This teaching method was implemented in a fifth grade writing class. After the class wrote a group story, the students worked in pairs to follow the same pattern and complete the same graphic organizers. On certain days, while the students were working together, we set up conferencing centers. In these centers the students would meet with the teacher and discuss the progress they were making on their writing piece. The students received feedback and took conferencing notes so that when they moved to the next conference they could build upon those notes.
It worked well in this lesson for the students to be able to continue working throughout the entire lesson, bouncing their ideas off their partner. It was extremely beneficial for the students to hear feedback from multiple teachers and to verbalize their written thoughts. The conferences served as mini lessons about the six traits of writing and what is taught within each trait. Having the students take conferencing notes, as well as the teacher documenting the notes, made it much easier during the next conference because time will not be wasted trying to figure out what was covered during the previous conference.
One thing that did not work as well as we would have hoped is that it took a long time to meet with all the students. Initially we set a rough time limit for the groups but we had a tendency to go over due to the need for teaching specific skills.
One of the things to consider when using this teaching method was how well the students know each of the teachers. Along with that, it was important to consider how well the students would adjust to multiple people giving them feedback and working with them in a short period of time. We also thought about how well the students that weren't conferencing would behave or handle the independent work time.
This is a great teaching method to use when there are multiple skills that need to be taught and reviewed. This is also a great method to use when certain teachers have stronger skills in certain areas of teaching. Each teacher can lead the conferences or mini lessons on specific traits or skills according to their strengths.
This is a sample of what the sheet looked like that the students filled out as they conferenced with the teacher. During the conference, the teacher also filled out a similar notes page to keep track of the student's work and to make future conferences more effective.
Date |
Topic |
Conference Notes |
This was a great tool to use for the students to use because it utilized numerous skills. It helped the students put words to the conversation about their writing piece and it provided them with a tool to remind themselves about what they need to work on after the conference.
In the writing class there are seven students identified with writing goals and when the students read and revise their own work, they struggle to be able to critique their work. These writing conferences served as mini lessons for the students and it gave them reassurance of the things that they were doing correct and gave them ideas and skill building in the areas they needed support.
This form of conferencing with multiple teachers, while working on a writing piece, provides the students with an extended level of support from the teachers, as well as helping them with the output of their story, and providing them with a different way of taking in the information. In addition to these things the conferences also provide students with a way to take in smaller portions of information at a time, the information is focused and specific.