Conferencing with Students

What is a conference?

-A conference is a meeting to discuss a student’s work

-Conference to celebrate, validate, encourage, nudge, teach, assess, or set goals

-Conversations about how students are doing and how the child can be a better writer

-Can be a sharing time with the whole group

-Can be peer directed and centered

-Can be quick or a longer one-on-one format

 

When do you have a one?

-Conferencing is ongoing, can be done as a whole group, with peers, or in quick time

-Only when the writer is sure the piece is in “good shape” and has re-read their writing

-When the student has followed directions

-When a student is stuck

-When a student needs help with organization

-When a student is ready to publish

 

What does it look like?

-Focus on students’ strengths

-Listening without reading first

-Use only encouraging language

-Affirm students’ efforts

-Prepare conference forms so students know what to expect

-Focus on 1 or 2 major points

-Don’t write on the writer’s paper

-Have the writer say back what he did, said, and will do.