Student-Led Conferences Benefit Parents, Kids

Student-Led Conferences Benefit Parents, Kids   

I read this article with interest because today I have my 8th grader's student led conference. As a teacher, I have been doing student led conferences for a number of years, but this will be my first one as a parent. I have enjoyed having the students explain to their parents what their grades were and why they got that particular grade. I plan to enjoy watching my son explain to me why he got As on the math tests but zero's on the homework!

The method behind the conferences is just as important as the conference itself, a fact parents rarely know.Teaching the students to take responsibility for their grades, good and bad, is an important step towards adulthood. Students learn to analyse their grades and figure out what happened. Learning that just one zero can make a major difference is an eye opener for some students. If the teacher is good, you can also teach real world math with the process. Students have to understand averaging, percents, rounding, and a host of other things that suddenly leap out of the math book and into things that matter to them. Ah, real world applications, so touching!

So, I guess I am a proponent for student led conferencing at the middle and high school level. We need to get kids more involved in their grades and teach them responsibility, a thing that is in short supply in our world today. If your school isn't doing student led conferences, please contact one of the local schools who is and I am sure they will share forms, advice, and anything else you need to begin the process. I am personally aware of the following schools doing student led conferences, Griffin Middle School, Tapp Middle School, and now, Lovinggood Middle School. Come join them!