In my primary classroom, we have non-negotiables.  

•  We write everyday, every single day.   
• We share our thinking, our story or our topic out loud before we go to write.  
• We write in many different genres and still always choose our own topic. 
• WE REFLECT AND SHARE LEARNING AND WRITING STRATEGIES EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

These are decisions that don’t have to be made, but there are many other choices and decisions teachers have to make each day,  so let’s discuss the social emotional impact of conferring on our youngest writers and how we can elevate them to their greatest potential and create a passion and a love of writing and also writers who can share their thinking. 

Elevating Students

One of my favorite parts during our writing time is conferring with students.  Teachers cannot go into this time lightly.   We have the opportunity in this time to really ELEVATE our students.  When I look at my classroom of writers at the beginning of each unit,  knowing they have set goals (with assistance),  but also that they are five-, six-, and seven-years old and are not always able to cognitively hold on to that goal,  I will think very strategically about who I will confer with first and with purpose in mind.   

Try conferring with your strongest writer(s) first and then move to a struggling writer and then go back and forth making sure you try to meet with every writer within a week or two. I make a plan to make sure that I confer with everyone, but I am always listening/ looking for opportunities to elevate that struggling writer.  I shoot to confer with at least two to three students each day, maybe stopping for a “catch” in the middle to share something quickly that a student tried out.  

I, very often, start with conferring with my  writers who have a deeper understanding of putting into practice what they have seen modeled or have noticed themselves in a mentor text.   I do this knowing that they will have a strong piece of writing that we will be able to share at the end of writing time and that everyone in this class will be able to see what this strong writer has done and this writer  is often able to verbalize their thinking. The share time after this first conference will do a few things. It will elevate this particular writer and give the class an example of strong writing and a deep sense often of, “If they can do that,  maybe I can too.”   This writer will share, “ I added lots of detail in the background just like Donald Crews does in The Shortcut or ”I added speech bubbles and motion lines in my books just like Mo does.”  Wow!   We have  now shared with everyone a great example of strong writing and that as K/1 writers,  we can notice “craft” in a mentor texts and try it out,  we can think about their own writing and where that “craft” might fit AND most importantly,  “I am an author and now have an outlet for the story I want to tell.” 

What a powerful moment!  

As I think about who I will confer with the next day,  I will often think about a student who might be struggling or who may not yet have a writing identity or may have uttered the words, “I can’t do it.”  I get excited knowing that I can help  them be excited about what they do know and help them grow their mindset to share with others and solidify that they are a contributing member of our writing community.  When tomorrow comes,  I will sit down and ask this writer what I always ask first, “What are you working on as a writer today?”  Very often, the writer will jump into telling me about their list story. “This is a bear, this is a frog, this is a … etc… “   That’s Ok!  That’s where that student is living right now,  but then I get to think about what I will do to nudge them to grow. I might begin thinking about In My New Yellow Shirt by Eileen Spinelli and grab it to elevate this writer. I can use this text to teach about how the idea on the page might be the same (yellow),  but what is it doing?”  Of course, the student knows this book because we have read it often. I will then say, “Look at this, you have created a book like Eileen Spinelli. We will take a look at it and jump in, noticing how the yellow is doing something different on each page.  Then we will look back at the student’s writing.  “What is your bear doing on this page?  Oh,  he’s eating a fish?  How can you show me that he is eating a fish?  Let’s look at what Eileen did in her book.  What do you notice?” As we go through this conference,  this writer’s excitement has grown as he now understands his character can be doing something and that this student is the kind of author/ illustrator who can show it.  And, of course, when it comes time our reflection/share time, this student will share their thinking and new learning.  This student and I will practice exactly what they will say so they are comfortable saying it and then comes the time to share. By this time,  I have pumped them up so much,  they are so excited to share. I am there to encourage and support as needed. 

There is nothing more powerful than when a struggling writer stands up and shares, “This is my book about animals!  I learned today that I am the kind of writer who can show what my animals are doing. I added a fish (and blood – LOL) to show that he was eating. I also added water to show the bear was in a river I am the kind of writer who will add more detail so my reader  can know what is happening!”  WHAT???   The joy and pride on this student’s face is so special and I know that he has now inspired himself and the other writers in our community. 

Success! 

They will go into tomorrow’s writing knowing that they are capable and have skills.  

This back and forth conferring between the strong and struggling writers has been so successful in my classroom as we develop community and the understanding that we all have a voice and a way to contribute to the learning of everyone.  I begin each writing unit in this way and will never forget the share/reflection time knowing that the best writers learn from each other and this time will ELEVATE us all.    

Happy Writing!