Assessment and Record-Keeping

Record-keeping is something that I have always wrestled with. Lucy Calkins says “Our records need to embody our teaching priorities” (2005). I have found a number of resources that I compiled into a record-keeping binder. I'm hoping this will help me keep my conferences focused and effective.

CONFERRING NOTES

Jessica Hursh -- The Teacher Talk

Carl Anderson

Mrs. Bainbridge's Class Website

Julie Shope

Teach Talk Inspire

RUBRICS

First Grade Writing Rubrics -- Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Sarah Paul

Here's a peek into my binder.

What Does Conferring Look Like?

The structure, or anatomy of the writing conference is important.  Using a structure allows me to have a framework for approaching the writer.  I don’t have to invent an organizational plan with each child approach. Also, by having a format or an organizational plan, I can deviate from it or adapt it to suit the situation.  Finally, there is intentionality when entering a conference with a format. I can be focused and confident in my approach.  There are several approaches regarding the anatomy, or structure, of a conference. 

Lucy Calkins (2005) suggests that within each 5-7 minute conference, the teacher will move through four phases with the writer:
1.     Research    
2.     Decide
3.     Teach
4.     Link

Research
Calkins explains the research phase must begin with the teacher engaged as listener. I am mainly an observer at this point, although I will also want to take notes for recording purposes. As I listen to the writer, I can begin to fully understand him and what he is writing about and what his intentions are for his writing.

Decide
In this phase, the teacher must decide how she can best help the writer by sharing a strategy or craft. I need to consider what I know about both the writer and the writing. Rather than reading the entire piece, I may focus on just one part. Although it is likely the writer will have many things to work on, as young writers often do, it will be most effective to choose just one thing to teach. Calkins says to “teach the writer” and “not the writing” (1994). I will decide what I can compliment the writer on doing well, what should be taught, and how to teach it. Whatever I decide, it needs to be focused on the child as a writer.

Teach
This phase is also referred to as “Compliment and Teach”. Once I move to the teaching phase, the student should know that the conference is taking a turn. I will name, or compliment, something the student is doing in his zone of proximal development. He may not even realize he is doing it! I can also say something like, “Can I teach you something writers do?” Calkins says “We need to give the writer something that will help not only today, with this piece of writing, but also tomorrow, with other pieces of writing” (1994). It is crucial that I explain why and how to do whatever it is I am teaching.

Link
In the final link phase, the teacher names what the child has done as a writer and reminds the child to continue to do this in future writing. I might say something like, “Now every time you write you can reread to make sure you put down all of the sounds you hear in the word” 

I find four phases listed by Calkins to be the most straightforward for me to remember and the clearest for me to impart to my students as well. Calkins says that the students should recognize a distinct shift between each phase of the conference and this approach would also lend itself to a simple form of record keeping for conferences.

Reading & Writing Conference Form from Jessica Hursh @ The Teacher Talk 

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.