To prepare for conferences, students were asked to complete a brief questionnaire that asked them to list the reason they selected their original image and associated words, the effect that they hoped their sestina would have on the reader, and the role that

the envoi played in their sestina.  They were also asked to highlight their self-

identified strongest and weakest areas in the poem.

I met with students individually and had them lead the conference, taking me

through the responses on their questionnaire and then tackling the "weak"

lines.  Because students had already identified their own intended effect

and "problem areas," I was able to structure my feedback to meet their

individual needs and help improve their poems without inhibiting their

individual voices or imposing my own style on their work.