ASSIGNMENT SEVEN: Student Writing Conference - Choose one or two children to conduct an informal conference with. You may choose to use one of Regie’s formats, your own or the one below, which I use in a conferring notebook. You need to find a system that will work for you. Example 1 (and below) is the format I use for each writing conference that I hold with students. Keep in mind that while you are conferring with students, the majority of other students should be writing!
(Note: If you aren’t currently teaching please find a school-age child to do a conference with. We believe you will find it is worth the effort.) Student Name: Date:
? (Question- Teacher asks)- “What are you
working on today in your writing?”
C (Compliment)- Compliment the student on one
strategy they are using well.
TP (Teaching Point)- What is one
strategy/point/goal you can teach this student to
move them forward?
FNT (For Next Time)- What needs to be a focus
during the next conference/what were set goals?
ASSIGNMENT SEVEN: After completing your one or two conferences, please reflect on how well they went and how they will impact your whole group, small group and independent instruction in your classroom. Post your reflective response to the blog.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Assignment 7
ReplyDeleteI did three informal conferences today using the ?, C, TP, and FNT format. This is the first time I have written down conferences with students. I went into them feeling relaxed and that it was going to be pretty easy. The question about what they were working on went smoothly. Two of the three compliments went smoothly as the students had some really great things going on in their writing. The third student however threw me for a minute; I have been trying to stay away from comments about handwriting, grammar, etc and focus on content. This student had not gained from our modeling and discussions on lively words and making the story interesting. His handwriting and finger spaces – perfect – they always are so I had to really stop and think for a minute about what I could say to him. I ended up with “All your sentences make sense and go well together. There is a nice flow to your story.” All three had more than one teaching point – all of them different. The FNT goal for two was adding lively words the third spelling. The third could use lively words too, but his spelling was atrocious – even on sight words.
What I really took away was how meaningful the conferences were both to the students and me with the form guiding our discussion and then my writing the information down. I felt “grounded” with and to the students and their work - our focus was very specific. I have been giving walk around informal conferences almost daily since reading about them and feel good about them, so felt surprised at the level of reception and seemingly greater comprehension about how to look at their writing I received from the kids. I like having a written goal. I am looking forward to meeting with these students again and seeing how / if they have moved forward with their writing based on the goal.
Based on this sample of writers, I think instruction and practice with content and word choice is still very much needed. My whole group instruction will continue with modeled writing and shared writing – both of which I have been doing a lot of since starting this class. I can see I really need to focus on and involve the students with finding lively words to make my writing and ultimately theirs, more interesting. I think that because of the excitement and ideas I have been getting from this book that I have been teaching too many different things in too short a time span. Being that our focus has been part / whole / part up to a month ago, they have not had much exposure or examples from me. I have been doing a lot more discussion with read aloud stories; I think I will try having us as a group pick out some sentences we really like, then try the cut up and reassemble idea. We can play with the words – leave out some words – see how the sentences are impacted. Really hone in on the language that made them sentences we like. Then ask for a volunteer to share their writing and see if we can help them with lively words. I have not done small group instruction and cannot see myself ready for that this year. As for individual instruction I will also make the focus content. In reflection on the walk around conferences I am not consistent in coaching to what I have been teaching; doing the written conference should help with that.
Assignment 7- Alana Ollerenshaw
ReplyDeleteI tried out the ?, C, TP and FNT format for my writing conferences this week. I made a template that I could write each students information on and store in a writing progress notebook that I made. Inside the notebook are dividers with tabs for each child’s name, so that I can put notes about each child behind their respective tab.
I had good intentions of taking notes while I spoke with each child during their writing conference, but this is not what happened. I ended up getting so focused on the conversation I was having with each child, that I forgot to take notes. Of course, I didn’t realize I had forgotten to use the template to write on until I had met with a few kids, so I decided to focus on writing down information next time that I do writing conferences.
I did like the ?, C, TP and FNT format. It made the kids feel proud to tell me about their writing instead of me doing all the talking and inferring about their piece. A few times it was difficult to find something to compliment the child on that was not grammar related. I fell back into old habits and started complimenting the child on their spacing and use of ending marks, even though I was intending to have content related writing conferences. The teaching points were specific for each child I met with. Also, it felt very effective to be teaching the children about word usage, for example, in context instead of on the whiteboard. Finally, each child left the conference with a goal of something they would try next time, such as a juicy introductory sentence or using transition words. All in all I am excited about this writing conference format; I just need to work on taking notes!
