Parent-teacher conferences provide parents with updates on their child’s progress and opportunities to see their student’s work. They also open communication between school and home. However, students are usually absent during traditional parent-teacher conferences. One way to fix this is to put students at the helm, as they are the ones who are responsible for their work and progress.
There are so many positives to student led conferences! They empower a student to take ownership of their own learning. Students get to revisit what they have accomplished throughout the school year. Seeing so many gains motivates them to work harder. Students learn to constructively self assess. They must reflect on the quality of their work, their classroom behaviors and participation in daily classroom activities. This reflection helps them develop the ability to look at themselves with a constructive eye. They ask themselves: What am I doing well? Where do I need improvement? What parts of my learning do I enjoy? Student led conferences also improve those all important communication skills. Public speaking and presentation skills are so very critical. Student led conferences allow students to practice these all important skills that will make such a difference in their adult lives. Growth is emphasized during student led conferences, they are not about just what we’ve learned, but also the goals students have set for themselves and how they plan to accomplish them. This puts focus on both continued growth and accountability.
Parents and teachers alike can learn a great deal about their child/student by listening to what they say, and don’t say, when presenting their conference materials. Do they light up when talking about a certain subject? Do they seem frustrated with parts of their learning? Students’ responses and our observations during the presentation can be quite enlightening.
I look forward to sharing this experience with you!