Writing Conference

Instructional Map Template

Component
Mentor Texts (2) Zero Day by Jan Gangsei, A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier, In
27 days by Alison Gervais

Culture Hello, Ruben, how are you doing? How do like to be called?
I just want to get to know you a little bit first, and you can also
ask me any questions you want about myself if you’d like! Is that
okay?
What are your favorite things to do?/What do you like to do for
fun?
Where are you from? Do you miss it?
Are you more comfortable with English or Spanish?
I want to focus on speaking in English with you for now, but I will
understand if sometimes you don’t fully understand what I say. If
that is ever the case, please feel free to ask me to repeat
something or to explain something in a different way. If that
does not work, we can talk about translating, ok? Do not worry.
We are both still learning here!

What is your favorite type of weather? How is it right now where

you are?
Do you like to read? How about writing?

I would then explain what we are doing, what a writing

conference is, and about the fact that it will be in steps and not a
perfect writing in one conference or day. Also, I will mention how
long I want the conference to last (preferably).

Invitation (2) What are you doing as a writer today?

Could you tell me about the writing work that you’re doing?
Say More Questions (3) What do you think you are doing right with your writing today?
Is there something that you found/ are finding hard in your
writing process?
Could you say more about that?
Assessment Strategy Ask the student to bring mom to talk about him doing the writing
and sending a picture of it each Thursday to my e-mail. Have him
commit beforehand that he will try his best to send it and remind
mom about it.
I will share screen and go through it with him if needing to ask
and go through the most important things that he could work on,
etc.
Teaching Points Beginning of a story
 (numbered) -details, attract the reader with the first part/lines of a story.
Help the reader picture the writing.
Reflection
1. What was your goal See what Ruben wants out of his writing and get him
for this conference? comfortable with working on his writing.
2. What went well in I think that some things that went well was the timing of it. It
this conference? was not long, and it was straight to the point. I think that
Please be specific. something else that went well was the use of the books and how
it could connect to Ruben and what he is writing personally. He
also accepted my advice. I gave some ideas, and he would tell me
what sounded better from them. I also made sure he knew that
he could play around with words and that he owns his text and
could do what he wanted with it.
3. What specific I gave specific feedback about the beginning of his story and how
feedback did you those lines are what can attract a reader and make them keep
give the child about reading. It also helps the reader picture and situate themselves
his or her writing? in the story. I told him some ideas of how he could start the story
by using examples from mentor texts in ways that could be
attractive, but that he could personalize himself.
4. If you were conduct I would have asked him to bring some paper and pen so that he
this conference could write down in that moment his ideas or brainstorming for
again, what would the beginning of the story. I think something else I could have
you do differently? done better is focusing more on what he thinks and getting him
to talk more, instead of trying to get to my point so quickly.
Maybe I could have asked more “say more questions.” I could
have asked, “what do you want your reader to feel when reading
this?” “What is your purpose?” I feel like I spoke a lot, and I could
have done more to engage him/keep him engaged. Other
possible questions: “Why is the beginning important?” etc.
5. What did you learn I learned that conferencing is a lot harder than it seems and that
from this I should not focus so much on the time and on the technicalities,
conference? and I should focus solely on the student and his needs and what
he is learning in the moment/if he is learning. I think that I need
to be more prepared to engage the child better. I really loved the
experience, though. It taught me to look more deeply into the
text and to respect anyone as a writer, because it is their
creation, and I need to help them create more, not take away
their creation and make it mine or block them from their vision
of what they want.

21 Oct 2021