ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCESWHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY CONFERENCES EFFECTIVE
Conference basics include the following:
- Be aware of body language during the conference (sit side by side when possible, let the writer control the paper by holding it and writing on it, make eye contact).
- Let the writer initiate and guide the conversation as much as possible so that the conference focuses on his or her concerns and questions.
- Ask open-ended questions that engage the writer in conversation about the piece.
- Be a good listener.
- Help students see what they are doing well so that they can build on their successes.
- Ask students to write down two or three questions or "trouble spots" that they would like to explore in the conference.
- Avoid the temptation to "fix" editing errors and instead keep the conversation focused on issues related to content, organization, and style.
- Help the students leave the conference with a new way of seeing their compositions and specific goals for revision.
Example
In Interior Design and Housing, students bring in pictures of rooms in homes
that are cluttered and uncomfortable. Their task is to produce an explanation
of how the homeowner could redecorate the room using the furniture already there
to make it more livable and attractive. Before having an individual conference,
each student underlines two places in the writing where he or she is having
difficulty making the explanation clear or isn't sure how to get an idea
across.
Example
In Theatre Arts I, the teacher invites two students to participate in a
mock demonstration for the class of how teacher behaviors can affect the success
of a conference. This will help students see that they are responsible for coming
into the conference with questions and ideas and playing an active role in what
goes on rather than sitting back and allowing their papers to be edited.
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