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student-led conference | SharingPYP Blog

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"This year, our PYP school decided to make the step from traditional teacher-parent reports day to student-led conference from primary grades 1 to 5. According the IB guidelines: "Student-led conferences involve the student and the parents. The students are responsible for leading the conference, and also take responsibility for their learning by sharing the process [...]

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A Step-by-Step Plan for Student-Led Conferences at the Elementary Level

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A Step-by-Step Plan for Student-Led Conferences at the Elementary Level

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Confession: I look forward to parent conferences. I value the opportunity to connect with families face-to-face. But discussing report cards? Ugh. After 16 years of traditional parent conferences, I decided to make a good thing even better.

Student-led conferences intrigued me. The basic concept: students lead the conferences about their academic progress. They take ownership of their learning experience, sitting at the table with parents and teachers. Older students generally share their body of work through portfolios and work samples.

But how could it look for primary students? Nine years into implementing student-led conferences with primary students, I've found this is the key: have students demonstrate what they can do.

What Happens at a Student-Led Conference

Parents come into the classroom with their children. Together, families visit four learning stations set up around the classroom. I schedule two conferences every half-hour period. Families move from station to station as they complete each task.

Each station is designed to take about five minutes. Parents can read the instructions and interact with their children, but should observe and not participate in the activities. I circulate around the stations, answering questions and providing feedback on student progress.
The Benefits of Student-Led Conferences

Students actually show parents what they know and are learning in school.

Parents are exposed to materials and activities that students engaged in during the school day.

Teachers can observe interactions, comment, offer suggestions, and model strategies.

Students, parents, and the teacher are all active participants in the conference.

Where to Start
1) Decide on areas to highlight. (I usually choose reading, writing, math and science.)

2) Consider what students should know and be able to do in those areas at this time of year. What is most important? (Keep in mind that less is more; you cannot address everything in 20 minutes.)

3) Identify simple activities to demonstrate students' understanding of specific standards.

4) Figure out how to organize and set up the activities.
What It Can Look Like
My conference stations typically involve large display boards and tubs, but I have colleagues who use large plastic Ziploc bags or who just place materials on students' desks. Whatever you use, make sure it is simple to take out and put away. Instructions should be easy to follow.
Example One: Science Example Two: Reading Example Three: Math Example Four: Writing Helpful Tips for Organizing Student-Led Conferences

Keep it simple. One- to three-step directions work best. You want for your students to be able to show what they know-not to leave parents trying to figure what they are supposed to do.

Limit handouts. I once provided rubrics, standards, and lots of home activities at each station-but most parents didn't take them. A sheet for jotting down notes is all that parents really need. You can post additional handouts online or provide them per request.

Provide translations. Provide pathways for non-English-speaking parents to participate. I try to schedule Spanish-speaking parents at the same time, so that I can make sure there is someone to translate for them. If there is no translator available, I make sure directions are translated ahead of time.

Together is better. Find a buddy! I once asked two colleagues to join me in trying out student-led conferences and we split the amount of work, each taking on a subject and creating stations for the others. My kindergarten colleagues are now doing student-led conferences, so when students and parents come to me in first grade, they already know what to expect!

Practice with students. This is the best way to try out your stations. Introduce each task so that students know what to expect when they arrive.

Yes, this is more work than sitting down with each set of parents, but trust me, it's worth the effort. Students feel ownership of their learning and look forward to showing their parents what they know.

Parents get a much better sense of what is happening at school and how to continue that at home.

Anyone else out there doing student-led conferences with students in the primary grades? Please share your experiences.
Center for Teaching Quality is writing a series of blogs in partnership with Teaching Channel. CTQ is transforming the teaching profession through the bold ideas and expert practices of teacher leaders. Jane Fung is a National Board Certified Teacher in urban Los Angeles, where she currently teaches 1st grade. She serves on the board of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, and she is an active member of Accomplished California Teachers, Milken Educator Network, and the Center for Teaching Quality's Collaboratory. Jane has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and 25 years of teaching experience.

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A Step-by-Step Plan for Student-Led Conferences at the Elementary Level

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Confession: I look forward to parent conferences. I value the opportunity to connect with families face-to-face. But discussing report cards? Ugh. After 16 years of traditional parent conferences, I decided to make a good thing even better. Student-led conferences intrigued me. The basic concept: students lead the conferences about their academic progress.

