On Saturday, June 30, 2007, at 09:26 AM, kimberlee hannan wrote: > My weakest part of both my reader's and writer's workshop is my > individual > conferences with children. I've read lots of books about the subject. > I've > watched a few. I still feel like when I sit with a child the > discussion > isn't natural. It's mostly a miniature test. Often I am so bored > myself, I > get tired sitting there. I can't imagine what the kids think. > > What do you folks do? > Kim
Hi, Kim-- > Maybe this is really obvious, and you've probably read it elsewhere, > but I found that for writer's workshop, instead of swooping in and > addressing a teaching point that I've noted in their writing, asking > the kids to explain what they did and why they did it as in "What did > you do here. Why did you do such and such puts them in the position > where they need to think through what they've done and why they did so > the focus is on their own metacognitive processes. I would then, > interact by asking questions at appropriate points. That way, I > haven't taken control of their thinking and often they would discover > on their own. through the dialogue with me, the very point I thought > they needed to work on. It makes it less like a test taking, miniature > inquisition if as much as possible. they do the discovering and the > talking. I have some good article on that including how drawing, conversation and writing all help expand kids' thinking. I think with conferencing, it's important to make a distinction between the goal of having students fix their work (I'm talking writing here) and the greater goal of having them articulate and crystalize their own thinking and make their own discoveries. I too have a really hard time interacting naturally. As Ardie Cole says, there are times when I have to put my fingers over my lips or I'll jump in and identify the problem for them. I can't say I ever got bored in conferences. What happens to me is that I become overwhelmed, moving from student to student and continually shifting gears. One to one interactions with students are SO intense. For me they are exhausting but worth the effort. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
