From left to right: Nicole, Rachelle (What the Teacher Wants), Lindsey (The Teacher Wife), Amy (Step Into Second Grade), Cheryl (Primary Graffiti), and Hope (Second Grade Shenanigans), Cheryl (Primary Graffiti), and Melissa!
Moving on to conferences….
When I began my teaching career, I had conferences the traditional way- the parents and I. All my conferences were back to back, completely rushed, and seemed to pass by in a blur. After a few years, I began to invite the children and involve them in the conference. After all, the little one that we were talking about was THEM! Why student led conferences? After much research on the internet and through professional teaching books, I learned the many benefits of student-led conferences:
Highlights of Research on Student-Led Conferences:
Student-led conferences are emerging as a way to actively engage students in their learning process, wrote Donald G. Hackmann, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Iowa State University in an ERIC Digest, "Student-Led Conferences at the Middle Level." Following are some of the benefits of student-led conferences listed in Hackmann's article:
* Students assume greater control of their academic progress.
* Students accept personal responsibility for their academic performance.
* Parents, teachers, and students engage in open and honest dialogue.
* Parents attend conferences at increased rates.
* Students learn the process of self-evaluation.
* Students develop organizational and oral communication skills
The research was right!!!! I loved how the students were able to explain their grades and behavior to their parents, with my guidance and input. Although I had to schedule my conferences for a longer amount of time, I believed that this was a great opportunity for the teacher, parents, and child to meet. We celebrated their strengths and made goals about how to improve in certain subject areas or with their behavior/work skills. * Students assume greater control of their academic progress.
* Students accept personal responsibility for their academic performance.
* Parents, teachers, and students engage in open and honest dialogue.
* Parents attend conferences at increased rates.
* Students learn the process of self-evaluation.
* Students develop organizational and oral communication skills
Last year, I began to think outside the box and held student led conferences in a WHOLE new way- kicking it up a level! After talking about my idea and getting permission from my principal, I was ready to try a new format for my conferences! Read about it below!
I wanted to hold my conferences in a SMALL GROUP FORMAT and have the students take their families on a tour of our classroom, celebrate their learning, and share what they were working on in class.
Here is a peek at the note that I sent home:
After the parents requested their 45 minute block of time, I made my conference schedule and placed 5-6 families during the same time frame.
Since our conferences were on Thursday night (and Friday morning- no school day), we just spent Thursday preparing for the conferences. I was a little nervous because we did not have the time for an official “dress rehearsal.” I was also nervous that the kiddos would be nervous and clam up for the actual conference. I should not have spent ONE minute worrying...because the kids did AWESOME!!! So impressive to hear them talk about what we are learning in class!
Here was our conference day agenda, which the kids knew like the back of their hand!!
As the students walked into the classroom, they went straight to their desk...just like I taught them!
After I gave a brief 3 minute welcome and explanation about the conference format, the students became the star of the show! They began by talking with their parent (s) and sharing their snapshot of learning. (ALWAYS start with the positives, no matter what conference style you are having, right?!?). The students moved right onto their "top ten” things that they wanted their parents to learn at conferences.
The students also handed their parents a copy of the agenda for the conference and the students picked up their copy of the agenda. This is what they used as their guide to walk them through the conference and remind them what items to discuss.
Students then walked around the room and visited the different stations that were set up. All the stations reflected what we were currently learning about in class for the different subject areas. I purposefully chose centers that were hands-on, engaging, and challenging! The students were to be little show offs at the conferences!!!
One station was Goal Setting:
Here, students took a few minutes to share their self-reflection with their parents.
Students also went into depth explaining our classroom economy and how many credits they earned for good choices and good behavior. They also explained their debits for bad choices.
Hence, the student self reflection!!!
They showed them our Shop to You Drop catalog- which was totally inspired by Sarah Cooley!!
Parents were really impressed with some of the rewards that they were able to purchase with their hard earned money! Another station was parent place!
