Strategies for Conducting Conferences Throughout the Writing Process

Establish rapport and put students at ease

This is especially important early in the semester. Be sure to set an agenda for the conference, one that’s realistic given the time you have. Importantly, be selective and deliberate with what you want to talk about: a 15-minute conference goes by quickly, so there’s time to talk thoroughly about only a few writing issues.

Get students talking (see next Page for specific strategies)

In a conference, students can: generate ideas, articulate plans, experiment with language, pose questions, respond critically to their own ideas and drafts. You may need to work to resist the urge to do all the talking, and because some students will be uncomfortable meeting with you individually, they’ll be glad to let you do all the talking. Encourage students to ask you questions and ask them how you can help them Learn to ask focused questions or make requests: e.g., “Tell me what you’re planning to write about.” “In what order?” “Tell me why.”

Keep the conference focused on what most needs work and on what’s appropriate for the writer at that stage of working on that particular paper

If, for example, a student needs to work on developing ideas more fully or on clarifying a main point, concentrate on that; don’t get sidetracked into talking extensively about problems with grammar or punctuation or word choice. It’s fine to say near the end of a conference that once she’s worked on these larger issues, the student will need to work carefully on catching and correcting sentence-level problems. If necessary, suggest another meeting with you to focus on those issues.

Listen carefully and check for comprehension

You should encourage students to write down specifics that emerge from your conversation. Be sure to check often that students are understanding what you’re saying and are able to identify the feedback you provide. Offer specific praise, like when students use proper signposts or effective transition sentences.

Send students away with a roadmap for revision

Ask students: “What are you going to do next?” For some students, 15 minutes may not be enough—consider setting up follow-up conferences for the few students who need more individual attention from you. Lastly, make effective referrals to the Writing Center.