Materials Needed

Overhead

Sample Schedule for overhead

File Cabinet or crate with hanging files

Peer conference forms

Poster for writing process-I have a white board in the back of my room that I have this information written on.

Objectives\Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is to establish the procedures by which students will schedule peer conferences and to explain where they will locate materials they will need for these conferences. This lesson is for a class that is not familiar with writing workshop, or for a very talkative group of students. This lesson should be taught following lessons addressing the process of doing a self-revision. The lesson following this one would address conferencing with the teacher. All of these lessons would be taught early in a school year, a few days prior to starting writing workshop.

Goals

This lesson will prepare students to be able to accomplish successfully the following goals in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for 7^th grade English Language Arts Curriculum: Goal 1.03-Interact in group setting, and Goal 6-The learner will apply conventions of application of grammar and language usage. This lesson will lay the foundation for accomplishing standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to critique texts- of the National Standards for the English Language Arts.

Description of Activities

The teacher will give students information detailing

1. How to schedule a conference.

2. Materials they will need in order to schedule and have a conference.

3. Where they will find the materials for the conferences.

4. Where they conferences will take place.

Time 20 minutes

Script

Yesterday we talked about writing the first draft and doing a self-revision of a piece of writing. After you have completed these two steps, you will choose one student to peer conference with you on this piece of writing. Each time you do a peer conference, you will need to choose a different person to conference with. For example, if Thomas chooses to conference with Ann on his first piece, he will choose a different person to conference with for each additional piece he writes. On his second piece he might choose to conference with Cory. Before you schedule the conference, you must speak with the person you want to read your paper. After they have agreed to do so, you-the writer-will schedule a conference time on my appointment sheet. Kyle will have my appointment sheet available for you to sign up for times during the last five minutes of class, or during homeroom. Here is an example of the appointment sheet (overhead). I will mark out times when you will not be allowed to schedule conferences. Days that we have PassKey would be a time that you could not schedule a conference, or when I am teaching a lesson. When you sign up for a time, include your name, genre/topic, and the reader’s name. You need to be aware of the fact that you might not be able to schedule a conference the day after you complete your second draft. You might have to wait a few days. While you are waiting for your conference, you are working on a different piece.

After you have scheduled a time, then you-the writer-would get the appropriate peer conference form from this filing cabinet (I will walk over to the cabinet and open the drawer) and give it to the person you have asked to read your paper. The editor- conferencer-the reader of the paper must read the questions on the conference form before the conference and make sure you understand what all the questions are asking. If you have questions, you need to see me either during the last five minutes of class or during homeroom the next morning. If the writer forgets to give the conferencer the correct form, then they will have to reschedule the conference. All of the forms are in the top drawer. These are the conference forms I have available-write this in the front of your writing journal-Point of View, Persuasive, Problem-Solution, Personal Narrative, Fiction Narrative, Poem, Drama and News Article (I will do individual lessons on each conference form). If you write in a genre that I do not have a conference form for, then I will create one for that genre IF you tell me in plenty of time. If not, then I have a general form that should be appropriate.

Only two peer conferences can be going on at a time. Other wise, the room will be too noisy. The peer conference section of the room will be the two tables by the windows. When you go to your peer conference, the writer must take the second draft of his/her paper. The reader must bring the conference form. The writer needs to come with specific questions or areas of concern you would like the reader to help you with. It is crucial that the reader is serious and honest with the writer. By honest I do not intend for you to be hurtful, but be tactful when you make suggestions or ask questions about the piece. You should write the answers to the conference questions on the conference form, and you can make notes or corrections on the piece itself. You should write in different color ink than what the paper was written in. You will have to highlight certain words. Pens and highlighters will be on the table or desk where you will be conferencing. Do not walk off with my pens or highlighters.

Make sure you stay on task during the peer conference. If I have to speak to you, it will be –10 points on your Commitment to Workshop Grade. Although I will be doing conferences or going around the room to check your progress, I will still be monitoring the peer conferences as well.

Do you have any questions?

(Possible questions) If I conference with Cory on his piece, then could he turn around and conference with me on my piece the same day? (Answer) If you are finished at the same time, that is fine as long as you stay on task.

Variations

You could have more than two peer conferences going on if you have enough space. Once students get used to peer conferencing-they stay on task and keep the noise level low-I would allow more conferences to go on at one time. At this point, you also might eliminate signing up for the conferences.

You might have to put a limit on how many conferences a student could have in a week. For example, if you have a student that is known for being a good writer, every student might want to conference with that student. In order to give everyone enough time to write in class, you could set a maximum number of conferences a week for students.