Were time not an issue, think of all I could do. Were time not an issue, think of all that I could teach. Were time not an issue, think of the changes we could all make.
I'm sitting here working on individual letters to my juniors regarding their persuasive essays. This way every student gets a personalized letter from me with instructions and suggestions for how to make their final draft fantastic. This is a great way to talk to students one on one before they construct their final draft. As to whether or not they'll take my suggestions or just try to flit their way through the assignment, we'll see. While taking my advice will make them better writers, it also makes more work.
Written conversations between students and between the teacher and students is a valuable way to talk about learning. In a class of 20 to 30 students, maybe even more, it is hard to find time to conference with each student. Then, in group conferences, there are always students who don't get addressed and don't speak up. Getting thoughts out on paper allow students to process their information. If we didn't write, how would we know what we think?
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