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As the pioneers in this movement, champions of the 4Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity), and creators of the Framework for 21st Century Learning, P21 is the premier organization ensuring every child-without exception-experiences 21st century learning. And now, as a part of Battelle for Kids, P21 has even greater ability to make tangible and immediate impacts.

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A couple of years ago, Cathy Whitehead walked away from a two-day marathon of parent-teacher conferences feeling burned out and dissatisfied. "It was just conference after conference," says the Henderson, Tennessee, third-grade teacher. "I felt like I was on the hot seat, and the kids were nowhere in sight. I really felt they needed to be active partners in the conversation."

Whitehead began searching for a better way and came upon the concept of student-led conferences. In this model, students present their own artifacts and goals to their parents while teachers linger on the periphery, piping up periodically to keep the conversation on track.

When she started doing student-led conferences, Whitehead says, parent participation doubled (from 40 percent to 80 percent), and she saw "huge student ownership over their own learning," because kids knew they would be the ones explaining their progress.

Interest in SLCs is growing nationwide. More schools and districts are trying them out, and in a June survey of its members, ASCD found that more than 60 percent had tried them. Once they do, many of these teachers, like Whitehead, are hooked. In the ASCD survey, 85 percent of the teachers who'd implemented SLCs said they were effective.

"It's changed my classroom, and it's changed my kids so much," Whitehead says. "I would never go back to traditional conferences."

What Do SLCs Look Like?

Some of Whitehead's third graders show up for their conferences dressed in suits and ties or nice dresses. When it's time to start, they sit in the "teacher's chair," across from their parents.

"I sit to the side and watch," she says. "Sometimes I have a student who is struggling, or a parent is asking a really specific question about a piece of data, and then I will answer that."

Usually, teachers provide some sort of script to keep students on track and ease their nerves. And kids come to conferences armed with data binders or portfolios to show off their work.

Aimee McKenney, a first-grade teacher at Startzville Elementary School in Canyon Lake, Texas, helps students create agendas with visual cues so that they can confidently guide their parents through their progress on letter sounds, sight words, and math facts. "It's very kid-friendly," she says.

As children get older, the data can get slightly more complex. They may refer to bar graphs illustrating their averages on unit assessments and benchmark exams, for example. The act of presenting this data to parents helps to deepen students' understanding of it and can also boost motivation, says Callie Ward, a fourth-grade teacher at Startzville. "You can tell students, 'You made an 80 on this test,' and they'll forget by the next day," she says. "But if they constantly have their data notebooks, their goals stay fresh in their minds." (Depending on grade level and time of year, SLCs can focus more on data or on school projects.)

How Do I Prepare Students?

Teachers often find the conferences relaxing (or, at least, a break for their vocal chords), but there is prep work involved to help students understand their progress, organize work, and prepare presentations. This isn't wasted class time, though. There is much value in helping kids better understand which skills they have and which they need to work on, and the prep process can build real-world skills as well.

"We do a lot of preparation on speaking clearly and presenting well," says Liza Rickey, a fifth-grade teacher in Issaquah, Washington. "We're working on our communication skills, and we're working on our writing skills. It's very cross-curricular."

Depending on their age and what the conference will cover, kids can prepare by doing the following:

Some teachers select a thoughtful and outgoing student to participate in a model, or "fishbowl," conference with them in front of the class, and then pair students with one another to practice before the main event.

The prep work often helps kids be more reflective about their academic progress and their roles in the school, says Kryssie Pratt, a third-grade teacher at the New Albany 2-8 Learning Facility in Ohio. "It really led to some good conversations about how, if we have something we need to work on, that's not a bad thing. One of my students said the thing she was most proud of was that she is excited to come to school every day. Even if they struggled academically, they were able to think about what they did that was amazing this year."

What Are the Pros and Cons?

In addition to the prep work required to pull off student-led conferences, there are other challenges teachers may face. Some students have a tough time being articulate in front of an audience, even if the audience is just their parents. Rickey says some kids have teared up out of nervousness. "I'm there to help them and prompt them if they get stuck," she says.

