There are so many instructional opportunities when conferring with students: we can nudge readers and writers to clarify thinking, address a need through teaching points, model for students what it looks like to use literacy to make sense of the world — and much more.

In their On-Demand Course, Adolescent Reading RX: What to Try When Teen Readers Can't or Won't, Cris Tovani and Sam Bennett share expertise and model the role of providing feedback to raise the level of student thinking during class. In the clip below, notice how Cris actively moves between students to gain insight and provide feedback as students practice drawing conclusions from their reading. Take note of the language she chooses to use with students to let them know they will not only be doing challenging work, she knows they can do it.

In the course, Cris and Sam remind us that teaching is transactional—not static—and that we should always focus on the quality of our feedback as a response to what students are showing us about our teaching.