Practice, Practice...

Conferring effectively is a new art for me. It is not one that I have perfected by any means. Just like when I began taking tennis lessons, I was pretty rusty, I am also a novice in the writing conference. I had played tennis before, but I didn't know all of the intricacies - how to hold the racquet, how to swing properly (low to high), and how to follow through. Now that I know those elements, I need to practice, practice, practice what I have learned.

In the same way, I need to practice conferring. My son volunteered to help I volunteered my son to help me. We read Vera B. Williams's  A Chair for My Mother and I taught him a mini-lesson on small moments and adding details.

Then I asked Lukas to write for a bit before we conferred.

I would love to tell you to watch this video as a perfect example of conferring, but I can't do that! I can tell you that it was a really good exercise for me to walk through the writing conference with my son and to then go back and watch myself.

Here's what I noticed:

1. Conferring can be awkward--especially when it's new for both the student and the teacher. We had the parent-child element going on, as well, but Lukas hasn't experienced very many writing conferences (with a focus on the writer and not the writing) so this was new for him, too.

2. I needed my notes. I definitely will put my record-keeping binder to good use!

3. I should have focused on ONE teaching point. Instead, I showed him how to make revisions AND I asked him to stretch the small moments by adding details.

4. I need to keep the conference brief!

So, I will continue to practice. And as I practice, I hope that I will continue to learn how to be a successful coach during the writing conference.