1. Writing Workshop: Conferring
Jamie Saponaro
@JamieSaponaro

2. Talk, Identify, Teach
The conference is the portion of your lesson where the most effective instruction takes place.
You are able to customize instruction specific to the writer.
The writer is able to immediately apply the new understanding, as well as apply it future writings.
You are teaching to the writer, not to the writing itself.

3. Roving Individual Strategy
Types of Conferences
Roving
Individual
Strategy

4. Traditional Conferences Writing Workshop Conferences
Choosing ideas and topics for students
Allowing students to share too much of their writing
Making corrections for students
Talking to the student without 2-way conversation
Giving too many teaching points in one coaching session
Focusing on small issues and not the big picture objectives
"Talking" first by asking questions.
Pre-reading writing pieces for older students or have younger students share just a small portion.
Identifying a teaching point to focus on.
Having the student try out the strategy.
Setting goals for future application with the student.

5. Writing Workshop Conferring Steps
1). Ask questions to start a conversation.
How is it going?
What are you working on?
How can I help?
2). Ask more specific questions to learn more.
What strategies are you using?
What is working for you?
3). Turn to the writing piece.
Read a portion of the writing or have the student read a section.
Praise a portion of the writing that is going well.
4). Identify a teaching point.
Choose one point to teach that would raise the level of the writer (If-Then)
Remember that you are teaching the writer and not teaching to the particular writing piece...teach a strategy that they can carry over to future writing pieces and that will elevate them to be stronger writers.
5). Have the student try it out.
6). Have the student set the goal to apply this strategy in the writing and every other writing piece.

6. Conferring Video Watch this writing conference.
What do you notice in this conference?
Use “Qualities of an Effective Teaching Point” to identify when a particular strategy/step is used.
How does this approach seem to raise the level of the writer?

7. Record Keeping Notebooks for each class Notebooks per student
Grid Sheets per student
Grid Sheets per Weekly Conferences
Google Form
Here is a list of great record keeping forms -
something for all teaching styles.

8. If/Then Examples Turn and Talk:
Which examples do you see in your students?
How could you teach the writer and not the actual piece?
How will the suggestions help you help your students?

9. Wrapping Up
Questions and Looking Ahead

10. Credits
Carl Anderson
Teachers College Workshop Videos