As a trencher, do you find that preparing for standardized tests interferes with teaching advanced thinking, reading, and writing skills in a meaningful way? Do you want to balance test preparation with more creative activities?

Success in school and beyond depends on one’s ability to read fluently, write coherently, and think critically. This handbook uses the workshop model for exponentially increasing adolescents’ abilities in these three key areas.

This practical guide addresses the daily running and practice of a workshop-based classroom, using research and the author’s own experiences to illustrate how to establish a workshop that:


Fosters lasting learning while reinforcing the skills needed for standardized tests
Teaches audience and purpose as a vehicle to style and structure
Provides a supportive and lively environment in which students are comfortable enough to take risks and share original ideas


Try Urbanski’s approach to teaching literacy analysis and mentoring student writers, and discover just how rewarding the workshop experience can be!