“Good writing is a kind of skating which carries off the performer where he would not go.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the reasons that Micki and I have offered several posts on this subject is that so many resources for providing feedback and establishing successful writing groups exist. We wanted to share with you ourexperiences.
I entered the field of teaching thinking that students would receive the best feedback from me -- and the suggestions that I could offer them. After all, wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? I didn’t realize how many more “instructors” existed in the classroom. Thinking about the importance of employing conference groups reminded me of my introduction to the use of them. I really don’t think I knew anything about such sharing until my first encounter with National Writing Project teachers. Up until that time, I basically wrote for, and received feedback from, an instructor. Any feedback/suggestions from colleagues came only when I solicited their assistance with an assignment. From participating in conference groups myself and discussing with colleagues and students the benefits of the group work, I became a convert.
Creating and using conference groups in my classroom was/is a learning experience. One of my first “go-to” books, A Community of Writers by Zemelman and Daniels, included information on ways for creating the groups (make –up/ size), ways to arrange the room to allow for noise and movement, reader’s role and suggestions for providing responses, and giving/receiving feedback constructively. It also contained useful information for preparing students to participate in writing groups. In order for students to work collaboratively, I found that we needed as a class to discuss appropriate behavior for collaborating. Having a class discussion about expectations of working in a group and setting up guidelines definitely help toward having a successful experience.
Learning how to participate in writing groups is extremely important. It is not unusual to encounter a student (or students) who questions the value of such an experience. I clearly remember one of my better writers asking why s/he should share writing with writers who weren’t as competent. What could be gained? Students need to realize that they learn by doing – something that teachers definitely know. Also, different purposes exist for writing groups: generating ideas, drafting, revising, editing. The instructor needs to determine if the same students stay together throughout an entire assignment. Continual spot checking on the dynamics of the group is critical – maybe have the students turn in a quick note at the end of class on what worked or didn’t work that day.
As we wrote previously, it is extremely important that students know each other and are comfortable with the expectations of the classroom before you introduce conference groups. However, once the class is ready to work in small groups, your writers have the opportunity to benefit from activity.
Good luck – we really encourage you to share your experiences and questions about conference groups.
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