Also, parents often look forward to the chance to speak with teachers one-on-one, and those families who are unfamiliar with student-led conferences may not understand the point of coming in to school for the chance to speak to their own children.

"The only negative feedback we get from parents is that they would like some time to discuss concerns that they don't want the students to hear," says Whitehead.

It's important, then, for teachers to give parents opportunities to speak with them privately. Some offer individual meetings by appointment, and others simply give parents time to talk privately for a few minutes after the conference. Be sure to send a note home as well, explaining to parents just what student-led conferences are, why they're valuable, and what parents can expect from them.

"[SLCs are] very different from kids just going home and having a conversation over dinner. Parents get to see their children's goals and the progress they've made," explains Texas teacher Aimee McKenney. "It's a lot more than just, 'How was your day at school?'"

In fact, proponents of SLCs say that the revelatory conversations sometimes spurred by these meetings are one of the major benefits. Samantha Mosher, a middle-grade learning specialist at the United Nations International School in New York City, says the conferences can help parents stop comparing their child to peers and instead allow them to focus on his or her unique abilities.

Mosher recalls one student who spoke to his parents about how he'd progressed in his writing, and what he wanted to work on next. "When I talked with the parents at the beginning of the year, they weren't necessarily focusing on the big things that their child needed to focus on," she says. "I think it was really important for them to see how proud he was and to hear him talk about his process."

Janelle Luther, a seventh-grade English teacher in Creston, Iowa, says she likes the way student-led conferences-and the prep work leading up to them-make students more accountable for their own learning. "But maybe more than that, it's a chance for the parent and child to sit down and look at work and ask some questions. With this age group, a lot of parents don't see schoolwork. I just think it's a great opportunity for a parent and a child to sit down and have a conversation about their education."

A Few Last Tips for Success

Whitehead's top tip for teachers thinking about giving student-led conferences a try: "Make sure you're super organized before the first day of school." This means knowing early on which types of data and artifacts students will show off during their conferences and how they will organize everything, so that they can collect those things throughout the semester with your help.

Another tried-and-true tip, shared by several teachers, is to have other teachers or administrators waiting in the wings to serve as an audience, in case some parents aren't able to come. Ask one of your close colleagues to pitch in, and offer to do the same for her. This way, students will still have an adult they can share their progress with.

Above all, says Rickey, teachers shouldn't let uncertainty-or the additional prep work-steer them away from student-led conferences. "Don't let fear hold you back, because [this model] is so incredibly valuable. Just go for it, try it out. I've only ever received overwhelmingly positive feedback."
Click Here to Subscribe to Scholastic Teacher Magazine Illustration: Linda Helton

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A couple of years ago, Cathy Whitehead walked away from a two-day marathon of parent-teacher conferences feeling burned out and dissatisfied. "It was just conference after conference," says the Henderson, Tennessee, third-grade teacher. "I felt like I was on the hot seat, and the kids were nowhere in sight.

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Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences: 5 Things to Know

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Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences: 5 Things to Know

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Parent-teacher conferences present a regular opportunity for educators and guardians to discuss student progress and needs. Traditionally, conferences involve parents and teachers meeting privately away from the student to talk about the student's education. However, some schools opt to arrange for student-led conferences. What do you need to know about student-led conferences?

How Student-Led Conferences Are Different

During a traditional conference, a student might sit outside the classroom, dreading what their parents will say in the aftermath. With a student-led conference, the student presents their thoughts and feelings about what goes on in the classroom and their grades. They might present specific pieces of work or a special project.

Student-Led Conferences Take More Preparation

Compared to traditional conferences, student-led conferences require more planning on the part of both students and educators. A communications teacher in Kansas says, "The format is important, but I believe the success of a student-led conference is most determined by how well students are prepared." Students may have to organize a portfolio of their work, put together a project, and write out a justification for their grades.

Teachers, in preparing for the conference, may have to give students instructions on how to organize their work, identify learning objectives, and effectively communicate with their parents about their education.

Why Student-Led Conferences Work

Why are many schools leaning toward student-led conferences? Such conferences increase student accountability. Students who struggle have a chance to explain why they are having difficulties, and they can talk about it in a positive environment that focuses on helping them improve. Even students who perform well in school can benefit. Some gifted learners may become bored in a regular classroom setting, and the conference is a chance for the teachers and parents to think about how they can give those students more challenging assignments.

