Conferencing Ideas

1. Writer’s Workshop
The Conference
November 2013
Research:
One to One by Calkins, Hartman, White
The Writing Workshop by Ray, Laminack
How’s it Going by Carl Anderson

2. Conferencing Thoughts
“I am always impressed by teachers who know enough about the
teaching of writing to be concerned about how to conduct more
effective writing conferences,” Lucy Calkins.
“Conferring can be so hard. Like any uniquely human
interaction, in a conference there is always the possibility that
something totally unexpected might happen,” Katie Wood Ray

3. Length & Frequency of Conferences
2-7 minutes
Try to get to each student once a week.
“On any given day, our goal should be to have as many quality
conferences as we can with as many students as we can,” Katie
Wood Ray.

4. The Four Parts
Research: Find out how the student’s writing is going
Decide: What would make sense to teach the student?
Teach: Teach an on the spot, individualized focus lesson
Record: Jot down notes of essential content

5. Part 1: Research
Recall what we already know about the child as a writer
Glance at and quickly read what the child is writing
Observe the child at work without interrupting
Ask questions and probe to explore the child’s answers

6. Part 1: Research
Possible Questions:
What are you working on as a writer?
Can you tell me what you’re working on?
What’s your plan for writing time today?
What do you need help with today?
Tell me about how your writing is going.

7. Part 1: Research
“Keep in mind that your goal is to learn enough to discern what
the writer is trying to do, able to do, and not quite doing,”
Calkins.

8. Part 2: Decide
“But what makes a conference a powerful teaching interaction is
not finding the best thing in the world to teach this student; it’s
in teaching in direct response to something the student has told
us or shown us about his/her work as a writer. So as soon as we
see a way to go with the teaching, we head it in that direction,”
Katie Wood Ray.

9. Part 2: Decide
Use your “fistful” of knowledge...
What would help most at this time?
What would bring quick success?
What would be a stretch, risk, or challenge?
What is not likely to come up in whole class instruction?
What would the student like help with?
TEACH TOWARD INDEPENDENCE!

10. Part 2: Decide
COMPLIMENT THE STUDENT, THEN TEACH!
What has the writer done well that you can compliment and
reinforce?

11. Part 3: Teach
HOW WILL YOU TEACH?
Demonstrate
Guided Practice
Explain and show an example

12. Part 3: Teach
What strategy did they learn today that they can apply on
another day in another piece?
Ask the student: “Say back to me what I just talked to you
about.”

13. Part 4: Make a Record
Tell the student, “Ok, so what I’m going to write down is...”
Summarize the lesson
Have to find a system that is comfortable for you, or it won’t be
used
Should be a way to divide records easily by individual students

14. Reflecting on Note-Taking
What, exactly, did I teach in that conference?
Why did I decide to teach that?
How does the student seem to feel about the conference?

15. Tech Ideas
for Conference Notes

16. Penultimate App
iPad App iTunes Store
Write with a stylus
Keep a notebook on each
student
Notes backup online with
an Evernote account
Create an account here

17. Other Apps
Notability iTunes App
Note Anytime iTunes App
Record audio Notes
Write with a stylus
Keep a notebook on each
student

18. Google Forms
Create a Form
Save link to access
easily
Populates data into
spreadsheet for you
Basic Example

19. Google Spreadsheet
Skip the Google Form
Idea
Use a spreadsheet with
all students listed
Search the sheet with
Command + F
Basic Example

20. Google Docs
Skip the Form and
Spreadsheet Idea
Use a word processing
document to track
conferences
Use Command + F to
find specific notes
Basic Example