Strategies for Classroom Management that Build Independent Readers and Writers
Let’s talk about strategies for classroom management so we can build independent readers and writers as quickly as possible. Shall we? Because this is the number one question I get asked when literacy teachers start using reading and writing workshop in their classrooms. And even after they’ve been using the workshop model for several years, I still get asked this question a lot. Why?
Well…because each school year brings a whole new group of students knocking on your classroom door. And each class brings their own excitement, dynamic, and challenges to overcome too. But just remember teacher friend, you now have a whole another year of strategies and tools in your back pocket. Some of the classroom management strategies that worked well the year before, could still work again. So you’re already one step ahead. Doesn’t that feel good?
Now, I have 4 classroom management strategies for new teachers or even if you’re not a new teacher that really worked for me. Let’s do this!
Effective Classroom Management Starts with Student Goal Setting.
The very first strategy for effective classroom management is student goal setting. You want to make sure your students are setting goals for themselves, reflecting on those goals, and tweaking, changing, or modifying their goals as needed. Because without a purpose, it’s going to be challenging for them to want to sit down and read or write for a while. They need to have something they are striving for or trying to reach during their independent work time.
You can have students set an independence goal at the beginning year. But in order to do that, they will need to know what independence should look like for their grade level. You, as their reading and writing workshop teacher, can decide this ahead of time. Or you can discuss what independent readers and writers always do and create a list of options together. Then from there, your students can decide where their level of independence is currently, and set some actionable steps to grow their independence over time.
I highly recommend starting the year with students’ hopes and dreams. And don’t worry, you can make it FUN! I always did a hands-on, crafty activity with my students at the very beginning of the year. This is a school project that will not only help build a positive community of learners; but you can also use this back to school activity to CO-CREATE the class rules together. In this blog post, I’ll share more about how this activity works.
Use Students' Hopes and Dreams to Launch Reading and Writing Workshop Routines.
My Students Hopes and Dreams activity is something I did at the beginning of every school year; and it really helped to launch the classroom routines and expectations and then eventually to launch reading & writing workshop.
Several of your students will have many hopes & dreams for the school year. They might choose academic goals such as reading longer chapter books or writing longer stories. They might choose social goals such as making new friends or speaking when they have a question about something. Or maybe they will choose an organizational goal such as keeping my locker clean or remembering to bring their homework to school. No matter what their hopes & dreams are; EVERYONE in the class can help to support them in that goal.
Model to Your Students What Independent Work and Conferring Time Should Look Like, Feel Like, and Sound Like.
The next strategy for good classroom management is MODELING. You really want your students to know what their roles are during independent work time and what your roles are as their reading and writing workshop teacher. And make sure you model exactly what it should look like, feel like, and sound like. Here are the EIGHT main roles for independent work and conferring time:
STUDENTS:
- Participate in assessment
- Set their own goals
- Reflect on goals
- Receive coaching
- Act on feedback
- Monitor their own progress
- Read, read, read
- Write, write, write
TEACHER:
- Give assessment
- Help students set goals
- Ask reflection questions
- Provide coaching
- Give strategy focused feedback
- Monitor progress
- Follow up
- Create conferring schedules
Give Your Students Visual Reminders to Build Independence Faster.
A classroom management strategy for increasing engagement is giving your students visual reminders. This will help build their independence so much faster. I want to encourage you to have visuals up in your classroom of the routines and expectations for independent work and conferring time. You can also give them visual strategy reminders after meeting with them in a conference or small group by giving them:
- Strategy cards
- Anchor charts
- Checklists
- Post-It Notes
This will help remind them of the strategies you are teaching them. Then when they go back to their independent work time, they have something right by their side to refer to working and moving forward.
Track Your Students Independence Multiple Times Throughout the Year.
I know what you might be thinking? Desiree, you want me to keep track of another thing during my busy school day? Yes, there is a whole lot to manage when trying to launch and run a successful reading and writing workshop. But tracking your students’ independence and stamina is one that is totally worth it. Because when you know the exact areas that need improvement, you can start coming up with solutions and implementing them a whole lot faster.
So what should you keep track of when you are observing your students’ independence and stamina?
- Off Task Behavior vs. Resetting Stamina
- Movements
- Voice Level
- Distractions/Interruptions
- Transitions
- Total Minutes On Task
- Reading and Writing Center Usage
- How Often Tools and Materials are Used
Is there anything else you use when tracking your students’ independence and stamina throughout the year? DM on Instagram or hop on into the Literacy Teacher Greatness Facebook Community to let me know how you track your students’ independence. I would LOVE to hear. We’re all in this together!
Do you have a fun, loving literacy coach in your school?
If you can’t find the time to track your students’ independence and stamina; I encourage you to ask your literacy coach to come in and do it for you. This was something I did for my teachers I was coaching when I was in the school district. And they loved me for it. It was one less thing on their plate to do.
And if you’re like, Desiree, I don’t have any of these independence or stamina trackers. No worries, I’ve got plenty of them for you inside my Conferring All-Star Teacher™ Programs.
Looking for even more FREE training, strategies, and resources on building independence and stamina in reading and writing workshop? Come on over to my Facebook page and grab my Launch & Run a Successful Reading and Writing Workshop Guide. This guide will give you the exact steps you’ll need to get your workshop and conferring classroom ready for next school year.
Have an awesome year, teacher friend!!!
Dream BIG, and let’s grow into our literacy teacher greatness together!
