EVERYONE IS WRITING, NOW WHAT?! TEACHING SMARTER DURING INDEPENDENT WRITING
Presented by:
Jackie Novak
Lake Orion Community Schools
1st-3rd Session
Plan for the Session
More advanced session Management is in place Let’s get down to the nitty gritty
How to teach well during independent writing
What good teachers ask How to use resources you already have How to change your conferring based on
the writing process
Can you imagine?
Why isn’t it hard for us to imagine what kids are capable of during 40 minutes of
indoor recess?
Why Independent Writing Scares Us
Managing workers is highly demanding – grown-ups
We know kids need to spend time with their writing, but it is the least directed component
We lose the comfortable feeling of directing everything and must teach children how to do it
Planning for Writing Workshop
What teachers spend the most time planning for outside of the instructional day?
Units of study Mini-lessonsEditing student workPublishing (parties, formats, etc.)
Writing Workshop Components
Mini-lesson Independent Writing Partner Work Share Time
Differentiated teaching!
Think About Your Mini-Lessons
Reflect on your own teaching Jot down your mini-lessons for
writing All of them you can remember! Any unit during the school year Which are your favorites? Which do you return to often?
Why Confer?
If we care, they’ll care – whack a mole and my year
We need to ask writers questions so they begin to ask questions themselves – independence CCSS p.18
Undivided attention/relationship – memories Provides accountability to child John Hattie’s research p.1
180,000 studies, 30 million kids ~ student achievement 100 factors that contribute ~ feedback 5%
Let’s Look at Process
Planning Drafting Revising Editing
There are certain teaching moves we make to help children at each stage of
the writing process. p.1-4
Planning
Students are rehearsing and planning for writing.
Student talk is encouraged. Sketching for early writers is also encouraged since it is
the first step toward communicating in writing.
Drafting
Students are writing down ideas by referring to a plan they have made. Teachers help students
stretch out words and think about keeping a focus.
Sometimes the teacher helps the student draft and revise at the
same time.
Revising
Students add more and/or take out parts of the writing that
don't belong with the main idea. Students think about how and where to put the words on the page. The pieces of writing in
these conferences are whole; the writers are going back to
imagine a new way of thinking about them.
Editing
Students go back to a piece of writing that is completed to
fix missing words, punctuation errors, or spelling mistakes. The
students are being taught to discover an error, correct it,
and find another one.
You Have What it Takes!
Conferring is just an individual mini-lesson
Principal and wall charts Example of a teacher - good leads Take your list and plug the mini-
lessons into the writing process categories p.2
Creative Scheduling
The pendulum stops here – Sharon Taberski
Goal: Making contact with every child at least once during the week
Serravallo’s scheduling plan p. 5-6 Mrs. Wills’ scheduling plan Quality vs. quantity Turn & Talk – create your own
I Have My Resources…Now What?
Do NOT immediately hunker down Move and make your quiet presence
known Watch everyone for a few minutes Smooth out an issue Mobilize a few children who need a
nudge Get an idea for future conferences Cluster slow starters
Once Writing Starts…
Continue to dot the room with your presence Work with one child per each section of the
room If you sense that children need more attention
include others in your conference Walk around with your conferring materials (packet walk starting at page 3) Don’t be hyper-invested to make every
piece perfect. It will be still be “kid writing!” Hold kids accountable to get their work done
Managing Distractions
Kids should not wait at their seat, raise their hand, or interrupt your conference
Conference sign-up(Be careful!)
When will you get to theconference sign ups?
What’s Wrong in My Classroom?
When we are too busy rushing, we’re not noticing patterns
Elementary school does not mean long lines of kids
Be an observer What is the problem? Stamina, start longer! Independence?
Where Does This Conference Fit in the Writing Process?
Find a place for this in the writing process.
When could this conference be used?
Look for architecture Research Decide and Compliment Teach
A final thought
Our wisdom and experience are too valuable to run untapped within us take the plunge and try something new.
“In truth, this is more than you and I ever got in school, so do your best with getting to everyone.” Katie Wood Ray“Each conference, well taught, makes us better teachers. Our children
deserve our bravest selves.” Lucy
Calkins