We know that writers in community are better able to brainstorm ideas, share their writing, offer and receive feedback, and celebrate success. But how can teachers facilitate that kind of community in a classroom of 30 or more students? The wide range of skill levels mixed with fluctuating social dynamics and crowded quarters make genuine community a real challenge.
I struggled with this in my 8th grade classroom until, during one of our writing breaks, I saw my students engage in their own spontaneous writing community. They asked each other about their stories, shared new ideas, and suggested next scenes. And after our break, they returned to their writing renewed and inspired. Apparently they already knew what a writing community could look like in our classroom!
Ask & Suggest
This experience led to Ask & Suggest, a low-prep strategy with immediate rewards. We start by having one student share a brief summary of their story, followed by their classmates asking questions about it. The author doesn’t answer the questions; they just listen while I write them down. (Older students might be able to write down the questions themselves, but I found it goes more smoothly if I write while they listen.)
Next the class is invited to offer plot suggestions. Again, the author listens while I write down the suggestions. (Be prepared: hilarity ensues. They love to make wild and unexpected suggestions!) When the class has exhausted their bank of ideas, I give the author the lists and they tuck them into their writing folder. They may not think they need them now, but their peers’ ideas come in handy a few weeks later when they hit a brick wall in their writing.
Peer Feedback
Another strategy for building a writing community comes from Paige Anteau, who teaches middle school in Montana. She gives her students checklists, rubrics, and sentence-starters for collaboration and feedback. She has found that these tools provide a valuable framework for writing discussions, helping students to stay respectful and on-topic.
For more peer feedback resources, check out the Young Novelist Challenge rubric and Alec Mackenzie’s middle school excerpt rubrics.
Partnerships
A more structured strategy for a writing community comes from Rachael Waldburger, middle school teacher librarian in Wisconsin. She recommends pairing students in accountability partnerships. Depending on their age and maturity level, she might let them choose their partners or she might assign them.
Rachael teaches her students how to check in with their partners throughout the class period to offer encouragement, and then, at the end of class, to exchange feedback. To support this process, Rachael has them identify a line or phrase that they liked, a question they have about a passage, or a suggestion for improving the story.
This daily guided approach helps students build strong investments in their partner’s stories, which results in more genuine interest and productive feedback. When November ends and they’re ready to dive into revision, her students are well equipped to read carefully and respond thoughtfully to their classmates’ work.
Young writers love to talk about their stories! With a few structures and guidelines in place, they can turn that talking into a helpful writing community.