Great idea and format, Deborah. Thank you for sharing this.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Deborah Bova" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 4:50 PM Subject: Re: [LIT] Management Details...mini conferences >I work with 6th grade language arts students and literature students. The > format varies depending on the reason for the conference. The students > comment in a notebook that I have created re: what they are writing or > reading...I use it as a silent status of the class. In this way, what they > say they are doing is in their own hand. When I meet with them, if it is > for > reading, a research paper, a writing assignment, the format will vary but > the routine is the same. I usually have about three conferences a day. I > use > the workshop time to pull kids to the back of the room where I confer with > them... three at a time, and I rotate the kids through from strongest to > weakest. At times I may have a student needing more time with others ... > and I let him or her sit for four or kive conferences with other kids > until > I get to his or her issue. These are brief... 3 minutes at the most... > takes > about 15 minutes to take care to the kids that I am dealing with on that > day, but wow... what one on one does ... albeit a group of three... is > incredible for keeping a thumb on the needs and progress of each student. > Hope this foggy explanation helps. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lucinda Marcello" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." > <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 9:52 AM > Subject: Re: [LIT] Management Details...mini conferences > > >> Deborah, >> What a great idea! >> >> What type of format do you set with the conference and how long do you >> plan >> per group? What age group do you teach? >> >> I think this would work well for our classes of 6th & 7th graders. >> Lucinda >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Deborah Bova" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "A list for improving literacy with focus on >> middle grades." <[email protected]> >> Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 4:46 AM >> Subject: Re: [LIT] Management Details...mini conferences >> >> >>> This is not the journal issue... but Ia conference management issue >>> that >>> I >>> have wrestled with for ages; I now hold a mini group (3 students) >>> conference and do it on the "days of the week" rotation. I sit in the >>> back >>> of the room with three kids. I elect one strong, one average, and one >>> needing lots of help. I have found over the years, when I did single >>> conferences, the student with the closest proximity to me in each >>> conference >>> other than the student with whom I was talking made great progress.. he >>> got >>> to listen to several plus his own. I put together groups of three, >>> logistically, I have the weakest studnet go last. He listens to stronger >>> writers and readers share ideas and ask for help from the other >>> students..."Ah, strong students need help, too!" and the light goes on >>> that >>> everyone needs help. I send kids off one at a time to cue another to >>> come >>> and take his or her chair. It really is effective and provides a double >>> and >>> triple whammy for every child involved... except student number one at >>> the >>> start of the conference. That student is the only one to do his spiel >>> minus anyone else reporting. Once in a while, I have that student sit >>> through at least one other conference before going off on his or her >>> mission to signal another that it is his time in the box. :) >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Barbara Punchak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "'A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.'" >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 9:48 PM >>> Subject: Re: [LIT] Management Details >>> >>> >>>> Hi Pam, >>>> I mentioned collecting 1/3 of each class' journals at a time. 1/3 on >>>> Monday, 1/3 Tuesday, and 1/3 Wed. I simply went down my class lists >>>> and >>>> labeled them M-T-W. Since I have 3 reading classes, I collect period >>>> one >>>> (which I call "red") this week, period two (blue) next week, and period >>>> 3 >>>> (green) the following week. Students know well in advance when their >>>> journals are due and, of course, I post the class whose journals are >>>> due >>>> each week on the homework board. This method makes journal collection >>>> easy >>>> and also keeps responding manageable. (I'm only responding to 8-10 >>>> journals >>>> per night.) >>>> Barbara/6th/FL >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> >>>> Someone, Kim maybe?, said that they collect 1/2 a class at a time. >>>> How >>>> and >>>> >>>> when do you let the kids know you are collecting notebooks? That >>>> sounds >>>> like >>>> something that might work for me. >>>> >>>> Pam Tempest >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >>>> >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >>>> >>>> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >>> >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >>> >>> >>> -- >>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.1.413 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/714 - Release Date: 3/8/2007 >>> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.413 / Virus Database: 268.18.8/718 - Release Date: 3/11/2007 > > _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. 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