Teaching and Learning 

Student-Led Conferences 

It is hard to believe that we are leading into Week 9 of Term 2, which means we are now nearly halfway through the school year. Wow!

Having said that, we have so much to celebrate and so much more to look forward too. To help recognise and celebrate all of our talented students here at Karoo Primary School, we are very excited to be introducing Student-Led Conferences at the end of Term 2, on Wednesday 26th June. 

We’ve seen the positive results of providing students more accountability, agency and responsibility. Student-led conferences are an effective framework to introduce a new level of autonomy over learning experiences.

These sessions take the format of stereotypical parent-teacher conferences but put the students in charge. Your learners lead the session, giving both parent and teacher insight into their work, their areas of growth, struggle and their proudest moments.

The overarching goal of any student-led activity is to allow students to actively participate in their education. Ultimately, this helps create life-long learners with strong senses of self and community.

The benefits in the short-term are plentiful as well and here are just a few positive outcomes of student-led conferences.

1. Student Ownership of Learning

Student-led conferences empower students to take ownership of their learning journey. Throughout the year students collect work samples, track their progress, and prepare to share their progress with their family. When students are actively involved in the process of presenting their work, setting goals, and reflecting on their achievements, they become more engaged and motivated. This sense of ownership fosters a deeper understanding of their strengths and challenges leading to increased self-awareness and a greater commitment to improvement.

2. Improved Communication Skills

Presenting their work and progress to their parents or guardians during student-led conferences provides students with an excellent opportunity to develop crucial communication skills. They learn how to articulate their thoughts, share their achievements, and discuss their challenges. These skills are not only essential for academic success but for future professional and personal interactions. Through modelling, sentence stems and frames, and opportunities for practice, all students can develop their speaking and listening skills and lead a conference with confidence!

3.Goal Setting and Self-Reflection

Student-led conferences encourage students to share and set learning goals for themselves and reflect on their progress. When students are actively involved in the process of setting learning goals, they become more invested in achieving them. This helps them develop a growth mindset, where they see challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement. Sharing out goals with parents or guardians also provides students with a need to track and monitor progress between conferences.

4. Enhanced Parental Involvement

Student-led conferences foster greater parent involvement in their child’s education. Instead of only receiving a report from the teacher, parents and guardians can engage in meaningful conversations with their child about their progress. This collaborative approach promotes a stronger home-school connection and allows parents to provide more targeted support.

5. Fostering Independence

Through student-led conferences, students learn to be more independent in managing their academic responsibilities. They become better at tracking their progress, identifying areas where they need improvement, and taking the initiative to seek help or resources when necessary. This independence prepares them for the challenges they will face in higher education and their future careers.

I believe that student-led conferences are the most authentic way to assess students and I am incredibility excited that we are providing an opportunity for our students to share and shine. During class over the next two weeks, students will be discussing, collating and preparing for their student-led conference. 

I now ask you to please keep an eye open for further information on how you can be involved and support your child in their first student-led conference, but to finish off, here are a few questions that parents and carers might like to think about or ask during their child’s student-led conference.

Questions for Parents to Ask

• What excites you most about coming to school?
• What does support from me at home look like to you? Are there any subjects you want my help in?
• How do you feel about your overall learning so far in …?
• What’s your favourite subject and why?

BOOK NOW!

Our regular booking system through COMPASS is running live from today, so please jump on COMPASS and make a booking for yourself and your child to share their achievements.

Student-led conferences will be held onsite on:

Wednesday 26th June 

Availability will be offered between 9-11:30am and then again from 3:45pm- 7:30pm (Student, parent/carer and teacher will be present)

Please remember, as always, parents and carers are encouraged to request an individual meeting with a child’s teacher at any time of the year to discuss their achievement and growth.

I look forward to seeing you all around the school and have a wonderful long weekend, 

Kind Regards,

Peta Phillips

Acting Assistant Principal