1. Keep an eye on the clock and remember you’re responsible to all the writers in the room. At first, as a teacher gets the hand of conferring, conferences may run longer than you wish. But it is important to remember that you are not asking to hear every single word every student writes. Instead, ask kids to tell you about the writing – what it is about and what is happening. Ask them to read or talk to you about the lead, a section that’s working well, or a part they need help with. Skim students’ drafts-just be sure to focus on content and craft, not conventions. When teachers begins with long conferences, individual writers will come to count on this level of attention and will not learn how to identify and solve problems. Worse, the teacher will be able to meet with just a handful of kids each day.
2. Meet with as many writers as possible each day, and make notes on the status-of-the-class chart of who you did not confer with; see those students first in the next workshop.
3. Go to your students’ desks, so you can control the length of conferences and the behavior in the classroom and see many writers. Circulate from one area of the room to another.
4. Make the conference personal and intimate. It should feel like a conversation. This means kneeling or sitting alongside writers as you talk, listen, and read their writings.
5. Whisper and ask students to whisper when they confer with you and each other. Writers won’t be able to think, compose, or produce if the teacher’s voice is filling their ears and your words are filling their minds. Try not to be a distraction to the other writers in the room, and try to set a tone of quiet concentration: if your volume goes up, the volume in the room will rise to match it.
6. Strive for a balance between listening to students discuss their writing; listening as they read aloud texts that are relatively brief (e.g., a letter or poem) or passages from longer works; and, after the writer has told you what he or she wants help with, reading their texts silently to yourself.
7. Some pieces of student writing are too long to listen to or read during class, especially in the upper elementary and secondary grades, as students begin to write extended prose. Ask the writer if you may take the draft home. Read it and jot down questions or suggestion on a Post-it. Return the writing to the writer in class the next day and confer about your response.
8. Build on what writers know and have done, rather than bemoaning what’s not on the page or what’s wrong with what is. Remember: kids usually write as well as they can. As you help them move forward, their best will get better. A piece of writing that isn’t working yet is not working yet; it is not bad.
9. At the other end of the spectrum, avoid generalized praise. It is a way many teachers were trained to talk-congratulating kids on their opinions, stroking verbally as a reward for desired behavior, deeming everything our kids do “Very good!” – and it is not a way human beings talk to each other. Praise by paying attention to the writer. Praise by becoming involved in the writing. Praise by congratulation writers who solve problems by dint of hard work.
Praise by acknowledging writers who try something new. Praise by describing the effects of specific techniques on you as a reader: “Your lead brought me right into the essay,” or “I like the way you built your argument: it anticipates the way someone who disagrees with you would argue back,” or “The images are so concrete I can close my eyes and see this,” or “I have goosebumps at the way you concluded this.”
10.In questioning students about the content of their writings, ask about what you are curious about. Focus on meaning: What don’t you understand? What doesn’t make sense to you? What would you like to know more about? A string of inquisitions along the line of “When did you go there? Who did you go with? Did you have fun? What kind of day was it? Did you have anything to eat? What?” elicits a string of one-and two-word answers. But a more global question like “Tell me more about X” or “I don’t understand Y” gets a writer thinking and talking.
11.Come prepared to take notes and make notes. You may want to travel, as I do, with a pad of Post-its. Or you might want to adapt the peer writing conference record as a form for you to lean on as you get the hang of the rituals of face-to-face response. You will need a place to jot down your questions and observations so you don’t lose them; to demonstrate solutions to writing problems; and to transcribe for the kids the ideas and plans they describe to you-to serve as recording secretary as they talk about what might happen next.
12.If an occasion arises for you to demonstrate a solution to a problem the writer can not solve, ask permission to draft on the draft. This calls for an especially delicate touch. Don’t take over the piece of writing and make it your own; do confer with the writer about his or her intentions. If you think you understand them and believe you have something to teach, ask if you may demonstrate the technique, approach, or solution on the draft: “May I show you a way to do this.”
