AP Corner

Making the Most of Student Led Conferences

I adamantly remember when my parents went to my parent- teacher conferences. I would sit at home, biting my nails, not sure what my teachers were going to say. Were my parents going to be happy with my reports or would I be in trouble? It felt like I had no control or power over what my parents were going to hear and what they would make out of it. And parent-teacher conferences were the only times my parents ever came to school and met with my teacher, so they were paramount to their understanding of my progress.

Although my elementary school years were a very different time in educational approaches, I do think about this experience when we hold student led conferences. How do we want our students to feel about them? Do we want them to feel afraid of what their parents are going to hear like I was? Or do we want them to feel empowered and aware of their strengths and opportunities for growth? 

SLCs are such a great way to build on student self-awareness and self-advocacy. They are an opportunity to build stronger relationships with families. And they are a wonderful opportunity for our students, families, and teachers to partner together to ensure our students are on the path to and through college. 

Want some support on ensuring your SLCs are strong and achieving our goals of student empowerment? Check out some of the resources below:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-led-conferences-resources-ashley-cronin

https://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/reaching-all-students/2016/03/building_self-advocacy_and_own.html