Coaching the Teacher and Student

Does conferring feel like a mystery or guarded secret to you? Are you wondering what a conference really looks and sounds like? Gail demonstrates that it isn't scary or complicated, just a combination of thinking, modeling, practicing, and learning. Using a side-by-side approach, Gail models a comprehension conference using the strategy of Check for Understanding for Heather, a fourth grade teacher. They ask Seveliya, an ELL student in Heather's class, if she would help them learn more about coaching and conferring.

During the conference, Gail pauses to talk with Heather about the session, what she is learning about Seveliya, and how she is identifying a goal and strategy Seveliya will work on next. She coaches Seveliya on how to use the strategy, gives her time to practice and then sends her off to work independently. Gail and Heather then debrief the process along with discussing how often to meet with Seveliya.