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...
You're right that there is a delicate balance with publishing. I wonder if having an authentic audience for their work would make it feel less arbitrary. If the class is publishing a book of narratives, everyone has to get it done by a certain date. If you are writing to the mayor before the city council meeting, there are deadlines built in. Just writing for the teacher could happen at anytime. Making the goal larger might make a difference. Good points.
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