A while ago, I wrote a post called “One Bite:_____” to keep the idea digestible. My mind went with “bites” because when I think of grabbing food to eat on the go, I think of something I can unwrap with one hand and eat without much fuss. One simple and energy-boosting bite.
As I mentally scroll through the topics that would fit inside that wrapper, I see toolkits, owning teaching points, but not conferring. I have blogged several times about writing conferences, and those ideas I’ve explored are more like an Italian feast. But what if I try? What if I remove all the sprinkles and layers of grandiosity that make teachers fear that one-on-one encounter? What if I attempt to garnish that precious moment to present it as something we can unwrap with one hand with no fuss?
One bite, or more like three:
What Conferences Are (and We Forget)
* A time for relationships
* A way to let a student know, I see you, and yes, this is hard work
* A moment to uncover what a student can do
* An invitation to think in a way they haven’t before
* A unique teaching opportunity (nothing else matters but that kid in front of you)
* A boost of confidence — You can do this work when I’m not with you
What Conferences Require from Us
* An idea of what we’ve taught them and a vision of where they could go next (I’m aware that this one tends to add weight to our plate)
* The right lenses to see strengths in students
* Read/write ourselves to feel what it’s like to try one of those teaching points
* Clear coaching moves, and then space for them to try it
* The right mindset to do the work (if I’m too busy with behavior, I’m not there)
* An efficient note-taking system (perhaps this can be another post later on?)
What Conferences Can Be (Without Much Planning)
* Why did you decide to write about your grandma?
* Where did you learn to use dialogue this way? Where else have you tried that?
* What are you trying to do that I could help with?
* Where are you stuck?
* Can you read to me?
* What do yo typically do when this happens?
* I saw how you ____. That shows you’ve learned to ____ and it’s remarkable work!
Saying “Off you go” after a mini-lesson is not the ending of something but when the party truly starts. A good ritual I treasure is giving myself two or three minutes of writing/reading to get outside my head for a bit and then go meet my students without fear of “doing something wrong.” I could plan for my conferences or whisk one up in the moment.
I think having a bland and weird-tasting conference is better than not sitting next to them at all.
Start with a Story 