What is Conferring?

What is conferring and how exactly does it work? 

Different teachers may approach the writing conference in various ways. As with many educational practices, there are a variety of perspectives to the conference approach. But almost all research says the student ought to be the focus of the writing conference, regardless of the technique.

According to Lucy McCormick Calkins, conferring is essentially having a discussion with the writer (1994).  Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi tell us that writers need response (2007) and as teachers our first response ought to be to react naturally to our students’ writing. Instinctively, we laugh when the piece is funny, cry when it is sad, and so on. Sounds easy enough, right? But here's the twist...during this essential one-on-one conversation with writers, the teacher does not act as an editor. Rather he or she encourages the writer along in the writing process. 

In her book, No More "I'm Done!" (2010), Jennifer Jacobson notes that in order to fully listen to the message of the writer, she always has the student read his writing to her first. Jacobson says, 

If I look down at a sheet of writing, my brain becomes a convention detective and notes every missing capital letter, punctuation mark, or misspelling of a frequently used word…So instead, I ask students to read their work aloud and that allows me to focus on content.

Oh how I can relate to the pitfalls of becoming a "convention detective"! Can anyone else?

After the conferring discussion, Fletcher and Portalupi remind us “...the conference is simply the next utterance in a longer conversation." Ideally, that conversation continues once the student leaves the conference through dialogue with himself or with his peers in regards to his piece of writing and any future writing he does.

When it is a new concept for a writing teacher, conferring without a constant focus on editing can seem difficult and even awkward, at times. But, “...conferring with students is a skill we can all learn” (Fletcher & Portalupi). Effective instruction is linked to the gradual release of responsibility. During the conference the teacher gives individualized guidance within the student’s zone of proximal development. The level of scaffolding provided by the teacher is determined by the specific needs of the writer. Donald Graves (1994) suggests a “good conference” consists of the student speaking 80% of the time and teacher speaking just 20% of the time. 

Linda J. Dorn and Carla Soffos say the success of the writing conference is based on the teacher’s knowledge of the writer and the teacher’s knowledge of the process (2001).

So...there's more to conferring than just "simply" meeting with a student one-on-one. And there's so much more to conferring than editing a student's piece of writing. As I continue to research and learn about conferring, I aim to become more of a writing coach and less of a convention detective. 

What does conferring look like in your classroom?

References:

Calkins, L. (1994). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Dorn, L. J., & Soffos, C. (2001). Scaffolding young writers: A writers’ workshop approach. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Fletcher, R., & Portalupi, J. (2007). Craft lessons: Teaching writing K-8. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Fletcher, R., & Portalupi, J. (2001). Writing workshop: The essential guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Jacobson, J. (2010). No more “I’m done!”: Fostering independent writers in the primary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

The Beginning

I've decided to start a blog. A blog about writing. Why write about writing? I'm aiming to write more specifically about the Writers' Workshop as it looks in a primary classroom setting. I aim to begin this blog as a part of my final graduate project for my Masters in Reading Education degree. My topic proposal is as follows:

Coaching Writers: Conferring during the Writing Workshop

Lucy Calkins says, "Teaching writing must become more like coaching a sport and less like presenting information. You have to do more than call out the errors."Just as a coach gives individualized instruction to his or her athletes, teachers give focused feedback to their students. In the realm of Writing Workshop, this instruction is fostered within conferencing. In my own classroom, I find myself tending to focus on the mechanics of student writing, rather than the craft of writing during conference times. I would like to explore the "art of conferring" -- both individual conferences between teacher and student and peer conferencing between students. Within those areas, I want to understand more deeply the various topics covered during conferences including, but not limited to, establishing the conference routine, finding ideas, solving problems independently, fostering good writing habits, staying focused, and using conventions of writing.  I would like to know if conferring will look different as students explore different genres of writing. I want to develop my own repertoire of conferring language and routines.  I also hope to strengthen my utilization of anecdotal notes and record keeping. As a teacher, I want to learn how to better guide the writer in his or her craft rather than spend time editing student writing. My goal in conferring with students should be to advance the writer and the writing. I propose to do this through a literature review and reflection as well as a personal blog. The literature review will entail organizing my findings after reading a variety of scholarly articles and texts. The blog will serve as a collection point of ideas, a space to reflect on and share my learning with others, and a list of links to blogs and other digital resources on conferencing during the Writing Workshop. Troy Hicks, author of Crafting Digital Writing (2013) says, "Digital writing is connected writing." I aim to connect my writing in a relevant way and I hope to be connected with other educators. Through my research and study, I hope that each group of individuals will leave my classroom equipped with the skills needed to become independent and successful writers. I will be able to better give them the tools they need as I learn to internalize the art of conferring. As I approach each writer, I will be able to determine on the spot what is most productive to confer about with him or her at that time. I will hone my coaching skills in order to meet the individual writing needs of each of my students.

So there you have it. The beginning of a blog. For the sake of my particular project, it begins with a focus on Conferring during the Writers' Workshop, but I hope it will grow into a sort of "collection point" for me (and for others!) to refer to in order to organize and implement a successful block of writing for both students and teachers alike.