A few weeks ago, I spent the better part of a Saturday avoiding writing.  Actually, it was avoiding revising. I sat at the dining room table, thinking.  Then I did laundry. And the dishes.  I may have cleaned out a drawer or two.  I’m an avid writer; I enjoy writing for fun.  Why was I avoiding revising my writing so much?  Why was I so loathe to put fingers to keys to make the necessary changes?  Key word: necessary. I had to make revisions to a paper based on feedback from a reviewer from the program I was enrolled in.   I had thought I was done. I turned it in. And then, I got the email with…feedback.  It was written feedback in the sidebar of a word document.  Just a few notes with suggestions (or requirements) for changes.

There were only a few suggestions that I had to address, yet it took me the better part of a Saturday.  I made the changes and eagerly sent my fourth draft on, crossing my fingers that it would pass muster and I would officially be done.  No such luck!  By the following weekend, I got an email from my chairperson that the reviewer wanted to have an online meeting to discuss the revisions.

At this point, a lot is running through my mind. How bad could my draft be? What else could I possibly revise? I had the meeting on Monday night.  In just a few short minutes, the reviewer was able to explain to me some simple ways to reorganize one section of my paper.  Eureka! It was crystal clear! The revisions took me a very short time and I was able to submit my paper successfully.

The feedback that I received during the online meeting was similar to the written feedback that I was given. But it took hearing it–having an actual conference–to understand and be able to use the suggestions successfully.

How often do we just make written notes on students’ writing and not take the time to talk with them about it?  I think about some of the comments I have written or seen on student papers:  Add more details here. What do you mean by this?  This part is unclear.  Each of these comments is equally vague and, let’s face it, unhelpful to novice writers.

I thought about my “writing conference” and realized that my teacher/reviewer started by complimenting my work and saying that I only needed some simple changes. She took me directly to the section of my paper that required work, clearly explained what I needed to do and then clearly explained why I needed to make the changes.  I was able to easily make the necessary changes, successfully completing my program. That, my friends, is an effective writing conference.