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The portfolio package included,
- Student-Led Conference Agenda and Recording Sheet
- Reading Portfolio
- Writing Portfolio
- Problem Solving Book
- Math Strand Portfolio
The Student-Led conference Agenda and Recording Sheet (see Appendix 1) was necessary to give students direction throughout the conference. On the agenda I provided student prompts and parent prompts to keep the conference focused and to guide students and parents into discussion I wanted them to experience.
The Student-Led Parent Conference
Throughout the conference there was opportunity to,
- Discuss strengths, weaknesses and next steps
- Discuss learning skills necessary to ensure student growth
- Demonstrate understanding of mathematical concepts using strategies that are probably new to some parents
- Play a game to consolidate knowledge of multiplication facts
- Complete a math problem together using strategies inside the toolbox used daily at school
Parents were asked to record comments they wished to express to me. To sum up the conference students and parents were prompted to discuss all the learning skills and the mark given for each on the third term report card. Directions included were, "If you have an N or S for any learning skill you need to make a goal to improve performance in that area." I transferred the marks for each learning skill from the report card to the agenda for each student prior to the conference.
Classroom set-up was necessary. Desks were put together at the centre of the classroom to display art, science and social studies work samples. Six pairs of tables were set up around the central table. Although I expected four conferences to be going on at one time I set up six centres in case a student went over the half hour time frame. I hoped there would be no rushing or waiting at all.
Data Collection
Following student-led parent conferencing I needed to gain a perception of success through the eyes of my students and their parents as well as my own. Since this is a team effort, everyone involved needs to perceive the process as a positive learning experience or there is a missing link that needs to be patched. To gain awareness of this success the following was completed,
- Post-Conference Student Reflection (see Appendix: 2)
- Letter home written by each student expressing appreciation
- Parent Responses to Post-Conference Questions (see Appendix: 3)
- Parent comments on the agenda
Responses on the Post-Conference Student Reflection
Things went smoothly during the conference because,
- My Mom listened and she said I did a good job.
- My portfolio was organized.
- Mom and Dad listened to me and I got to talk.
- I knew what I was doing and I did a trial run.
- I had no interruptions. Mom listened. Dad listened.
- I did a trial run and the teacher talked a lot about it before the conference.
I benefitted from this conference because,
- I learned how I can make my work better.
- I learned what interviews are like.
- I could finally get to talk to my Mom without interruptions.
- I understand how I can make my work better.
- Now I understand why I get the marks that I do.
- This helped me to let my parents understand my needs.
- It made me want to do more conferences without being scared of what my parents will say.
Ways my parents benefitted from hearing my perspective and seeing my portfolios.
- Mom saw what I am doing at school and now she can help me at home.
- Mom and Dad complimented me on what I do well.
- They saw how I organize my work.
- They saw what is expected in Grade 3 and what level I am on.
- They saw how I use resources around the room and how I solve problems.
- She knows what I need to improve on, what I'm good at and what I am doing.
Would you like to experience student-led conferencing again? Why or why not?
- All students responded with "yes"
- Yes, because I like to see my Mom's eyes light up when I do well. I can teach my Mom how to do stuff too.
- Yes, because I could talk about my work with proof.
- It helped me understand what I do good and what I do not so well.
- Yes. When I did my conference I started to have more ideas for my stories.
- Yes, if there is a game to play and if there is food after.
- Yes, because I get to spend more time with my perspective.
- Yes, because I like the attention. I like seeing my parents together because they have been split up for a long time.
Parent Responses to Post-Conference Questions
Please tell me what you liked about the student-led conference.
- What a great opportunity to see my child in a leadership position. Taking ownership of her accomplishments is such an esteem booster.
- I liked this because ___ was able to go over her work with me at her pace.
- It was nice to see her improvement since September in story writing.
- I think the conference gives the child a better grasp.
- I like the fact that my child knows how to improve his work.
- I am impressed by ____ excitement about the process.
- _____ showed me her work and explained it by herself.
- The students are really proud of their work and like to show it. It gives them confidence in presenting and communicating.
- I liked having him explain his work to me.
- This is confidence building and is good preparation for interviews and selling themselves.
- It lets you see what the kids believe are their strengths and weaknesses.
