Allowing Students to Co-Teach

This is a great time of the year to acknowledge that your students have all become experts in some area of writing.  During your conference time in your Writing Workshop, zero in on whatever area of expertise a child exhibits---great leads, superb use of exclamation points, perfect groupings of paragraphs, lively use of dialogue, etc.  Use one of the child's writing pieces that demonstrates that feature and plan together to use it as a mini-lesson for the class.  When the time comes for the mini-lesson, have the student stand upfront with you at the overhead projector or electronic board to show his piece and to explain the feature.  Then, add his or her name to a chart in the room that proclaims him to be an expert.  Encourage other students to see the listed experts if they want to try that feature in their writing.  They can all be experts at something!