Student Writing Conferences

1. Student Writing Conferences District Flex Workshop 2009-2010

2. Workshop Goals • Introduce the types of writing conferences and their purpose • Identify critical elements of writing conferences by viewing classroom video example • Practice questioning techniques to promote students’ critical thinking about their writing

3. Let’s Take a Survey Survey your beliefsabout writing. Think-Write-Pair-Share Put an A next to the statements you agree with and a D next to the ones you disagree with on the survey When cued, share with your partner/table

4. Why Conference? • Celebrate • Validate • Encourage • Nudge • Teach • Assess • Set Goals

5. Purposes of the Writing Conference • Listening (to what writer is trying to say) • Affirming (what writer has done well) • Reinforcing (the writer’s strengths, attempts) • Assessing (confusions, strengths, next steps) • Teaching (what’s most important for the writer to move forward and only what the writer is ready for) • Scaffolding (helping the writer say, write and do what she can’t quite do yet without help) • Setting goals with students’ input (for the writer to attempt to meet on his own, with minimal guidance and support)* *Writing Essentials-Reggie Routman

6. Conference Formats • Informal or formal • Short or long • Public or private • Teacher or student led • Whole group, small group, or one-on-one Effective teachers use a variety of conferences to meet students’needs.

7. Types of Conferences • Whole-Class Shares • Quickshares • Roving, on the run conferences (walking around the room as students write) • One-on-One Formal Conferences • Peer Conferences

8. Whole Class Shares Format This is a formal conference with a student in front of the whole-classcelebrating what the student does well and focusing on one or two previously taught skills. Benefits • Celebrates what the writer has done well • Provides teaching points and ideas to all students • Models the importance of rereading • Uses student models as mentor text

9. Quickshares Format This is an informal conference with 4-5 students (3 minutes in length). As the teacher circulates in the class and notices a specific writing skill done well the writer may be asked to celebrate publically. A teacher can read their work to the class with the student’s permission. Benefits • Celebrates student writing • Models for other students • Builds confidence in the writer

10. Roving Format This is an informal conference, usually very quick (a minute or two). The teacher takes brief notes on individual students’ strengths and weaknesses. Benefits • Ability to cover a number of students in a short period of time • Quick assessment of strengths and needs • Teach on the spot • Opportunity for encouragement, rereading, and guidance to move writing forward

11. Formal One-on-One Format This is a formal conference sitting by the side of a student privately celebrating what the student does well and focusing on writing goal and/or area of need. Benefits • Gain individual feedback for record keeping • Private • Student directed/teacher facilitated • Practice rereading • Setting personalized goals for writing

12. Peer Conferencing Format This is a student-to-student conference done afterthe teacher explicitly teaches how to do it: • Modeling “writing talk” with whole group and one-on-one conference for students • Learning how to ask thoughtful questions • Experiencing a “Fish Bowl” formal teacher-students conference Benefits • Students practice the language of writing • Students teaching students • Students gain confidence in writing skills and assessing writing

13. Introduction to Student Writing Conferences http://www.learner.org/resources/series205.html?pop=yes&pid=2204#

14. Video • On your sheet record what you notice the teacher doing. • Record some examples of questions the teachers use during the conference. • What was the focused skill that was being discussed in the conference?

15. Derek’s StoryA good PRIMARY example of a student who has a story (narrative) to tell but has difficulty doing so on his own. Notice the celebrating and scaffolding that takes place in this brief conference.

16. Listening to StudentsA good INTERMEDIATE example of encouraging students to do the talking during the writing conference. http://learner.org/workshops/writing35/session5/sec2p2.html?pop=yes&pid=2212#

17. Turn and Talk • At your table, share your observations of the teaching video

18. Shift of Thinking • The teacher is the facilitator of students’ discussion about their writing- focus on what is done well • The teacher uses good questioning techniques with students to promote critical thinking about their writing • Conferences should be student directed with the teacher suggesting tools and helping when requested • During the conference the teacher refrains from editing students’ work • Conferences are not always a formal sit down conference • Application of previously taught skill within a domain, not a global approach

19. Student Work Samples • Review the student work samples at your table • Write some prompting questions for discussion with the student during a writing conference

20. Reflection • Complete second column on survey

21. Continue the Work • Work with an instructional coach, reading specialist or grade level to incorporate talking to students about their writing • Consult resources to learn more about writing conferencing

22. Thank you for your engaged participation!