Conferences are a perfect opportunity to communicate to students that you care about them! I wrote this poem to remind teachers of a few things to remember during conferring to communicate "I Care" to students. Conferences are one of the few times throughout the day where you address them individually or in a small group. There are a few ways to communicate to them during a conference that you care about their writing and their improvement. A great way to build a connection with them is to pay them an authentic compliment about something that you have noticed in their writing, and it also opens them up to receive teaching points. During a conference, it's crucial to give students your full attention and its important to also demand their full attention. Restating what the student has told you, and also restating your teaching points throughout the conversation helps students to retain information. Always keep your expectations clear and energy high while conferring!
Anderson, Carl. 2000. How’s it going?: A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Slaughter, Holly. 2009. Small Group Writing Conferences: How to Use Your Time More Efficiently. Portsmouth, NH. Heinemann.
Anderson, Carl. 2000. How’s it going?: A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Slaughter, Holly. 2009. Small Group Writing Conferences: How to Use Your Time More Efficiently. Portsmouth, NH. Heinemann.