A Letter to My Younger Self: You Know Better, So Do Better

 

Dear Younger Ms. Ettienne,

Right now, you’re probably standing in front of your class, worrying about the lesson plan. You’re focused on the objectives, the standards, and the correct way to form a paragraph. I need you to take a deep breath and listen closely. I want to give you the key to everything you're searching for: the Writing Workshop.

You will meet a boy named Jonathan, who writes a letter to his dog filled with inventive spellings like “lowniwhale.” Your old training will scream to correct the errors. But the Writing Workshop will teach you a better way. It’s not just a teaching method; it’s a philosophy that duplicates how real writers work, from conception to publication. It’s the structure that makes true differentiation not just possible, but natural.

In this workshop, children have the regular, uninterrupted time they need to think and create. They have the freedom to choose their own topics, which is why Jonathan writes with such heart about Kayla. They learn mechanics in the context of their own powerful stories, not from a disconnected worksheet. This is how you help Jonathan grow without crushing his spirit through focused mini-lessons and one-on-one conferences that meet him in his "developing" stage.

Your role will completely transform. You will stop being the gatekeeper of grammar and become a mentor who cultivates processes. The principles of the Workshop time, choice, response, and authentic context are the answer to the question you don't even know to ask yet: "How can I possibly reach every single writer?"

So, let go of the fear of messiness. The controlled chaos of the Writing Workshop is where the deepest learning happens. It is the engine that will carry every Jonathan from his first scribbles to fluent, powerful expression.

Your role is not to correct products, but to cultivate writers. The Workshop is how you do it. It is the most important tool you will ever use.

Your Wiser, Future Self

A. Ettienne