Student Led Parent-Teacher Conferences

After a few years of the traditional parent teacher conferences, I started to feel like something was missing.  Turns out, there was--the student!

I decided that the majority of our conference conversation would be very beneficial for the student to hear.  Watching their parents and teachers work together in their best interest, even if it what they struggled with was discussed, made them feel more secure in their learning.

After making this decision, I realized I would need to provide some structure. This would help ease the nerves of the students, the parents, and most importantly me.  I'll admit it, I did have some concerns about many an awkward pause or a weak response with both important parties present.  So...

Here are my steps to lead a successful student run parent-teacher conference:

• Class Prep Time: First, I decided to put more responsibility on the student's shoulders.  This was, after all, all about them.  We had a class meeting, discussing how conferences would now be run, and I encouraged them to attend.  I promised them it would not be as scary as what they expected.  They didn't quite believe me.  So we prepared.

Example of Portfolio Divider

• Portfolios: Students kept a portfolio of their work throughout the year.  Portfolio in this case is a fancy name for a cheap folder with my portfolio dividers printed on cardstock and placed inside. Each quarter, they would reflect on their assignments, organizing their work behind "dividers."  If the assignment they chose did not have a product, they could just write a reflection.  They'd write about why they categorized the assignments the way that they did.  This was either used at conferences, or sent home with report cards.  

Oops, haven't been saving work?  Yea, I didn't always either.  Check out an easier, last minute option here.

• Practice:  After organizing portfolios, students could practice how they were going to present their work during conferences.  I gave them the option to run through it with a partner, or they could rehearse on their own. The practice time we took made them feel a lot more confident before their conference-running debut.

 

Letter to Parents

• Parent Letter: Next, I sent home parent letters (approved by my principal) explaining my reasoning for these conferences.  Parents also had the option of going the traditional route and opting out of the student led conference.  They rarely did, especially as word started spreading about how well conferences were going, but I always like to give options.  Get a free copy of my parent letter by clicking here!

• Schedule: After that, I set up a schedule to display during the actual conference.  This was the first thing that I shared to help everyone relax a bit.  I also reiterated that parents could have a few minutes at the end of conferences if they wanted to talk privately. Get a free schedule here!

Example of Teacher Notes

• Teacher Reflection: I wrote out some notes for myself about each student that I shared with parents.  I tried to phrase things so that I felt comfortable saying them in front of both parties (i.e. Does nothing in class = Often has difficulty getting started on assignments). Here's an example of the format I used one year.  'Glows' are strengths. 'Grows' are areas for improvement.  I also found it helpful for parents who couldn't attend their conference because I could send this home with students.

I've found the student led conference to be a powerful meeting between all important players in a student's education.  I hope that you decide to give it a try!

Looking for a more primary version of a student led conference?  You're in luck! Click here.

Or, get everything you need to run a Student Led Parent Teacher Conference in this starter kit: Student Led Parent Teacher Conference Starter Kit