Michelle Lee

C&T 4133
04/01/14

Writing Conference Transcript

M=Michelle
J=Jayda

M=I wanted to see how you were doing with your writing because I know you were absent when
we first started, but I see that you caught up already! Can you tell me what youre writing about?
Its a how-towhat...can you remind me?
J=I was facepaint
M=How to facepaint? I noticed something. Remember we went over the checklist and learned
we needed to have sequence words, and capital letters, and punctuation marksIm looking at
your writing and I see all of that! (While pointing) Look, sequence words, you have punctuation
marks here
J=and a digraph
M= Ooh, and you notice your digraphs. /th/ /sh/ you have a lot! I like that youre paying
attention to your checklist. I wanted to give you a tip. Have you noticed how many pages we
have to write in the book? 1, 2, 3
J= Five
M= Oh you already counted (I saw how she wrote the page numbers already). That means that
we need five steps, right? So you need to give five steps for how-to facepaint. For your first how-
to step, can you read it to me?
J= First I dip the pantbrush in the pant and than we put one thing thay want and put it on thair
fase (Typed as written)
M=Okay, and what was the second step that you wrote?
J= Next I do dtals for went thay want (Typed as written)
M=Mmk, so the first step you said youre going to get the paintbrush and dip the paint, and ask
What do you want to draw on your face? and youre going to put it on their face for them. And
your second step is to do the details for what they want on the face, right? But then, did you think
about what you planned for the 3
rd
, 4
th
and 5
th
page? Because you kind of already wrote all the
steps on the first two pages, right?
J= Yeah
M=So we need to practice stretching out steps and making them like baby steps; one little thing
at a time. Remember Ms. As pizza book (my CT)?
J= If you look at her pizza book, she doesnt sayshe doesnt put all her instructions on one
page. She splits it up on each step, on each page. She doesnt say, First you need to grab all the
ingredients, then put the tomato sauce, and roll the dough, and put the toppings (all on one
page), she separates it, right? Into different steps? We want to learn to do the same thing. That
way, we have something to write on each page. So let me give you a tip. Using post-its, were
going to try to plan out what were going to write on each page. Just quickly take notes. That
way when we keep writing later on this week and continue drafting, we know in our heads what
will be on each page. We can pace ourselves, right? So, what do you want your first step to be?
Think small steps. What do you think the first step should be?
Lee 2
J= Dipping the paint.
M= Ooh, I like that. Very small step, right? Dipping the paintyou mean the paintbrush into the
paint. Okay, so why dont we jot that down, like a quite note.
J=Draw like a picture?
M= No, no jot it down. So you can say, dip paintbrush in paint. (As she is writing) It doesnt
have to be complete sentences. Just something to remind you.
J=I know how to do spaces
M=Yeah, I noticed how you use your fingers to do spacing. Thats good. (When shes done
writing) What do you think the second step should be? Ill give you a post-it for the second step.
And we can stick it on the second page. Imagine it. I have my paintbrushokayand Im
dipping it in the paint. What am I going to do with it?
J=Put it on someones face
M= I paint it on someones face. Maybe that could be your second step. (Pause while she is
writing) Now, let me ask you a question. Did you already ask them what they want on their face?
J= (shakes her head)
M=You forgot to ask them, right? That could be a step! So maybe we could take this post-it (the
one she wrote for her second step) and use it for your third step. And your second step could be
what?
J=To ask them what they want.
M=Yeah. (Pause while she is writing) So ask them what they want. And then once you know
what they want, then you can paint it on their face. Then, what do you do? You cant be finished
yet because look! You still have two more steps to write about.
(CT regroups students at the rug at this point. Jayda stays at the writing table with me)
M=What about how to draw on someones face? I dont know how to paint on someones face.
Should I outline it first? Or color it first? What do I do?
J= First you have to put stuff on the face so that it does not get sticky when they try to take it off.
M= Oh, okay so theres a lotion type of thing you put on your face? Alright, so heres a post-it
for that. (Pause while she is writing)
M= So now what would be my final step? We know what they want on their face. And we put
something on their face so it doesnt get sticky. And now you can, what?
J= And thenthe next person comes.
M=Wait, but we didnt paint on the face yet! Maybe that can be our final step. What do you
think? Would that be a good final step? How can we say that?
J= I design their faces.
M=I like that word design (Pause while she is writing)
J= (As she is writing the word design) Sounds like a z (makes the z letter sound).
M=It does kind of, but its actually an s. Yeah, its tricky. Its i-g-n. Good, and that would be
our final step. So you see how before we only had steps one and two. And we were kind of stuck
for what to write for the rest of the pages? Using post-its, we can plan out what we are going to
write on each page before writing it. That way, we dont have to erase it and start over, right? Do
you think its clearer now? What youre going to have for each of your steps for how-to face
paint?
J=(nods)
M= Great! Well thank you for working with me.