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The Student Led Conference - The 7th Circle of Hell
Filed under: Opinions
When the school year rolls around to student conference time, there are three options a parent has to look forward to: A good conference, a bad conference, and the student-led conference.
Many of my out-of-state friends had never heard of the student-led conference, so I'm not sure if it's a Michigan thing, or just an annoyance used in our particular school district, so let me elaborate on this marvel of modern education.
Remember when you were a kid and your parents asked you what you did in school that day?
Well, you didn't know it at the time, but that was a student led conference!
Only in today's student-led conference, parents have to schedule a time at the school, cram their behinds into tiny chairs, stuff their knees under the low table and try to keep a calm look on their face as their kid stammers, "uh, uh, uh....then we read. And we do math stuff. And we uh..............write stuff about things........ and stuff. Then it's lunchtime. And then we have recess." because the teacher is sitting there too, probably assessing how well the parent copes with stress.
My first student-led conference was with my oldest, who was a 5th grader at the time.
He stammered and yammered about things he knew I already knew and finally mentioned something about Lit Circle. I asked (in my very polite company voice for the benefit of the teacher smiling serenely at me), "What exactly is Lit Circle?"
And he said very slowly, like he was talking to someone a few beers short a six-pack, "It STANDS FOR......LIT-ER-A-TURE.......CIRCLE. WE READ BOOKS".
And because I was trapped in the seventh circle of hell, the one labeled "Student-led Conferences", I couldn't do anything but smile serenely back (although I might have been kicking his shin under the low table.)
The last three minutes of that student-led conference the teacher gave me his report card. He was getting a D in math and C's in social studies and science.
The blood drained from my face, because the STUDENT LEADING THE DAMN CONFERENCE had failed to mention that he was accidentally throwing out bad tests before his parents could get a glimpse at them as well as omitting the incomplete homework assignment part and was GOING TO FLUNK THE 5TH GRADE IF HE DIDN'T GET HIS HEAD OUT PRONTO, but our twenty minutes with the teacher was up.
Since that first student-led conference, I've suffered through one a year for each of my children and have yet to learn a single bit of information I didn't know before going in: they're decent students who are lousy at public speaking and giving presentations.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
1-19-2009 @ 9:20AM
Debra Hamel said...Wow, that's a horrible idea. I've never heard of them here in CT, thank heavens.
Reply
3-05-2009 @ 2:53AM
iteach said...Clearly your children were not educated on how to properly lead the conference. At each station, that are not to just show what they are learning and doing, but how they learn and do. There should have been a goal setting spot and at every station a part that involved personal reflection. This is a wonderful way to truly see what your child knows and does not know. It is a shame that you didn't see all of the benefits of such a solid, worldwide practice of conferencing.
1-26-2009 @ 3:46PM
VA MOM said...I could not have said better. I feel if you talk to you children on a regular basis you should not need a student lead conference. We all know they are not going to let us know how their behavior is in class or how often they walk in as the bell is ringing because they were talking to their friends in the hall. I am an educator and I despise these conferences, but I feel I have to go other wise the students have to present them to the counselor. At least your teacher is present. They are no where to be found at my son's student lead conferences. I really feel they are a big waste of my time and my students time. I would rather he get extra help in math during the time he waste putting together his portfolio.
VA mom
Reply
2-19-2009 @ 9:56AM
JR said...I am sorry that you have had bad experiences with student-led conferences that have kept you from seeing the benefit of making students responsible for their own learning instead of the traditional parent-teacher conference where the teacher delineates all of the bad things the kid is doing (this is provided the parent even shows up). That is not helpful for promoting change and learning in students.
You said that you had to sit through your kid stammering through things you already knew. One, you should be encouraging of your child. This should be a time for him to shine in the things he's good at - as well as tell you about the things he needs to improve. Also, your comments make it obvious that it should be all about you. Student-led conferences are not about you or the teacher, they are about the student - helping them develop skills they do not have and helping them take responsibilty for their learning. Two, you obviously did not know everything, considering you didn't know until that day that your student was failing. This extreme news should NOT have been saved for the student-led conference. Instead, more communication between the parent and the teacher throughout the year needs to be maintained. It is silly to think that a 5th grader (or even a high schooler) is going to tell you everything about his education.
Finally, student-led conferences take A LOT of work to be done right. They cannot be thrown together at the last minute. At least a month before conferences, teachers should be working with students to make sure that everything is there for the conference. There should be worksheets and a clear process to keep the student organized and focused. There should also be coaching and practice involved with public speaking. If all of this and more is not done, the student-led conference is meaningless.
3-21-2009 @ 3:53PM
NK said...I am sorry your experiences have not been positive. Obviously your child's school does not adequately prepare the children for the conference. Or alternatively, the negative attitude you take into each conference blinds you from actually sitting back and sharing in your child's ability to articulate their own learning journey. You obviously enter each conference without looking to get much out of it. Seems that in the case of the child who scored C's and D's, the apple has not fallen too far from the tree.
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