Reflection

 

 

 

          One of the fun parts about traveling is to sit down when it’s over and look at photographs and movies from your trip.  You get to

 

relive some of your favorite sites and events.  You’re reminded of the things that went well and maybe some things that didn’t.  You

 

might even notice something in a photograph you didn’t pay much attention to when you were there.  Looking at photographs lets

 

you slow down and reflect on the trip at your own pace (Glover & Berry, 2012).

 

           As I slow down and reflect on "how could I better engage with my students during writing conferences" I’m reminded of

 

how inadequate I felt when I started this process.  I had been teaching using the Writer's Workshop model for three years, but had not really

 

done much conferencing.  I really didn’t know how meeting with students for five to six minutes a couple times per week would really make a

 

difference.  I was wrong.  I saw my three students go from novice writers to experts in a matter of weeks. 

 

What Worked Well

 

           Some of my favorite parts of this whole experience were seeing my students so excited to meet with me each day.  They were

 

eager to learn and wanted that time with me each and every day.  I was so impressed with how they took what I taught them in a couple

 

minutes and used it throughout their piece and their future pieces as well.  I saw them then teach others what they had learned.  I realized I

 

wasn’t the only teacher in this class.  Each and every one of my students has something to teach and can teach their classmates; it doesn’t

 

always have to be me. 

 

           Another favorite part of this entire experience, was seeing my students finding mentors for their writing pieces.  During

 

conferences I was able to spend time helping my students find authors whose writing I thought they would enjoy. They then took those

 

authors and employed them as mentors in their own writing. They carried these books around, kept them in their desks and, on some

 

occasions, took them home.  My students became experts at finding mentors in our classroom library and were able to help others find

 

books for their style of writing.   I realized during writing conferences that through this engagement my class became not just 

 

students, but became teachers as well.

 

What Didn't Go Well 

 

           Some things didn’t go as  well as planned.   In the future I will structure my conferences to insure I am able to get to every student

 

in my class as they all craved the same attention.  During these conferences, other students overheard everything I was saying to my three

 

inquiry students.  I had students coming up to me before school and at the end of the day, to share with me something they were doing in

 

their narratives.  It was obvious they wanted those compliments and the attention they were observing me give my target students.  Finding

 

time for every student is difficult because time is something I can’t change.  Teachers only have so many minutes in a day they can

 

dedicate to writing.  It is incumbent upon me to reflect on how I can get to more students on a daily basis. In addition I don’t believe it has

 

to just be just me giving students compliments, teaching or listening.  In the future, I will research the use of partner conferences and employ

 

them as part of my writing workshop time.  

 

           This experience has been nothing short of great and I’m always proud of my accomplishments on a completed project.  When it is

 

all said and done, I’ve been through every high and low there is ...and I love it.  Okay, so I don’t really love the low points, but I love the

 

accomplishment of finding my way out of them (Anderson, 2006).  By reflecting on how I’ve navigated my way through these

 

highs and lows,  I am becoming the teacher I've wanted to be through the valuable experiences I have gained.