Student-led Conferences
"...this practice is the biggest breakthrough in communicating about student achievement in the last century. When students are well prepared over an extended period to tell the story of their own success (or lack thereof), they seem to experience a fundamental shift in their internal sense of responsibility for that success. The pride in accomplishment that students feel when they have a positive story to tell and tell it well can be immensely motivational. The sense of personal responsibility that they feel when anticipating what it will be like to face the music of having to tell their story of poor achievement can also drive them to productive work."
Advantages of student-led scheduled conferences:
Increases student accountability
Practices real life-skills-communication, organization, leadership, etc.
Opens up communication between school and home
Teacher self-evaluation, self-reflections skills
Focuses on learning
Goal setting process has buy-in by all involved
What do people say about Student-led Conferences?
Students:
"I love it; it encourages me to be very well organized."
"it helps bring out the best in me."
Parents:
"My child is more reflective, more self confident, self-directed, owning her work."
"I am so impressed with the enthusiasm my son shows in regard to learning more and understanding schoolwork."
Teachers:
"When (students) need to present to their parents the missing assignments sheet, there is no place for that student to brush off the blame on someone else. Kids...now get their work in."