The Disadvantages of Student-Led Conferences

One of the main disadvantages of student-led conferences is that there is great potential for disappointment on the part of the students. They may put long hours into preparing for a conference, but if their parents are unable to attend, it is a big letdown.

The other disadvantage is that a student-led conference may take away from the time that parents and teachers use to communicate. Some schools that hold student-led conferences encourage parents to schedule private time with teachers.

Techniques Used for Student-Led Conferences

Usually, teachers decide on the format used for student-led conferences. Some teachers arrange for students to demonstrate their learning by performing prearranged activities in front of their parents; an article on the Teaching Channel's website gives an example of an activity-focused conference. Others teachers may feel that it is better for the student to talk about their performance on past assignments.

The specific methods used for carrying out a student-led conference may vary by grade level. For example, a student in kindergarten or first grade may find it difficult to clearly explain what goes on in the classroom, so doing an activity to showcase their learning might be the more effective route.

Student-led conferences are an avenue through which learning can become more personalized. K12's products and services also help create educational experiences that fit students' differing needs. You can request free information online about K12's programs to discover how they may help your students.

Image via Flickr by woodleywonderworks - CC BY 2.o

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Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences: 5 Things to Know - Learning Liftoff

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Parent-teacher conferences present a regular opportunity for educators and guardians to discuss student progress and needs. Traditionally, conferences involve parents and teachers meeting privately away from the student to talk about the student's education. However, some schools opt to arrange for student-led conferences. What do you need to know about student-led conferences?

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Parent-teacher conferences provide parents with updates on their child's progress and opportunities to see their student's work. They also open communication between school and home. However, students often are passive, or even absent, during traditional parent-teacher conferences. One way to fix this is to put students at the helm, as they are the ones who are responsible for their work and progress. Here, we detail a few ways to hold effective student-led conferences and we offer a guide for each conference participant.

What Is a Student-Led Conference?

Image via Flickr by Innovation_School
In the student-led conference format, students and teachers prepare together, and then students lead the conference while teachers facilitate. "The triad then sits together to review and discuss the work and the student's progress. The message, once again, is that the students are responsible for their own success." Student-led conference models vary, but the premise is the same: "This is the student's moment to share his or her reflections on achievements and challenges."

Why Conduct Student-Led Conferences?

During traditional parent-teacher conferences, parents ask how their students are doing, and teachers provide grades and behavior reports. While these conferences seem to offer a final answer, they do not paint a clear picture of students.

According to Gus Goodwin, a teacher featured in the book, " Deeper Learning: How Eight Innovative Public Schools Are Transforming Education in the Twenty-First Century" (which in turn was quoted in this excellent MindShift article) is quoted as saying that parents appreciate student-led conferences as an alternative because they realize report cards are not useful, "and over time, the parents begin to set a higher bar for their students at these conferences."

Adjusting to the new conferences takes time, but parents become more reflective about their children's progress and understand how to help at home. The students also gain a better understanding of their strengths and challenges and the correlation between their effort, progress, and resulting quality of work.

Furthermore, teachers report more satisfaction with student-led conferences. In an Education World article, Keith Eddinger explains that, "from a teacher's perspective, we were able to get a better picture of each child. It forced us to sit down with each student and review strengths and weaknesses. This conversation often told us the students learned more than perhaps we had measured through conventional assessments."

Teacher Roles in the Student-Led Conference

During student-led conferences, teachers take on the role of facilitator, rather than that of leader. Individual teachers or whole schools may determine the conference format; for example, one teacher might meet with students and parents, or a few sets of families might meet in one space with circulating teachers. Regardless of the format, teachers play a more direct role in conference preparation than during conference time.

In preparing students for conferences, teachers outline student portfolio requirements. Often, teachers ask students to choose pieces illustrating areas for improvement, strengths, and personal choice such as work samples that make them especially proud. Teachers also prepare students for presenting their work. One strategy is to suggest discussion starters, such as "I do better in math when I..." Ultimately, the goal is to help students communicate their learning and processes to their parents through work samples.

