Teachers can serve as facilitators in writing workshops, allowing students to work with peers and write at their own speed. During workshops, students and teachers have multiple opportunities to work independently, with a partner, or in small groups. The teacher’s role is that of a facilitator in workshops, to monitor progress, to encourage ideas, to conference with writers, and to provide help as needed. According to Lucy Calkins, writing workshop teachers also can share mini --lessons, brief instructional sessions that address elements of writing or problems in student's writing.
In classroom settings, teachers plan lessons and offer information with students. During writing workshops, teachers and students can collaborate and plan together, sharing ideas and negotiating the writing process. Collaborating also shows students how to make constructive comments to their peers by modeling the comments shared by teachers. While students determine the topics and form for their writings, in writing workshops teachers are also able to share their own personal writings and listen to ideas and critiques from their students.
Teachers are role models for students. According to Webster's Dictionary, a role models is a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others. The National Writing Project supports the use of teacher's personal and creative writings as a model for students. In writing workshops, teachers have the opportunity to model every stage of the writing process for students. Teachers can write with the students, share mini-lessons, and demonstrate how a reading or writing strategy works. Because writing can ignite varied opinions, a workshop can also be time to model ways to share anxieties, frustrations, and counter ideas.
Writing workshops give teachers the chance to meet with students one-to-one. Mini-conferences with individual writers is essential during writing workshops. While students complete work, together or individually, teachers can block out some time to hold brief meetings with those who still need more guidance to improve their reading and writing skills. Teachers can review work by one writer and offer ideas and new directions for improving their writing. Students can also learn from their one-to-one conferences and practice peer conferences with other students to discuss strategies or share journal entries.