Assignment #7, One-on-one conference
ReplyDeleteIt was a challenge to do a conference with my Kindergartner who was not interested in writing. I meant to do 1-2 conferences, but did 4. Before starting the 1st conference , I reminded myself several times that content and celebration needed to be my main focus.
The 1st conference with my Kindergartner was to decide who to write to (audience) and what to write about (purpose). He decided to write a funny story for his cousin, Alex. It would be about him and Alex camping.
In the 2nd conference, I remembered to celebrate! An interesting observation I made quickly was that he had thrown out his idea to write a story and had decided to write every word he knew by heart. There were no sentences and there was no story. I told him “I noticed you decided to write most of the words you know by heart. You did a great job writing all these words you know. You know a lot of words” Then, I proceeded to ask him to read it to me. He had misspelled a word, but while he read it, he noticed and laughed about it. I taught him to cross it out with one line and to write the correct word above it.
I still wanted him to write a story. He was not motivated to write. I said “how about I write the story as you tell it”. “YEAH!” was his response. Therefore, we did a ‘shared writing’ to begin with, then he finished the story on his own. He established his audience: his cousin, Alex. Then he decided on his setting: the beach, and the content: fighting sea creatures with Alex. Whatever he said, I wrote. Often, I stopped to reread, I crossed out a word I misspelled along the way, I reread, and reread again. I was surprised to hear him say, “don’t put that there (the period), you’re not all done.” Then I used the teachable moment to discuss what a sentence is. After a while, I suggested he continue writing his story. He was glad to.
I was close by, at the same table (in Les Schwab), reading “Writing Essentials”. I peeked over at his writing some as he wrote. I noticed he used his resources to spell words correctly: he often looked at what I had written above. His Kindergarten teacher has encouraged sounding out words, so he did that freely and it did not slow down his writing process. He wrote very neatly.
The 4th conference began when he said his story was done. We reread the story together in unison. I celebrated with him, but forgot to comment on the content! UGGH! We eliminated a part of a sentence that repeated a previously stated point. He agreed it should be crossed out. He had crossed out something on his own, using an x to cross it out. I did not correct his process; I was impressed he had used the concept. I read his story aloud again and suggested he think of an exciting beginning sentence to the story. He disagreed with me. He told me “that is the most exciting because Alex will like the 1st sentence”. I agreed with him: he was thinking about his audience.
I did not completely follow the ?, C, TP, and FNT. Each conference consisted of 2-3 of these steps. Some things I noticed/learned: Shared Writing is VERY impacting. My son loved the process and he already learned how to cross out from it. I learned the power of celebration! I forgot to always focus on content. Writing for an audience gives a specific focus. I did not have sticky notes. Instead, I wrote on his paper, but he did not mind. I should have had him write his own corrections instead of me. I would REALLY like to use sticky notes in the future. Jackie and Mary, do children always have to write a final draft? He was not at all interested in writing it again.
Alana, I like your writing progress notebook idea. I would have forgotten to use it also. I got very focused and I didn’t even have a class to keep an eye on.
Deanna, Alana, and Joyce – thanks for sharing your work on conferring with students.
ReplyDeleteDeanna –I’m glad that it seems like this format for a writing conference might work for you. In this age of accountability we really do need to document student growth and your (amazing) teaching work with the students. I definitely believe that conferring is really the heart of the writing (and reading) workshop. It does take practice to feel confident and comfortable…but well worth the investment.
Alana – I also love the idea of having a section for each student in a notebook. That’s actually how I ended up evolving my conferring notebook for both reading and writing. The one thing I would suggest, is that if you can’t write your notes while working with the students, take a minute right after the conference to get the information in your notebook. I don’t know about you, but too often I never get back to it if it doesn’t get done right then and there. Keep working on it and you’ll find your groove!
Joyce – I think working with your own kids is always more difficult. I know that I struggle getting homework done at home with my own kids sometimes more than I did modeling a lesson in a classroom for kids. I did enjoy reading your sequence of conferences with your son…great job with the positive and productive guidance! To answer your question…NO, kids should not have to publish every piece they write about. In a true writing workshop, writing within units of study which last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, kids will have the opportunity to write many pieces and move through the process. Here’s a step by step “process” (same no matter what the genre is) that we use here in CT with the CT Writing Project:
1. Brainstorming (of ideas)
2. Choose and Explore an idea (to make sure you have enough to “say” and write about this chosen topic.
3. Draft – you may have a good handful of drafts within a writing cycle prior to the next step
4. Revision – choose the 1 draft you’d like to take to final publication and work on making it say exactly what you want the audience to read.