Teachers also act as student advocates throughout the student-led conference. Parents may see lower than expected grades or hear surprising admissions from their student, so teachers need to guide discussions in a supportive manner that eliminates blame. For this reason, teachers instruct students to begin on a positive note with their strengths and then work through their challenges and areas of improvement. Next, teachers encourage families to create strategies for supporting student growth and improvement, such as setting aside designated homework/reading time or creating quiet study and work environments at home.

Students as Conference Leaders

From the beginning of the school year, students compile their portfolios consistently and thoughtfully. A portfolio for a student-led conference typically includes an agenda for the conference, a compilation of the student's work in the class, and usually goal sheets outlining academic and behavioral standards for them moving forward.

After assembling the portfolio, students maintain them in an organized fashion. Students who don't understand their teachers' requirements must ask questions if they are unsure about what to include. Usually, students use self-evaluation checklists or learning surveys to determine their areas of strength and weakness and set learning goals. Students must resist the urge to show parents their very best work and provide them with a clear picture of their school year and progress. Most important, students clearly communicate their progress and learning processes with their parents.

As the conference date draws near, students rehearse while teachers model the process and give students time to practice in class prior to the conference. Students should take advantage of this time and ask for help or guidance if they are especially nervous about their conferences. They can rely on notebooks or notecards with their written reflections or talking points to help ease their nerves and remain on track during the conferences.

Additionally, students advocate for themselves during the conference. If they feel that their parents could do more to help them, such as keeping younger siblings out of their rooms or study space during homework time, they can communicate this during the conference. Because student-led conferences are reflective by nature, students must be honest with themselves and their parents when reflecting on their grades, effort, and study habits. They also should set appropriate goals for the next grading period or semester.

Parent Roles in the Student-Led Conference

Parents are accustomed to the traditional conferences and will likely want to ask teachers about classroom behaviors and performance. Thus, parents find the most difficulty in listening to their student instead of asking teachers for clarification or explanations. During student-led conferences, parents focus the conversation on their children and reflect on their work with them. They look at samples and listen to their children's explanations and reflections. Then, they ask how they can help and what the students need from them.

Some of the best questions that parents can ask center on homework environments and a student's classroom efforts. This way they can participate in developing strategies to support their students and then remain consistent long after the conferences end. This also helps them to be open-minded about their children's areas of improvement and to support their goal-setting process. For parents, it's important to embrace the student-led conference format and allow children to take the reins so they can act as responsible learners.

In Short

Student-led conferences can be very successful in opening communication between school and home, but only if every participant understands their roles and responsibilities. This guide helps to educate participants on their roles during a student-led conference, what they can expect, and how to best use this opportunity to benefit the student, family, and teacher.

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Parent-teacher conferences provide parents with updates on their child's progress and opportunities to see their student's work. They also open communication between school and home. However, students often are passive, or even absent, during traditional parent-teacher conferences. One way to fix this is to put students at the helm, as they are the ones who are responsible for their work and progress.

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Tips for Holding Student-Led Conferences

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Tips for Holding Student-Led Conferences

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This page shares a simple format for improving the quality of parent-teacher conferences: hold student-led conferences! Learn how to involve your students in reflecting on their work and sharing their progress with their families.

What are student-led conferences?

They are parent-teacher conferences in which the child is not only present, but in charge of explaining his or her progress, reflecting on accomplishments, and setting short and long-term goals.

Why should I do student-led conferences?

show parents and students that their opinions and experiences are valued by the teacher

empower the child to take responsibility for her learning

give the parent and teacher a chance to hear the student reflect on his progress in his own words

reassure students that parents and teacher are there to support them

hold students accountable for their academic and behavioral choices

give the parent the opportunity to see the teacher and child interact

provide the teacher with insight about parent-child relationships/home structure

take unnecessary pressure off of the teacher by focusing on the student and his/her work samples

Most importantly: because parents and students love doing them! Parent turn out at student-led conferences is often higher than traditional conferences because students are so vested in the process.

When should I do student-led conferences?

You should do what is best for you and your families. As a general suggestion for the first parent conference of the year, the student should be nearby in the room but out of earshot (reading in the library area of the classroom, etc.) so that the parents and teacher can speak privately but the child can still be involved as needed. I like to draw the child in toward the end as we wrap up.

In the first conference of the year, the parent primarily provides background information on the child and the teacher clarifies expectations and progress thus far. Later conferences can then be student-led, as often as once a quarter, with parent-teacher only conferences as needed.

What preparation do I need to do before the conferences?

Because students take responsibility for these conferences, they require very little work for the teacher. You only need to set up a class routine in which students are regularly selecting work for their portfolios.

There are lots of ways to do this. One easy way is to have the children select their best work each week from their Friday Folders (or whichever procedure you use for sending home graded papers) and write on a sticky note why they chose that paper. Have students keep their papers in date order in their portfolio (a hanging file, file folder, or even a clean pizza box-ask a pizzeria to donate a class set- if you have a lot of 3D or large work samples).

The day of the conference, the student pulls her portfolio and, ideally, practices presenting the papers to a buddy, to you, or to herself.

How do the conferences work?

I like to use this free printable student-led conference form to help me make sure I've hit all the important topics. Having a set of questions I want to ask makes the conference feel more collaborative than having a list of facts I want to tell the family.

At some point during the conference, the child shows his parent(s) his best work from the child-created portfolio and uses the sticky notes he attached to each work sample to help explain why he chose that assignment.

The child may also demonstrate how to solve a math problem that was challenging, read a passage to demonstrate a reading strategy, share a story she wrote and explain the writing process used, etc.

I use the student work as a springboard for discussion during the portfolio sharing and afterwards (however the conversation flows best.) As a general rule, I like to direct questions to the child first, and follow up with questions for the parent as appropriate.

The ideal interaction is fluid, casual, and focused on all 3 parties sharing their insights in a positive way. The child typically enjoys being the center of attention and parents appreciate being asked for their opinions. The teacher is able step down from the responsibility of imparting negative information and judgement about a child's abilities and progress, and move into the role of guiding the family towards mutually-drawn conclusions through carefully selected questioning techniques, conversation, and the sharing of observations. Conferences generally last 20-60 minutes, depending on the level of interaction between the parent and child.

What questions should I ask?

You can download this free printable student-led conference form and use it as a checklist to guide your questioning. If the child and parent are talkative, you can let them direct the conversation. However, this may be the first time families have ever experienced a student-lef conference and they may want you to guide things. You can go right down the list of questions, starting with the question for the child and then asking the parent the corresponding question for each topic. After a few conferences, this flow will happen naturally and you won't even need the form!

The child can share his or her best work when you ask about strengths. The conversation about weaknesses and areas of concern often comes up on it's own after that.

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Tips for Holding Student-Led Conferences -

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This page shares a simple format for improving the quality of parent-teacher conferences: hold student-led conferences! Learn how to involve your students in reflecting on their work and sharing their progress with their families. What are student-led conferences? They are parent-teacher conferences in which the child is not only present, but in charge of explaining ...

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"We started slow with student-led conferences," says eighth-grade teacher Brigid Jennings. "It was almost like a gradual release to full student-led conferences. It's important to remember that not all teachers are at the same level of comfort with giving over this time to the students. We spent a lot of time as a professional community discussing ways student-led conferences could work, and then found whatever format was best for us as teachers and also our students."

As they piloted the change, these teachers saw a big difference in the levels of engagement for both parents and students. The teachers also liked the new model better, saying that it felt less like they were defending the grades they gave students and more like a conversation about the students' learning. The pilot group's success convinced the rest of the teachers at Wildwood to keep building on the idea, and within a few years, it had become a school-wide practice.

Designating a Time

Conferences at Wildwood happen twice a year. Each conference lasts ten minutes, due to the number of families that teachers have to see. While that time seems like much, setting reasonable constraints can help the students feel more comfortable presenting.

"We never get through everything," says eighth-grade teacher Rebecca Braun. "We actually include more work than time allows. This helps the students feel less anxious and also keeps the conversation flowing."

Students know that it's OK if they don't get through everything, and teachers know that the conversation doesn't have to end after ten minutes. Parents are given the option of taking the students' presentation binder or folder home for the night to continue reviewing and discussing the work.

Teachers also work around the time limits by rearranging their schedule to allow for 15-minute conferences, or by making sure that the time blocked off for student-led conferences isn't usurped by other issues.

