1. Don’t hold the paper!!
2. “The one who does the work is the one who learns.” (Lain)
3. Sometimes the most important question I can ask is “How did the writing go?” If we get into this conversation in a specific, detailed way, all kinds of things are possible!
4. Conferences should be directed by the student’s concerns (with the teacher and student holding the goals of the assignment, class, etc. in mind.)
5. Conferences are more productive if students come prepared, and they are more likely to come prepared if I give them time and a structure to prepare (conference memo, revision memo, three key questions about their draft, etc.).
6. Identifying strategies that will help the writer not just the writing is like teaching a man to fish.
7. Sometimes the greatest gift I can give a student is to treat their draft as worthy of attention and revision. And what better way to do that than face to face!
8. There are different kinds of conferences: content, process, design, editing etc. These should be undertaken with purpose.
9. Simply taking notes and giving the student back what they have said about their own writing can be a way to illuminate their writing process and move them forward in revision.
10. Sometimes we (the student and I) can do more in fifteen minutes of conference than we can in a week of class.
A very nice, concise list!
ReplyDeleteI like the proverbial "fishing pole with fishing lessons" approach. As Rodney always says, I'm lazy, and will find ways to make the student do most of the work.
ReplyDeleteI really love this list. You have really captured the philosophy of conferencing in this list.
ReplyDeleteI like the last one. How important is conferencing individually with a student. I can see is worthed.
ReplyDelete