Parent-Teacher Conferences are a time when parents can get
formal updates on their child’s progress. In 6th grade, our
conferences look very different from the traditional Parent-Teacher Conference in which the teacher does most of the talking and the parent does the
listening. The role of the teacher in a Student-Led Conference is one of coach,
mentor, and advocate. Student and teacher work together to prepare for the
conference that the student runs. They are coached, critiqued, and evaluated in
order to have them ready to present. In other words…the students are running
the show!
So why do we have the students conduct their own conference?
We believe the traditional Parent-Teacher Conference does not really give
parents the whole picture of their child. The child can give a better idea to
the parent of where they really are academically. Their job is to report on
their academic progress, articulate their goals for the next quarter, report on
assessment data, and share examples of their work. Student-Led
Conferences put the responsibility for reporting learning where it needs to
be…with the student.
We are excited about the learning that is happening at
Goodrich School. We are excited about this journey of self-reporting and
empowerment for our students. We believe this opportunity of ownership will
help them as they continue their academic career.
Below is a video of one of our students practicing for their
Student-Led Conference.
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