RM Winter 2016 FLIP

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Reading Matters
Teaching Matters
| 28| Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 |
Abstract —Conferences are an essential component of Writer’s
Workshop. They provide teachers opportunities to individualize
instruction and offer guidance to students in an effort to support
their development as writers. In this article we describe how goal
setting can be introduced and implemented in order to improve
writing conferences and student engagement in the writing
process. Considerations for implementation are discussed.
Chase carried his writing notebook back to the conference
table and sat down with a sigh. I asked him, “How is your
rough draft coming along?” He showed me his rough draft,
which was written in one huge block of writing. It lacked
paragraphs, indentations, and transition words. He did not
have an introduction or conclusion. I thought, “Was he not
paying attention when I modeled how to write these in my
mini-lessons?” I pulled out a piece of paper and showed
himhow to rewrite his rough draft using the correct format.
I essentially wrote the whole thing for him, using his words
and integrating mine. He followed along and nodded in
agreement as I pointed out each important element. He
took the paper back to his desk and began his final copy. I
thought, “That went well. He seemed to understand what
he needed to do to make his writing better.”
The following week I met with Chase again to discuss
another piece of writing. He pulled out his rough draft.
Again, it was written in one block of writing, without
paragraphs and indentations. Again, it lacked an
introduction and conclusion. I was confused and to be
honest slightly irritated. Why had he reverted back to his
old way of writing when I had clearly shown him how to
organize his writing? He did not apply any of the changes I
had shown him during our last conference. He was waiting
for me to fix his writing for him, instead of doing it on his
own.
I (Amanda) realized I needed to change the way I was
conducting writing conferences in my classroom. It was so
important to me that my students improve their writing. That
was the problem! It did not matter how important it was to me; I
was not the writer. The improvement needed to be important to
the student. I began asking myself, “How can I shift the desire to
improve their writing fromme to them? How can I give my students
more ownership of their work? How can I motivate them to want
to improve their writing skills?”My answers to these questions led
me to begin involving my students in setting writing goals. This
has not only transformed my writing conferences but also the way
I plan and implement writing instruction in my classroom. The
purpose of this article is to (a) provide teachers with an overview
of how goal setting can be introduced and implemented within
the framework of Writer’s Workshop and (b) describe several
considerations for using goal setting during writing conferences.
Writing Conferences
Writing conferences are an integral part of Writer’s Workshop.
Conferences provide teachers opportunities to individualize
instruction and offer guidance to students in a supportive
writing environment (Calkins, 2004). The teacher uses this
information to evaluate the student’s progress, determine
whether the student is applying the skills presented during
the mini-lessons, support students who require additional
instruction, and inform their instructional decisions.
Effective writing conferences follow a predictable structure,
focus on a few key points, and specifically address the student’s
need (Anderson, 2000; Calkins, Hartman, &White, 2005; Graves,
1982). Essential to the success of the conference is student
ownership. A writing conference typically begins with the student
sharing a piece of writing they’re working on and identifying
what is being working on as a writer. This provides the teacher
insight into how the student thinks about their writing as
well as the writing process (Graves, 2004). It is important that
writers learn to take ownership over their writing, which might
lead to increased motivation and engagement in the process.
Among the evidence-based practices associated with effective
writing conferences that can be used to increase students’
ownership and responsibility is goal setting (Troia, 2014).
Goal setting has been found to be effective in improving
writing among a range of learners (Estrada &Warren, 2014;
Gillespie & Graham, 2014; Graham & Perin, 2007; Hansen
&Wills, 2014; Schunk, 2003). As Troia (2014) describes, in
order for writing goals to have the biggest impact on writing
behavior, performance, and engagement they should be
“challenging (i.e., just beyond the student’s current level of
writing skill); proximal (i.e., attainable within a short period of
time); concrete; and self-selected or collaboratively established
(because real or perceived control boosts achievement
motivation)” (p. 31). When students set goals for their writing,
they are better able to focus on the important aspects of
their writing and become more self-directed in their work.
Mermelstein (2013), describes self-directed writers as the
“bosses of their own learning” (p. 6). In fact, the process described
in this article aligns with Mermelstein’s work in Self-Directed Writers:
The Third Essential Element in the Writing Workshop. Involving
students in goal setting and encouraging student participation
Ready, Set, Goal! StrengtheningWriting
Conferences through Goal Setting
Amanda Pringle, Orchard Park Elementary, Fort Mill, SC
Shawnna Helf, Winthrop University