- It was great to see a student so excited, intrigued and proud of his accomplishments.
- This allows students to organize, control and direct the meeting. This will be valuable later in life.
- I like the subjects it covered and the actual layout and instructions.
Were you able to notice anything about your child's attitudes toward school and learning that you might not have seen without the conference?
- I was glad to see her so comfortable and not "too" serious about leading the conference. At home she tends to "stress" about upcoming things. It was good to see her relaxed.
- She is smarter than I am! She enjoys learning and showing me things that I don't remember. She takes on challenges better at school than I thought.
- I noticed her answers are pretty thorough.
- He feels more confident in his writing and drawing abilities.
- _____ was able to demonstrate some of her interests. I had no idea that she enjoyed writing stories.
- She took pride in showing us her work.
Did the conference, in addition to my written report card inform you adequately about your child's progress without a separate parent-teacher interview?
- Most certainly, the conference was very well planned out with an adequate cross-section of work to provide a good overview of each subject.
- Yes, I saw the change in development from September to present.
- Yes. Expecting the child to talk about the learning skills helps focus on this very important area.
- No. Teachers have a better understanding of what is expected.
- Of course!
- Yes. I believe this is a better measure of success for the teacher.
- Yes. I liked the part where you showed the progress from the beginning of the year to the current time.
What were the benefits of a student-led conference for your child? What were the benefits of a student-led conference for you?
- One on one time together with no siblings around.
- This was a chance for ____ to really take pride in her abilities and gain awareness of how her work has changed since September. The benefit for me was to take uninterrupted time to really hear my child.
- I feel she was pretty proud of her improvements since September.
- I was able to see just how much my child is learning and how advanced the classes are. Everything is right there and there are no distractions and it is organized - not pulled out of a backpack.
- I saw "first hand" problems.
- It made ____ feel important to be able to show me her work.
- He knows what he has to improve on without someone having to tell him.
- _____ was able to show pride in work and explain what the expectations are. I was able to see her enthusiasm and the detailed effort she gives her work.
- Talking with her without arguing about what work was done wrong and her thinking it was done right was a benefit.
- I learned a way to teach multiplication. We can play the game at home.
- It is a bonding moment. It allows the child to take charge.
- He liked telling about what he is good at and explaining what work to improve on. For an adult, the benefits are the child's ownership of the process.
- _____ can develop her leadership skills. We are able to observe her style of leadership and help her develop.
Parent Comments
- I hope every parent in the years to come will get this opportunity as it is so beneficial to both student and parent.
- I love this idea. I think it is great to have the student and parent in class one on one.
- _____loved having my undivided attention and I have seen her own growth.
- I feel this is a wonderful way for children to get hands on experience with preparation and how to better themselves.
- I liked that she knew what to improve on and was happy to show her work.
- It was a good experience and I learned a lot that I didn't know before.
- Good idea! ____ enjoyed leading the discussion.
- I enjoyed this quality, one on one time with a child more than many other experiences this year. (Marion Dowds)
- I am looking forward to participating in another conference.
- Very interesting and interactive. Glad to have a chance to be involved in _____ learning and development.
- It was prepared well by the teacher. I appreciate all the work you put into it. _____ did a good job presenting it to me also.
Parent Suggestions For Next Time
- Provide more time.
- Opportunity for student to write down some ideas ahead of time.
- Include more game activities.
- More time to problem solve together.
- Inclusion of a time line so we could pace ourselves.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the student-led parent conference days is very rewarding for me. When reviewing page three of the report card I learned that eight parents requested a teacher interview in addition to the student-led conference. Twenty-two out of twenty- six parents participated in the conferencing process. After the student-led conference, all parents were satisfied and no longer felt it necessary to have a teacher interview. Observing parents give their children undivided attention for over half an hour while reviewing their school work was motivating for me as a teacher. (see Figure: 4-9) Many conferences extended way beyond thirty minutes. The students were comfortable with the quantity of work to share, but felt they needed more time. Some parents were rushed due to other responsibilities. I plan to use Student-Led Parent Conferencing next November following the arrival home of the first term report card. I plan to adjust the time schedule and conference content to suit the needs and abilities of the students at that time.
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