13.Be patient. Trust yourself and your students. Over a whole year of conferences, mini lessons, and writing experiences, your students will improve as writers, and you will improve as a responder to writers.
Bi-Weekly Conference Notes Date ____________
Student ___________________________ Period ___________
Piece (genre) __________ Title if available ___________________
Where are you in your writing? ______________________________
_____________________________________________________
How can I help you? (Specifics)
__________________________ ___________________________
__________________________ ___________________________
__________________________ ___________________________
Which one or ones do you want help on today? ___________________
Response/s:
One of the greatest strengths of this paper is __________________
_____________________________________________________
Another positive part is ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Goal (due by next conference):
Teacher Signature _____________________ Date ___________
Student Signature _____________________
Questions about Purpose
Does the writing answer the question, “So what?”
Do I have a big idea? Do I have enough specifics to support this theme, argument, or purpose?
Is the writing honest?
Will it make a reader think and feel?
Do I know what I’m talking about?
Will readers relate to the writing so strongly that I hold their attention the whole time?
Questions about Information
Is my information sufficient? Is it accurate?
Have I told enough? Have I explained each part well enough that a reader will know what I mean, every step of the way?
What’s the strongest, most satisfying part, and how can I build on it?
Have I described thoughts and feelings at the points where readers will wonder what I am, or what my main character is, thinking and feeling?
Have I embedded the context: told where, when, how, what, and with whom?
Have I described the scene with enough detail that a reader can see it happening – can envision people in action?
Did people talk? Have I directly quoted the words they said? Does it sound the way these people would speak to each other? Can a reader hear what they’re like?
Have I created questions in a reader’s mind about where the writing will lead?
Have I included specifics that reveal my character, myself, my subject, or my argument?
Is the pace too fast to old someone’s interest or convince a reader? Do I need to slow down and expand on any part?
Is the writing plausible, or believable? Are the reasons for actions and reactions clear and compelling?
Is the writing true in terms of history, science, mathematics, geography, contemporary social issues, etc.? Have I done the research that gives credence to what I’m saying?
Is my information in the best order?
Do I have too much information?
What parts are not needed – do not add to my point, theme, character, or plot? Can I delete them?
What is this piece of writing really about? Are there parts that are about something else? Can I cut them?
Which is the one best example or illustration?
Are there redundancies? Can I figure out the best way to say it once?
Have I contradicted myself anywhere?
Are there any places where the pace bogs down? Can I delete and compress information and speed things up?
Is there too much conversation? Too many details? Too much description? Have I explained something too thoroughly?
Is this a “bed-to-bed” memoir that describes every single event of one day? Can I focus on the important part of the experience and delete the rest?
Have I cut to the chase?
Questions about Leads
Does the lead engage readers and bring them right into the theme, purpose, tone, action, or the mind of the main character?
Does the lead give direction to the rest of the writing?
Does the lead set the tone or create the first impression I want for my readers?
Where does the piece really begin? Can I cut the first paragraph? The first two? The first page?
Questions about Conclusions
How do I want my readers to feel and think at the end? Will this conclusion do it?
Does my conclusion drop off and leave my reader wondering or confused?
Does my conclusion feel tacked on?
Does my conclusion go on and on?
Does my conclusion give readers a sense of closure but also invite them to want to read this writing again?
Questions About Titles
Is the imagery concrete? Can a reader see, hear, feel, smell, taste this?
Is my choice of words simple, clear, and direct?
Have I cluttered my writing with unnecessary adjectives and adverbs?
Have I used strong, precise verbs?
Have I used any of Macrorie’s Bad Words (really, very, so, all)?
Have I used any word(s) too often, especially in contiguous sentences?
Are my sentences clear, direct, and to the point?
Are my sentences active: I did this, not It was done?
Are any sentences too long and tangled? Too brief and choppy?
Have I used punctuation (: ; – ) that will give voice and meaning to my writing?
Have I paragraphed often enough to give a reader’s eyes some breaks?
Have I broken the flow of my piece by paragraphing too often?
