Writing Conferences

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Why it works

A writing conference is a brief, individual conversation between teacher and student about the student's writing in progress, and it is one of the most powerful ways to teach writing: it is responsive (meeting each writer where they are), individualized (addressing what this writer most needs now), and dialogic (the student talks and thinks, not just receives comments). Effective conferences are short and focused (a few minutes, one teaching point), start by listening to the writer and their intentions, respond to the writer and the writing (strengths and one thing to work on), and leave the student with something to do and the sense that they are a writer. Research supports conferring as a high-impact writing practice. Conferences require structure and practice to do well and efficiently (keeping them brief, managing the rest of the class), but they teach writing in a way whole-class instruction and written feedback cannot match.

The research: Research on writing conferences and conferring.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: confer with individual writers

Teachers leave with a brief, responsive writing-conference structure.

Keep conferences short and focused (a few minutes, one teaching point).
Start by listening to the writer and their intentions.
Respond to the writer and the writing (a strength and one thing to work on).
Leave the student with something to do and a sense of being a writer.

A few minutes, one teaching pointA brief, individual writing conference, listen, respond to the writer and the writing, one teaching point, meets each writer where they are. It teaches writing like nothing else.

Facilitator notes

Keep it short and focused, and listen first.
Respond to the writer and writing, and leave them with a next step.
It is high-impact.

Long, teacher-dominated conferences lose their power (and your time)A conference that is long, or all teacher talk, loses its responsiveness and eats your time. Keep it brief, listen first, and focus on one teaching point.

Adapt it

Elementary: brief conferences, listen, one point, encourage.
Secondary: focused conferences, listen, one teaching point.
All settings: short, responsive, one teaching point, routines.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Writing Conferences: brief and responsive

One teaching point: listen first, respond to the writer and writing, and leave them with a next step.

How I keep conferences short and focused (one teaching point):
How I start by listening to the writer:
How I respond to the writer and the writing:
How I leave the student with something to do:
Routines for the rest of the class during conferences:

Make it stick

Brief and responsive:

Confer with individual writers.
Keep it brief.
Bring a writing-conference approach to the next PLC.

Common questions

How can a few minutes do more than written comments?

A conference is responsive, individualized, and dialogic, it meets the writer where they are, addresses what they most need, and has them think and talk, not just receive comments. That is far more powerful for learning to write.

What does an effective writing conference look like?

Short and focused (a few minutes, one teaching point), starting by listening to the writer, responding to the writing (a strength and one thing to work on), and leaving the student with something to do and a sense of being a writer.

How do I manage conferring with a whole class?

Keep conferences brief and focused (one teaching point), establish routines for what others do during conferences, and confer regularly. Structure and practice make it efficient.