Queen of Forms

Teacher forms, student forms, and record keeping forms . . .  I'm the queen of trying new formats to keep track of life in a writing workshop.  Perhaps some of these will help with the never-ending challenge of staying organized.

Teacher Forms

How's your writing workshop going?  This is a link to a self-evaluation form for you to complete.  Thanks to Karla Hayden for inspiring this idea.

Student Forms

question grid.doc

Use this grid as a basis for students to give advice to each other via peer revision conferences.  This is one way to push students to give useful feedback. 

year end student reflection.doc 

Help your students reflect on themselves as writers with this simple year end reflection.

Record Keeping Forms

Conferring Records -- I keep a stack of empty forms on my conferring clipboard.  When I begin a clean form, I put it on top of the filled one.  This way I can flip back and recall previous conferences with ease.  I used to keep the completed records in a binder, but then I never referred back.  Once I began this system, I was able to more effectively meet the needs of my students. 

individ conf.doc 

conf record_boxes.doc

This conference form makes it easy to see your entire class at one time.  At the top I've listed Carl Anderson's conference steps from his book How's It Going?  You can put your students names in the small boxes and then the large boxes are for your conference notes.  I always make note of the date, my teaching point, and any goals I have for the student.  When a student shares I highlight their name.  I think this is a good starting place when beginning to keep conference notes. 

conf record_columns.doc

This is the form I used for my conference notes when I was in the classroom.  It forced me to be intentional about teaching in every single conference.  My conferences became more powerful when I used this form.

status 2.doc 

Here's a record form that I printed on a transparency.  When dismissing from the meeting area, simply ask each student his/her plans for the day & make a quick note.  I would record the phase of the writing process in which each student was working.  At the end of the week I'd make a photocopy & keep it in the back of my conferring notes.  This is a quick and effective way to gain an overview of your entire class.

PS  -- Have you ever said a word so many times that you start to question if it is really the word you want?  That's what's happening with this page and the word forms.