How to Make Time When There Is No Time for Timely Feedback, Part 2

Welcome back!  I want to share with you today my second strategy for reducing grading time while increasing meaningful feedback.  As with my last post, I do not know if this is applicable to the lower grades.  I just know that it has worked for me these past few years and is one reason I haven't completely drowned in papers despite teaching such writing heavy course loads.

Sometimes I think these strategies are no brainers, because I am certainly not the first to try them; however, I am often reminded that just because I have stumbled across or adapted ideas, doesn't mean everyone has had the same exposure.  

When I had a longer schedule, I had the luxury of one on one writing conferences. However, given that my time with students in a class period is now halved, I have had to adapt.  I moved one on one conferences to small group conferences and dubbed them "writing workshop."   

I believe in group work with students -- collaboration and cooperation are common practices in my classroom.  If you've been part of TeachWrite for any length of time, you know that we often struggle with the same problems and concerns.  Writing is not the solo act everyone makes it out to be! 

So, I have students meet in writing workshop groups.  While with these groups, they are tasked with updating each other on their concerns, sharing drafts and progress, and then decided as a group what their number 1 concern is for writing that day.  There is an element of accountability, but also the hope that by coming together they can perhaps address their concerns without necessarily the teacher getting involved each time.

While the groups are meeting together, I make my way through the groups as well.  I'll do check-ins (similar to our Time to Write sessions) and then address the problems they are saying they are having -- usually by having them narrow the problem I am addressing down to one or two concerns.  This turns into a chat with the group, although sometimes I will focus on one student within the group if they want to serve as the representative.  

I realize now as I am typing this that I am not only pulling from our practices of Time to Write, but also Jen's writer coaching sessions.  That means I could possibly even work at bringing in a "thought model" practice with them and also makes me want to bring along chart paper and a mark.  Something to try at any rate.  

I digress, these meetings are quick 5-10 minute sessions that allow me to check on student progress, offer support and feedback, and not necessarily have to worry about getting bogged down in papers and grading.  

What do you think of my strategies?  Do you think this is something you'd be interested in trying in your own classrooms?  I hope you'll report back if you do!