EDUC 350 Field Notes #6-Student Led Conference

Student

Parent

Sounds like

Sounds like

Students read a script. Thank you for

coming. I am excited to talk to you
about In ______, I have a _____.
Students explain their goals, work, and
scores. They explain why they received
their scores. Students reflect on their
performance. Some students have excuses.
I didnt know I was presenting today.
Papers are shuffled around.

Let me see. Mhmm. Parents are quite

compared to students. They ask
questions. They have brief introductions
with the teacher. Parents give their
students suggestions to improve future
work. Classical music plays softly in the
background.

Looks like

Looks like

Students show their work. They grab

folders, projects, and other resources.
They sit across from or next to their
parents while they read their script. They
present themselves as a leader.

Parents smile. They shake hands with the

teacher. They act like a student, listening
and observing their child. They look over
student work.

Feels like

Feels like

Students seem prideful. They have control.

Some of them rush through lots of
information while others take things slow.
One student is unprepared and
unenthusiastic. The atmosphere is calm,
relaxed, and intimate.

Parents are curious. Student and parent

roles are reversed. Parents of the
unprepared student are shocked but still
accepting. The teacher is separated from
the interaction. For some parents,
discussing school with their child seems
like a new experience.

What is your impression of Student Led Conferences?

Student Led Conferences (SLCs) hold students accountable for their work.
They encourage a dialogue about school between students and parents. The
discussion is like a formal dinner table conversation. SLCs connect the students
home life to the students school life. Depending on the student, the
experienced could foster pride or shame. Parents can see their children as
independent leaders. Overall, I am in favor of SLCs because the students should
be involved in these discussions.