Student-Led Conferences: Teaching Accountability
By Jennifer Stark
Progress reports went home two weeks ago. The infamous parent-teacher conferences were scheduled. To be honest, I actually love this time of year. I love to write, so progress reports allow me to use my profession to fulfill a hobby. And while I do love to chat, there is one element of parent-teacher conferences that excites me the most – the element of student presence and student leadership. You see, each year that conference becomes a “student-led” conference in which my students share their perspective about themselves and who they are as learners. Highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and next steps based on the six key learning skills assessed in the Ontario Provincial Report Card, parents have the opportunity to listen to their child’s perspective in the presence of the teacher.
Each year I always marvel at parents’ needs to hear the teacher’s perspective on how their children are doing. No doubt it is helpful. But it is also documented in that report card. Each year I attend the interviews for my own children and they wait up for me to come home to ask me what their teachers said about them. It’s as though they are waiting to see how proud I am of them, or some kind of reward they will receive in return for glowing comments. Or maybe they wait up in fear, concerned that the teacher will surprise me with some information that will lead to some kind of negative consequence. And yet, I already saw the report card. So there should be no surprises.
In fact, the whole purpose of student-led conferences is to ensure that there are no surprises. A child’s learning is a three-way partnership which includes the child (student), the parent(s), and the teacher(s). If the teacher or parent is not actively, then it can be difficult to ensure student progress and growth. However, if the student is not actively involved, it is impossible to ensure student progress and growth.
Student-led conferences teach students accountability because they are forced to take accountability. They are given the daunting tasks of deconstructing themselves as learners to better understand themselves as learners. In so doing, this actually allows them to take ownership over themselves. This style of conference also provides a forum for parent and teacher feedback with the student; all partners are present to ensure clear communication.
Furthermore, student input sheds insight for both the teacher and the parents. The more facts we have, the stronger and more well-rounded our understanding will be. If we want to have a clear understanding of who our students (and children) are then we need to let them tell us. In order for them to tell us, they need to first understand themselves.
*For more information on how to conduct successful Student-Led Conferences, please contact Jen Stark at modernlearningconsulting@gmail.com