Small Group Workshop

The small group workshop functions the same way a larger group workshop does, but it is more intimate, and each group member has a greater responsibility.  For each essay workshopped, one group member acts as the facilitator, and takes the role that the teacher would normally take, asks the questions that begin the workshop and moves it along.  Each workshop should take 25 minutes each.  Here are the facilitators tasks:

1. Begin by asking the student being workshopped to read one paragraph from their essay – to immerse the group in the voice of the essay.
2. The facilitator, taking each question in the peer response in turn, asks the group for their responses.
3. Finally, ask the author if they have any questions or comments.

Other things to focus on:

• Involve all the voices in the group:  don’t let one group member dominate, and don’t let another group member fall silent
• Don’t let the group fall into tangential discussions (that reminds me of a movie I just saw…) Keep the focus.
• Use the full amount of time.  If you find yourself at a stopping point before the time is up, go back and look at some aspect of the story you haven’t yet discussed:  characterization, image, etc.
• Distribute peer responses and manuscripts with margin notes to the author