When Writers Drive the Workshop: Honoring Young Voices and Bold Choices

With increasing school mandates and pressure to perform well on standardized tests, writing instruction has shifted to more accountability, taking the focus away from the writer. In his engaging book, When Writers Drive the Workshop: Honoring Young Voices and Bold Choices, author Brian Kissel asks teachers to go back to the roots of the writing workshop and let the students lead the conference.

What happens when students, not tests, determine what they learned through reflection and self-eva...