Celebrate and Extend

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Celebrate and Extend Conferencing With
Writers Presented by Molly McClure McWhirter
PDLS Clear Creek ISD
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I talk to the children the same way I would chat
with neighborhood children sitting on my
front porch. Whats uppermost in my mind,
however, is my role as the teacher. Years ago, I
learned that the job of a writing teacher, in
the primary classroom especially, is to
celebrate and extend. Most of us have gotten
really good at celebrating our students efforts.
We all need to become good at extending
childrens efforts. We cant be afraid to
teach, even if our students are first year
writers. Shelley Harwayne
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The writing conference lies at the heart of
writing workshop. The writing conference lets
you engage in the teaching dynamic that most of
us wanted when we entered this profession a
unique one-on-one interaction between you and the
student. Ralph Fletcher
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• Key Writing Lessons
• Conferring is a crucial component of the writing
  workshop and the element that is the most
  dramatically different from traditional ways of
  teaching writing at the elementary level.
• Classroom teachers have many questions about the
  content as well as the process of conferring
  individually with students.
• Conferring becomes easier when workshop basics
  are in place.
• When teachers have clear and consistent routines,
  conferences become a regular part of the
  classroom environment and children know what is
  expected of them.

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• When classrooms have accessible and abundant
  materials and supplies, students are less likely
  to interrupt conferences.
• When schools have supportive school-wide
  structures and beliefs, conferring becomes easier
  because all members of the community value such
  essentials as talk, options, assessment-driven
  instruction, and realistic goals.
• When teachers are well-informed about writing,
  conferences become easier and more effective
  because teachers can offer valuable information
  to students.
• When a climate of trust exists, teachers and
  students can tend to the work at hand.

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• It is helpful to have a framework in mind when
  conferring with students.
• There are practical ways that educators get
  answers to the inquiries above.
• Educators can become better at conferring by
  processing other peoples conferences and by
  studying their own.
• Writing Through Childhood, p.81

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Frameworks
Writing Workshop  I stress that there is no one
way to run a writing workshop. They do not come
with an owners manual. Instead, I describe
effective variations and innovations on what can
be considered traditional workshop
components.       A short whole group
mini-lesson       Individual writing and
conferring time       Small or whole group
sharing I also suggest that we value simplicity
in the teaching of writing. We are not
continuously trying to invent new ways to invite
children to write.   Shelley Harwayne
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Frameworks
The Architecture of Conferences   Research
        Observe and interview to understand
what the child is trying to do as a writer. Probe
to glean more about the childs intentions. What
are you working on today? Oh, I see that you have
gone back to your picture. What do you plan on
doing next?         Name what the child has
already done as a writer and remind the child to
do this in the future. I love the way you added
details to your drawing. Thats just what
writers do.
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Decide         Weigh whether you want to
accept or alter the childs current plans and
processes. Decide what you will teach and how you
will teach it. (Of the things that I could teach
this child, what is the one thing that is apt to
make the biggest difference? What will make the
biggest difference not only on this day and in
this piece, but for this writer and for all of
his or her pieces from this day forward?) This
decision is influenced by our curriculum, by our
goals for the unit of study and for the child and
by our assessment of the childs progress as a
writer.
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• Teach
•         Help the child get started doing what
  you hope he or she will do. Intervene to lift the
  level of what the child is doing. I have been
  watching you write and I have one thing to teach
  you. Or Can I show you one thing that good
  writers do? (We are hoping to explicitly teach
  something that we hope he will use often.)
• Link
• Name what the child has done as a writer and
  remind the child to do this often in the future.
  Promise me that forever

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Frameworks
Kinds of Conferences Content Conferences -
encourages the writer to talk in some detail
about his/her subject. Expectation Conferences
to bring the child into the norms and
expectations of the writing workshop. Process and
Goals Conferences teaching what writers do.
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Frameworks
Conference Fundamentals
Listen
Be present as a reader
Understand the writer
Follow the students energy
Build on strengths
Teach one thing
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Resources Calkins, L. (1994). The Art of Teaching
Writing. Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH Calkins,L.
Hartman,A White,Z. (2003). The Conferencing
Handbook, Units of Study for Primary Writing A
Yearlong Curriculum, Heinemann, Portsmouth,
NH Fletcher, R. Portalupi,J. (2001). Writing
Workshop, The Essential Guide, Heinemann,
Portsmouth, NH. Harwayne, S. (2001). Writing
Through Childhood Rethinking Process and
Product, Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH.