(in no particular order)
As overheard while eavesdropping on a particularly witty group of teachers
Be present in the moment of the conference
The force of listening draws out words
Teach to the writer, not the writing
Let the student hold their paper (and all that this implies)
Ask the students to prepare questions for you before the conference
You don’t have to read the whole draft
The person that does the work, does the learning
Sometimes the best thing you can give the writer is a simple human response
Remember that the writing is their writing
Start with: How’s it going? Or better yet, How is you writing going today?
Resume
12 years ago
5 comments:
I love the idea of having the student prepare quuestions to ask ahead of time. It really helps get them invested in the revising process (which should be done by them and not the teacher). It helps move the conference along and helps hit on the key points the student wants, instead of what the teacher thinks should be hit on!
Nice work--things I need to remember next year!
Jill, thank you for putting this into words I will post on my classroom wall this fall....it says it all eloquently.
Ditto to Kelly's comment, and also affirmative on "Don't touch/take their paper." When we do so, we take control away from the student and progress is inhibited or completely stopped.
I agree with Lynne... this could be made into a poem. Excellent way to explain it.
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