Category: Day by Day Book Study

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 10: Helping others become stronger writers

Challenge: Plan to host several open forum shares in the coming weeks. During conferences, be intentional about using the language of writers as well as encouraging students to share their learning during the open forum share. The success of this type of share depends on our language and encouragement in conferences. As students become accustomed to this type of share, it will evolve and become more natural over time.

How will you encourage students during conferring to share.

What did you like most about the open forum share?

How will you continue to improve this type of share session during the school year?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 9: Document a successful conference

Challenge: Recall a time when you walked away from a conference feeling good about your ability to confer. Set a timer and write for fifteen minutes, recalling the details of the conference. Then push yourself to reflect on the experience and develop a big idea about your conferring.

How do you feel about your conferring abilities after completing the challenge?

What are some telltale signs of a successful conference you have noticed?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 8: Recording and reflecting with colleagues

Challenge: Plan to record several of your conferences. Listen and reflect on your conferring skills. Then choose at least one conference to transcribe. Finally, take the last step and analyze your transcript with someone. This may be a trusted colleague or a teacher from an online community.

What is your strength when you confer with student writers?

What are a few of your conferring goals after recording, transcribing, and discussing your conferences?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 7: Listen more

Challenge: Research a little longer for the next few days when you confer with your students. Linger with them and let them talk just a bit more than you normally would. Listen carefully to what they say so you can connect with them on a personal level and on a writerly level.

What did you learn about one of your students today by listening to what they had to say during your conferences?

How can you listen to your students in conferences a little longer so that you can understand what’s working for them and what’s important to them, while still maintaining an efficient conferring schedule?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 6: Setting goals to the point of need

Challenge: Create a place on your conferring notes to list two or three possible goals for each of your students. Set aside some time to consider the most pressing needs for each of the writers in your classroom. Plan to be intentional about meeting students at their points of need.

How did your conferring change when you set goals for each student?

What were some common goals among your students?

How will you monitor growth and achievement of the goals you’ve identified for students?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 5: Small-group conferences

Challenge: During your mini-lesson, introduce the small-group conference options to your students. Give it an enthusiastic plug so they get excited about being empowered to choose the conference that works for them. Invite them to talk over the conference group they’d like to be in with their writing partner. Partners will also create a verbal plan (for the time they’re not meeting with their group) before they sign up for a small group.

Did the small-group conferences help your students’ enthusiasm for their writing work today?

What did you enjoy about these conferences?

What was challenging about moving around from conference to conference?

How will you touch base with students about the work they did today?

Is there anyone in particular you need to meet with the next day to reinforce small-group exercise?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 4: Analyzing conference records

Challenge: Schedule a time (at the end of each mini-lesson, day, week, or month) to analyze your writing conference records. First, look through them and note what your students are doing well. Then go back and find commonalities regarding instructional needs.

What are your students doing well as writers?

What do your students need to work on as writers?

Can these things be addressed in small instructional groups or do some of them need to be addressed during full-class mini-lessons?

Are you meeting with all students equally?

If not, what steps will you take to make your conferring more equitable?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 3: Role-playing with colleagues

Challenge: Look through your next unit of study. Locate a mini-lesson that would benefit from adult role-play. Then enlist someone to help you with the role-play conference in front of your class.

What was it like to “share the stage” with someone else during your mini-lesson?

Would you do it again?

Describe the conferences you had with your students after they watched the adult role-play. How were they similar or different from conferences you’ve had in the past?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 2: Monitoring our language

Challenge: Grab a digital voice recorder before your next round of conferences so you can examine the language you use when you’re conferring with your students. As you play back your conferences, write down frequently used phrases on a sheet of paper.

What phrases do you repeatedly use with your students?

Are your statements undermining their resilience or are they creating a sense of agency?

What can you do to create a greater sense of agency when you confer with the writers in your classroom?

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Lifting the Level of Our Conferences

Day 1: Enjoy conferring

Challenge: Choose one of the aforementioned attitudes to adopt over the next several day. Your choice may be an element that you have believed in for a number of years; however, over the next few days be purposeful in accepting it.

Which of the attitudes are easiest for you to accept?

Why are some of the attitudes difficult for you to accept?

What have you found enjoyable about conferring?