Have I grouped together ideas related to each other?
Is my information for the reader from one idea to the next?
Is there a voice, an actor?
Does the voice stay the same-first-person participant (I did it) or third-person observer (he or she did it)?
Does the verb tense stay the same-present (it’s happening now or in general) or past (it happened before)?
Does the writing sound like literature – does it flow-when I read it aloud to myself?
Questions about Purpose
Does the writing answer the question, “So what?”
Do I have a big idea? Do I have enough specifics to support this theme, argument, or purpose?
Is the writing honest?
Will it make a reader think and feel?
Do I know what I’m talking about?
Will readers relate to the writing so strongly that I hold their attention the whole time?
Questions about Information
Is my information sufficient? Is it accurate?
Have I told enough? Have I explained each part well enough that a reader will know what I mean, every step of the way?
What’s the strongest, most satisfying part, and how can I build on it?
Have I described thoughts and feelings at the points where readers will wonder what I am, or what my main character is, thinking and feeling?
Have I embedded the context: told where, when, how, what, and with whom?
Have I described the scene with enough detail that a reader can see it happening – can envision people in action?
Did people talk? Have I directly quoted the words they said? Does it sound the way these people would speak to each other? Can a reader hear what they’re like?
Have I created questions in a reader’s mind about where the writing will lead?
Have I included specifics that reveal my character, myself, my subject, or my argument?
Is the pace too fast to old someone’s interest or convince a reader? Do I need to slow down and expand on any part?
Is the writing plausible, or believable? Are the reasons for actions and reactions clear and compelling?
Is the writing true in terms of history, science, mathematics, geography, contemporary social issues, etc.? Have I done the research that gives credence to what I’m saying?
Is my information in the best order?
Do I have too much information?
What parts are not needed – do not add to my point, theme, character, or plot? Can I delete them?
What is this piece of writing really about? Are there parts that are about something else? Can I cut them?
Which is the one best example or illustration?
Are there redundancies? Can I figure out the best way to say it once?
Have I contradicted myself anywhere?
Are there any places where the pace bogs down? Can I delete and compress information and speed things up?
Is there too much conversation? Too many details? Too much description? Have I explained something too thoroughly?
Is this a “bed-to-bed” memoir that describes every single event of one day? Can I focus on the important part of the experience and delete the rest?
Have I cut to the chase?
Questions about Leads
Does the lead engage readers and bring them right into the theme, purpose, tone, action, or the mind of the main character?
Does the lead give direction to the rest of the writing?
Does the lead set the tone or create the first impression I want for my readers?
Where does the piece really begin? Can I cut the first paragraph? The first two? The first page?
Questions about Conclusions
How do I want my readers to feel and think at the end? Will this conclusion do it?
Does my conclusion drop off and leave my reader wondering or confused?
Does my conclusion feel tacked on?
Does my conclusion go on and on?
Does my conclusion give readers a sense of closure but also invite them to want to read this writing again?
Questions About Titles
Is the imagery concrete? Can a reader see, hear, feel, smell, taste this?
Is my choice of words simple, clear, and direct?
Have I cluttered my writing with unnecessary adjectives and adverbs?
Have I used strong, precise verbs?
Have I used any of Macrorie’s Bad Words (really, very, so, all)?
Have I used any word(s) too often, especially in contiguous sentences?
Are my sentences clear, direct, and to the point?
Are my sentences active: I did this, not It was done?
Are any sentences too long and tangled? Too brief and choppy?
Have I used punctuation (: ; – ) that will give voice and meaning to my writing?
Have I paragraphed often enough to give a reader’s eyes some breaks?
Have I broken the flow of my piece by paragraphing too often?
Have I grouped together ideas related to each other?
Is my information for the reader from one idea to the next?
Is there a voice, an actor?
Does the voice stay the same-first-person participant (I did it) or third-person observer (he or she did it)?
Does the verb tense stay the same-present (it’s happening now or in general) or past (it happened before)?
Does the writing sound like literature – does it flow-when I read it aloud to myse