conferring · Joy · writing workshop

Three Ways To Make Your Conferring More Effective

I've been trying to improve my own skills as I sit down next to writers throughout my years of teaching writing, and there is so much more to conferring than the three ideas that I'm sharing in this post.

conferring · giveaway

Conferring Carl on Writing Conferences

Want to improve your conferring? Carl Anderson's new book, A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences, will help you learn the ins and outs of conferring well with young writers. Read the Q&A with Carl, then leave a comment on this blog post for a chance to win a copy of your own!

conferring · reluctant writers · strategic conferring · struggling writers

Working Together to Help Struggling Writers

I'm working on a presentation, "Getting Started with Writing Workshop," for a group of 3rd - 6th grade teachers I'll be working with later this month. I've made a list of non-negotiables I'm going sharing with them.  They range from writing is taught daily to kids need time to write to students need to go… Continue reading Working Together to Help Struggling Writers

conferring · record keeping

Record-Keeping Forms

Ever since I took Carl Anderson's course, "Assessment-Based Writing Instruction: Use a study of Student Work to Generate Goals and Systems for Recording Progress Towards Those Goals," I've been thinking a lot about student goals for writing and record-keeping.  While everyone (likely) has writing goals for their students, I wonder how often we use two… Continue reading Record-Keeping Forms

conferring · strategic conferring

Confer Like a Doctor

I'm taking Carl Anderson's week-long class, Assessment-Based Writing Instruction: Use a study of Student Work to Generate Goals and systems for Recording Progress Towards Those Goals, at the July Writing Institute this week.  Carl delivered an overview of our class on Tuesday, June 28th when he delivered the Keynote Address, Conferring with a Vision, to… Continue reading Confer Like a Doctor

guest blogger · lucy calkins · tcrwp

Imagining Possibilities: A Guest Blog Post by Ryan Scala

Ryan Scala has been teaching 4th grade (both as a general educator and a co-teacher working alongside a special education teacher in an inclusive setting) for the past nine years in Springs School, a small K-8 school located on the eastern end of Long Island in New York. He has worked as a teacher consultant… Continue reading Imagining Possibilities: A Guest Blog Post by Ryan Scala

guest blogger · teacher of writing

Confessions of a Lurking Writer: A Guest Blog Post by Kristine Michael

Kristine Michael taught fourth grade for fifteen years before becoming the Curriculum Director for Granville Exempted Village Schools in Ohio.  Kristine is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in middle childhood who loves talking books, literacy, and school. A newly confident writer, she’s currently developing character sketches for a fiction book inspired by her years of… Continue reading Confessions of a Lurking Writer: A Guest Blog Post by Kristine Michael

choice · conferring · craft · process · purpose · writers

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

authentic assessment · idea notebooks · writer's notebook

Just what are the kids writing in those notebooks?

Mrs. V. left the following comment yesterday: "Thanks for your details. Could you tell me more about their idea notebook nightly assignment? What are the requirements and how do you assess it? Also, about how much time in class are you able to spend on writing per week?" My students have the same writing homework… Continue reading Just what are the kids writing in those notebooks?

big picture · conferring · jen serravallo · lucy calkins · tcrwp

Back to Basics: Conferring (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)

I consider myself fortunate to have learned more about the art of conferring with young writers from some of the best folks out there: Carl Anderson, Lucy Calkins, and Jen Serravallo.  As many of you know, I spent a week of my summer studying more about conferring with Carl Anderson at the TCRWP Summer Institute… Continue reading Back to Basics: Conferring (Part of TWT’s Big Picture Series)