Here, the parents picked up their child’s manila folder that included district and classroom assessments, information about their reading level, and other information about how they could help their child at home. I made sure I was at this center every time a new family got there, so I could review the paperwork.
At the Reading Station, students showed their parents their book nooks and explained how they went shopping for a “just right” book in our classroom library.
They showed the hard work they accomplished in their reading (thinking about their reading!) and explained our guided reading block of time. (I was happy to overhear some kids say that they love guided reading!!!)
They also explained why our class is full of real, rockin’ readers and no fakers! (Reading Workshop mini-lesson!)
Math Station was a popular one!
Since we were learning about making arrays for multiplication and creating word problems, the students showed their parents what they learned.
They also showed their parents our guided math schedule and explained how it worked!
Honestly, most of them explained it better than I could have!!!
For social studies, the students were learning about the different level of government and the different branches of government. I created an interactive activity that the parents completed with their child for the branches of government…a very hard concept for third graders!
I made my students promise me that they would visit this station last...the TREATS station! Spending ten dollars at Super Walmart goes a LONG way and is well worth it. The candy was on sale because of Halloween!
I didn't know if 45 minutes was TOO long of a block of time but it turns out it was just right! In fact, I think some of the families could have stayed longer….not one family left early!!
When I talked to my colleagues about this idea of student led conferences, they told me "good luck" and "sounds great" but were not willing to be a guinea pig with me.
One of their main concerns about having student led conferences in this format was, "How are you going to talk with the parents privately and address their questions and concerns?" GREAT QUESTION!!!! My boyfriend, who teaches fourth grade also wondered the same thing and was a **TAD** bit skeptical. Where was their faith in me!?!?
Here is the key: I offered the option for a ten minute private conference when the parents signed up for a time. (Two parents out of my 25 requested a private conference.) Also, I already had private conferences with a couple of other families in September and October. (See the conference note that I sent home above!) I had concerns about their behavior and/or academics and wanted them to addressed in a private setting.
As another way I made sure that I addressed concerns or questions the parents might have, I sent home a preconference form. By sending this home a week prior to conferences, I was able to gather information to answer the parents questions and have that prepared for our conference time.
Although I was well aware of the value the format of student directed conferences, I was not sure how the parents felt about them. After all, this format was completely new for not only me, but my students and their families as well. Although I felt conferences went well and the students did an AMAZING job teaching their parents about third grade, I NOT sure how the parents felt about how the conferences went. Even though I had lots of great feedback DURING the actual conference time, I still wanted to hear their honest thoughts and suggestions for improvements.
SOOOO…I was brave and sent home the feedback form. I was nervous, but mainly very curious!, to hear their thoughts and feelings! I truly wanted to know if they thought as highly about them as I did and needed their feedback to guide my conference format scheduling in the future!
I had 22 families attend the conferences (1 phone conference and only ONE family that did not come!!) and 16 families return their feedback form.
Drumroll please.....
Here were their comments, and you have to trust that I didn’t change them. Also, I didn’t “keep out” the negative comments- there were none!!!
“I really enjoyed the student-led conferences. I feel like I have a better understanding of my daughter’s day at school and what she is learning about in each subject area.”
“I loved this conference format because I felt like there was NO rush throughout the conference. Other teachers should follow the same style.”
“I loved it! I wish more teachers would do this. I think including the students is very beneficial.”
“Thank you for addressing the concerns listed on the preconference form. We definitely thought the student led conference was a great idea!”
and my personal favorite…
“Please continue to think outside the box!”
I KID YOU NOT! LOVED reading that!!!!
If you are ready to try something new, this is for you!
Click on the icon below to purchase this unit from our TpT store.
WOW!!! This was a super long post!!! Thank you if you read it to the bottom- I am impressed!!! Thank you!
First two conference comments will snag a copy of this in their inbox….don’t forget to leave your email address!
When are your conferences this year? What are your thoughts about them??
Have a great night!
