Standard+B5+Motivates+and+engages+all+students+in+meaningful+learning+and+growth

===**Date:** 2012-2013 School Year ===

===**Evidence/Activity/Anecdote:** ===

I believe for students to sustain meaningful learning and growth in Readers and Writers workshop they need frequent and positive feedback. This is especially true for our AS and ESOL students. One opportunity I have to provide this feedback is through Writing and Reading conferences. I have found that it is essential to touch base with students frequently to find out what’s going on with their work. In the past, I would use these conferences as a time to hear the child read aloud for fluency or to help edit writing they’re working on. This year I have worked on making my conferences more meaningful. I have been using the reading conference to find out more about a child as a reader. I am actually discussing the book with the child to ensure that s/he understands the meaning and trying to ask more probing questions. In the writing conferences, it has been harder for me. I am a perfectionist and it takes will power not to want to take the students’ work and fix it. I have been trying to start my conferences with “What are you doing as a writer?” I am narrowing in on one point to work with the child…. And most of the time it is not editing. I still need to work on this. I have included some of my conference notes for evidence. I have also included some a sample of a reading conference rubric that the third grade team came up with to keep us more focused on what we were assessing in reading during each particular unit. This was very helpful. Another way I provide meaningful feedback is through the student and teacher rubric at the end of each Writing unit. Sample Conference Sheet in Reading: