matter how long we do it, we can never quite get a handle on it. That doesn't sound particularly pleasant at first thought. But in any subject, there is always room to grow. Just because something is working doesn't mean you won't find a way to do it even better later. And that's not that scary - that's a good thing. So that idea doesn't sound so bad after all.
Publishing and setting deadlines... it's a good regulating tool. It will keep the kids writing and working hard because they have a deadline approaching. I can see how this might have some negative effects on student motivation too though, turning their writing into just some other assignment that they are doing just because they have to. As long as there is some leniency to it, it should be ok though...

Conferencing

Conferencing is such a great way to help the students realize that their writing is going somewhere without making that thought seem intimidating. It is always helpful to know that the first person who reads your writing is going to be someone who wants to help you with it and give you feedback on it, not to judge you for it. It's also an extremely great way to connect to the students and to help them to feel connected to the teacher. It can be unnerving to have to share something you've written with your peers, especially in a large group setting, but having the attention and approval of the teacher first can put a student's mind at ease as they come to value their writing and themselves as writers.

Also, the feedback that is given at conferences can be a great jumping off point for a new idea to come forth from a student's piece. If they are stuck or just don't know where to go with their writing, having someone else's input can tell them where they might need some clarification, what points seem most interesting and could be elaborated on, or what questions a reader might still have. Also, this can be a time when a teacher might point out conventional issues, but as we discussed in class, these are primarily to help the reader know how to read your writing. I really like that idea for children. When they are learning these rules that might seem annoying or unimportant, putting that spin on it definitely makes it seem important and necessary to learn and use proper conventions. It's like making sure you're writing in the same language as your reader - you want them to understand what you mean. I just liked that idea a lot...

Sharing is so important with writing and I think that if we get children to share and get comfortable with sharing with small groups, but especially with the whole class (as described in the book - even if it is only a small section of their entire piece), they will be more likely to continue to do so in the future. If they want to share, they have to have something to share... so they have to write! I think that inspiring children to feel appreciated when they share with others will encourage them to continue to do so as they go through their schooling. If they enjoy the feelings of sharing, then they will put more effort into their work so that when they do share, it will be the best thing they could have done. The sooner this starts in the elementary school, the better.