"If I have serious concerns and need to have a conversation with a parent," says Jennings, "I reach out to those parents and schedule separate times. I still keep their regular scheduled time for student-led conferences because I believe it is important for all students to present their learning to their parents and spend that vital time reflecting as a family."

Preparing the Work

The students prepare some kind of presentation, which differs by grade and is scaffolded to their skill level. For instance, the eighth grade classes prepare binders with their work and reflection sheets, while younger grades may prepare a poster board or packet to show their parents. But all students keep and manage a portfolio of their own work. (For examples and more information on portfolios, see the Resources section at the bottom of the article.) When students complete something that they're proud of or want to keep, they simply file that item in their portfolio. When it is time to start prepping for conferences, students can then go to that portfolio and choose what they want to include in the conference binders or folders to show their parents.

"When we begin to prepare for student-led conferences," says Jennings, "I have a conversation with students around what they feel should be included in their binders. We continue the conversation then through different lenses: What would you like to see as the student? What would your parents like to see? What would your teachers like to see? The student is the primary driver of what goes into the binders."

Some teachers set loose guidelines about what must go into the binder or folder, but the students are given a lot of freedom over what to include.

"We don't get too crazy about guidelines," says Jennings. "Each subject area must be included, and the reflection pieces also must be included. But it's important for the students to have choice in what goes into their binder. It's all about their learning and what's important to them. When students are given ample time to reflect, you would be surprised that they won't just fill their binder with every A+ paper they have. They'll include places where they struggled, places where they improved, and places where they need help. This doesn't always happen easily, but this is where teacher/student reflection and conversation come in."

Preparing Students to Lead

In addition to preparing their binders or folders, students spend the weeks before conferences talking about how to present and lead the conversation with their parents. Helping the students feel secure in talking about their learning makes their limited presentation time go much more smoothly, Wildwood teachers say.

"It's important to make sure the students understand they are in control of the conversation," says Braun. "It's not a 'got ya,' and their very best strengths are the highlight of the conference."

Teachers do this by setting expectations, facilitating student reflection, and going over the necessary elements of a successful conference.

"The teacher should be giving mini-lessons and having conversations about quality work, good conferences/bad conferences, planning, etc.," says fourth-grade teacher Georgia Melidis. "Teachers must build the capacity of their students. After all, students are in school, they are learning skills, and conducting a student-led conference is a skill that must be taught . . . We start prepping about a week before conferencing, and we practice 10-15 minutes per day. I got creative and made the prepping a station in my Daily Five reading centers."

Practice is a large component of their preparation, and students practice their presentations with each other, their teacher, and students from other grade levels. "Typically, what we do is we get with a buddy, and they can read to their friend," Melidis says. "They're giving each other feedback on their paper, so it's really an authentic way to design and conduct a student conference. And the shy ones are able to practice with people and feel prepared and then feel confident."

While preparing for conferences does take some class time, teachers find that it's just as valuable as curricular lessons. "We view the prep work as a critical time for reflection," says Braun. "Students look back on their work for the quarter and write about their areas for growth, their successes, things they'd like to work on. Kids have a tendency to forget about all the wonderful learning they've experienced in a quarter."

For teachers that may have the time flexibility to prepare, "I would say to get creative," suggests Melidis. "They can start two weeks prior to the conferences and practice for the first five minutes of class, or they can tie it into their daily journal, daily goal setting, reflection time, they can make it their exit ticket, etc."

Not only does investing time in conference prep ensure a successfully led conference, it also encourages student and parent attendance. Students are excited to tell their parents what they've learned, and parents are more apt to attend because their kids are excited. "This year, I had every parent and student show up for conferences," Melidis recalls. "Conference time was not taken as seriously before, but now the school is full and lively on conference night. I mean, let's face it -- no parent wants to let his or her own child down."

Resources

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"We started slow with student-led conferences," says eighth-grade teacher Brigid Jennings. "It was almost like a gradual release to full student-led conferences. It's important to remember that not all teachers are at the same level of comfort with giving over this time to the students.

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Student-Led Conferences: Resources for Educators

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Student-Led Conferences: Resources for Educators

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Student-Led Conferences: Resources for Educators

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Whether you already do student-led conferences or are interested in making a shift, this list includes a variety of go-to examples, guides, tips, and forms to help launch or improve these meetings.