5. Edit – grammar, spelling, organization….
6. Publish (1 piece within unit…this doesn’t mean it has to be completely rewritten by them either.)
I meet with a student to discuss the on-demand writing sample they had turned in. When I asked them what they were working on in their writing today, they replied, “I am working on writing to a topic.” Not exactly the answer I was looking for. I don’t think that my students are focused AT ALL on the individual skills that they are personally working on. How do I make sure that individual skills are being worked on?
ReplyDeleteThe compliment section of the conference is the easiest part. I told the student that I really liked their beginning of the story. I could tell that they liked this feedback. Should they be keeping track of the great parts of their writing? I don’t know the answer to that question.
I always feel like the “what to work on” part of the conference is the weakest part of my conferences. When I told my student that the story they wrote was not on the topic that was provided, I could sense their positive energy pouring away. Do I need to teach my students not to be so sensitive to the negative feedback?
At his point in my writing conference, I just give them this “work on” feedback and then send them on their way telling them to work on this issue in the next copy of writing. As they walk away, I am thinking to myself that there is no way they are going to remember my feedback after today. Do they need some sort of feedback tracking form? How do I make sure they check it? Does Regie have a form in the book for this?
Gary – What answer were you looking for with your question regarding the prompt writing…it was very accurate. The best way for you to ensure that kids are following through on your teaching point is to stick with that teaching point until you see evidence of success in their writing. Every conference you have with a child is focused on the same TP until they have success. All the while you document your different attempts to “reteach” the skill different ways within their writing. If kids know the “format” of your conference:
ReplyDelete• Research & gather information about the writer
• Compliment
• Teaching point (new or review)
• Follow-up expectations
…then they won’t get all bummed out when you jump into your TP in the conference, they know you’re there to coach them into better writers.
Student Writing Conference: I like I’ve stated before my students don’t have many of the basic skill to write on their own (whether fine motor or spelling). Therefore, most of written work they produce “independently” looks and feels like a student conference that Regie outlines. Since starting this book I’ve really focused on getting the students to journal/free write and then share. So in the last couple of journal writings I took more of an active role in this process to make follow more of Regie’s outline for a ?, C, TP, FNT format.
ReplyDeleteStudent #1 has great ideas and if he could write I wouldn’t be able to stop him. He is always asking questions about the world around him and this knowledge continues to show up in his topic choices for free writes. On this day we had just completed circle time, in which we talked about the weather and it was yet another rainy day in the great NW. I asked the students draw a picture of what they would do at home on a rainy day (like an rainy day recess idea) and that teachers would ask them to tell us about it in a few minutes. I started the conference with “tell me about your picture”; this is equivalent to “what are you working or what is your goal today?” in most general education classroom. The student told me about his cousins coming over to his house to play and how they play with each other. I told him that I really liked the detail in his picture and how much he has developed in his art skills (he has always struggled with pencil and paper tasks and his drawing usually look like scribbling). I asked if he could give a little more detail about his raining day and asked him to tell me about what he wanted to say so that I could write it for him. Several times I had to stop him to slow down so that I was sure that I got in all his details and that it made sense to him when I read it back. When I was all caught up with him I asked him what he thought he could do better next time and then explained that he needs to say things clearly so that someone who isn’t the teacher could read it. I then told him to think of words he knew how to spell and asked him to think about trying use them in his story so he could do some of the actual writing. Later we had the whole class share and he was much more clear when recalling what he told me to write and of course he added a few more things; I reminded him that he didn’t “read” what he wrote and not a whole new story.
Its great to read everyones' reflections on the conferencing. Its interesting to see what we notice when we're asked to really look at ourselves and teaching habits. I also noticed that even though we have different classes, student makeup, we all at one point or another struggle in the same way. I guess my world isn't that much different.
Lindsay – thanks for sharing your comments on conferring with your students. I love the way you were able to adapt your conference to fit the needs of your students. That is what is at the heart of teaching!!!
ReplyDelete