When I first jumped into writing workshop, I was nervous about what to say in a conference. I wanted to get it right, and I didn’t want to look ridiculous. In preparation, I collected lists of questions to ask in a conference. If I found a list of questions in a professional book, I made a copy. I found lists on the Internet and printed them off. I wrote down questions I heard people say they asked. Then I put each list on an index card. I spent hours shrinking the lists on the copy machine and gluing them onto index cards. Then I punched the top left corner of each index card and put them all on a ring.
I was armed and dangerous.
This is not an exaggeration.
I was armed with questions.
And, I was very dangerous.
It turns out that a successful conference isn’t just about asking questions. A successful conference hinges on listening. We must know what students are saying (and not saying) about writing. When I went into a conference with my lists of questions, I wasn’t planning to do much listening. I was planning to ask a lot of questions.
After I asked a question, the student started to respond and I began flipping through my cards, trying to figure out the next question. This isn’t listening.
I was operating on the false premise that if I asked a lot of questions, I would help students grow as writers. No one grows by being interrogated (even if the questions are really, really good).
Learning to Focus on Students’ Needs
Eventually I tossed my questions on a ring into the trash. You can’t read Carl Anderson’s classic book How’s It Going? and not realize that it is listening, rather than asking, that helps students grow as writers. Carl helped me understand that some questions will open the door to hearing what students are doing as writers, and others get kids talking about their writing. If we want to have a lasting effect on students as writers, we need to listen for what students are doing and what they need as writers.
For example, many students love to tell you all about the story they are writing. They’ll set the scene and weave a tale. You might be drawn into the story and ask questions to get a better picture.
“What kind of dog was it?”
“What color was the dog?”
“What was the dog’s name?”
“How did you feel when he jumped on you?”
“Were you scared?”
“You fell on the ground?”
“Did you fall into a mud puddle?”
“What did your mom say when you fell?”
The student gets more lively and animated as he answers your questions. The story might even capture the attention of other students. The problem is that these questions don’t really get to the heart of what a student needs as a writer. Even if the student’s point of need is to learn to stretch a scene, asking a series of questions doesn’t teach him how to do that independently. These questions get the student to talk more about the writing rather than about his work as a writer.
By contrast, we can ask the student, “How’s it going?” He might finish the line he is working on and then say, “I’m writing about when my uncle’s dog shoved me into a mud puddle.”
Noticing that he responded about the writing and not about his work as a writer, I pry a little more. “If I hadn’t interrupted you, what would you be doing right now?”
He picks up his pencil and writes “THE END.” Then he says, “I’d finish it, just like that.”
I look at his paper and see there are two sentences. Since he told me a bare-bones story and now I see a short version as his finished draft, I know exactly what he needs. He needs to learn to stretch a scene.
Now the direction of the conference is set. I can note his strength—he finds topics to write about and makes a draft. Then I can teach him how to stretch a scene by making his characters talk, move, and think.
How Do I Know What to Ask?
I’ve learned to ask questions to lead students into talking about the work they are doing as writers. It turns out we don’t need lists and lists of questions. A handful is sufficient. I have a few go-to questions that position students to talk about their work as writers.
- How’s it going?
- What are you working on as a writer?
- What’s going well?
- What do you wish you knew?
- Will you tell me about this part?
- What would you be doing if I hadn’t interrupted you?
These lead to a natural conversation between two writers. I’ve also learned the value of the request to tell me more. When I say, “Tell me more,” it is likely I will glean useful information. Students have a little extra time to think and know that I value their thoughts.
Because I remember those first years of writing workshop and how nervous I felt conferring with students, I believe a list of questions can help ease some anxiety. Download a printable version of the question list and add it to a clipboard or your device. It is a helpful reminder of questions that will steer the conversation to what students are doing as writers and position you to teach to the point of need.
Download
Download a PDF of the question list to guide you when talking with students about their writing.
