Remember this letter that Allie sent to Eve Bunting last fall along with The Ghostly Scary Mystery she wrote dedicated to Eve Bunting? Allie got a response! Yes, there was a form letter, but she also received a personal note from Eve. Wanna see the response? Click here. While getting to know characters, one fourth grader… Continue reading Bits of This & That
Category: conferring
A Tough Conference
Today I conferred with a fourth grade girl who was doing her best to write a feature article. I watched her for a few minutes before I conferred with her and noticed she had several pages written, but also seemed to be copying the research she printed (at home) about her topic. I pulled up… Continue reading A Tough Conference
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Conferring? Please Help!
So first, Wow! Thank you for the comments on the last post. You have no idea how comments fuel me as a writer. Thanks for taking the time. And second, I think this is an important comment to highlight in its own post. Ashlee, on Wednesday February 16, 2011 at 8:34 pm said: I am… Continue reading Conferring? Please Help!
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Conferring: Knowing when to walk away
Conferring is arguably the most important part of writing workshop. It is definitely more important than the minilesson, although I'm not sure it is more important than sharing. That's not the point of this post, though. I've noticed sometimes I don't teach in a conference. Yes, yes, I know I'm supposed to have a teaching… Continue reading Conferring: Knowing when to walk away
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So What?!?
I've noticed many of my conferences this week have centered around purpose. I've found myself asking again and again and agian, "So why are you writing this? Why is it important?" Nancie Atwell in her lesson set, Lessons That Change Writers, teaches students to ask: "So what?" when they are writing. I think this sticks with… Continue reading So What?!?
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A (New?) Conferring Thought
One of the teachers I've been working with this week is focusing on conferring. So I've been talking to writers, he's been listening in, and then we reflect together about the conferences. This means conferring is even more on my mind than usual. As we were reflecting, I realized how often I put myself in… Continue reading A (New?) Conferring Thought
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Conferring Thoughts
Just a few things on my mind about conferring: It's a conversation. Just talk as a writer to another writer. Look for approximations. What is the student almost doing but not quite? Compliment this attempt and then help it become more standard. Enjoy the conversation. Listen. Listen. Then listen some more. Really listen. In addition… Continue reading Conferring Thoughts
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Answers to a Variety of Workshop-Related Questions
When Ruth and I present, we always leave time for teachers to turn and talk. Our Monday morning session at KSRA was much smaller than our Sunday afternoon session, which meant we could walk around and listen-in to the teachers who were talking with each other. A variety of workshop-related questions were asked of me… Continue reading Answers to a Variety of Workshop-Related Questions
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Conferring.
Tomorrow I get to meet with a book study group. We're going to read Conferring: The Keystone to Reader's Workshop by Patrick Allen. Deb Gaby, an incredible reading coach for my district is leading the study and asked us to reflect on a few questions before tomorrow. Write down what you hope to gain from… Continue reading Conferring.
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Purpose, Process, & Craft with Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson (aka: The Conferring Guy) has not only listened to the Beatles' music; he has studied it. He has determined by the Beatles wrote particular songs, how they wrote them, and what they did to write them well. Carl shared what he has learned by studying the Beatles' music with an audience of educators… Continue reading Purpose, Process, & Craft with Carl Anderson
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Conferring Reminders
First apologies + thank you. Apologies because I forgot to blog! As unreal as that seems, it is the truth. On Monday night I crashed before 9 (could it be because I had a total of 12 hours of sleep the previous week) and didn't even think about the blog until about 7 minutes ago! … Continue reading Conferring Reminders
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Record-Keeping Forms
I recently tweaked some of the record-keeping forms I disseminate when I consult with teachers about conferring. Some of the forms now have space to record the mentor text a teacher studies in alongside a child in a conference or with a small group in a strategy lesson. I think it's important to keep track… Continue reading Record-Keeping Forms
