You know your a nerdy teacher when…

There are many things that have filled in this blank, but today it is: when you are going for a beautiful 2.5 mile run on a perfect, Minnesota summer day, and all you can think about is Writer’s Workshop. I mean, come on, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, I had a spring in my step and a smile on my face, and all these questions and concerns were racing through my mind:
-Will my Writer’s Workshop work? (That was a lot of w’s!) I’ve been reading a lot of threaded discussions about Writer’s Workshop and have come across a few who feel it does NOT work with ESL and economically disadvantaged kids (who tend to lack foundational skills and background knowledge.)
-What if my benchmark and TAKS scores come back low? Can using Reader’s and Writer’s workshop model really prepare my students to take the major standardized test?
-Which whiteboard/chart paper easel will work best in my classroom? I have about 20 options bookmarked, I just can’t decide: Double sided, foldable, tripod, with wheels.
-How will I integrate my SMARTBoard and other technology tools into my Reading and Writing Workshop? (From now on to be known as RWW)

I guess that’s what I get from all the time I’ve been spending reading about the Workshop Model. And it was actually way better than my usual mantra of, “I’m so tired. When is this going to be done. Keep on running”