RR 89-4 The teacher, the author and the text: Variations in the form and content of writing conferences.
Abstract
This paper describes three teachers' conceptions of the purposes of writing conferences and examines their changing roles within the teacher-student writing conferences. The case of Erica illustrates a teacher whose initial orientation towards writing changes from a technical view of writing in which she concentrates on the form of writing towards and emphasis upon the content and purposes of writing. In contrast to Erica, the case of Emily shows a teacher who changes from being merely supportive of students to being more directive in her interactions and concerned with the text itself. The third teacher, Estelle, elaborates her orientation toward meeting the needs of individuals and alters her practice by being more attentive to the issues students raise during the writing conference.
After analyzing these three cases, the author discusses the balance between ownership and intervention and the balance between a student focus and a text focus that the three teachers have found through their interactions with students during the writing conferences. Issues of uncertainty, contextual constraints within classrooms, and the potential for teachers to alter their practices through writing conferences are discussed.