Have you ever asked your child what they learned at school today and you get a vague answer?
Yes? That mumbled response happens to all parents at some point. That is why the Lower School is holding “student-led conferences” this week.
Who better to tell you about their academic progress than your own child? Or I should perhaps say, who better to SHOW you?
A lot of preparation and reflection happens before your child’s conference takes place. The teacher acts as a coach prior to the conference and a facilitator during, to help your child recognize their strengths and areas for growth.
Goal setting is a topic I speak of often and that we encourage frequently. A student-led conference helps learners set their own goals and fosters drive to achieve them. Typical parent-teacher conferences also help set student goals, however, these are created by the parent and teacher with little input from the one person who has to achieve them.
The core benefit of student-led conferences is that your children leave the conference feeling as though parents and teachers really care about them and their success. They get to see their support system in action. Research shows that the more a family is involved in their child’s education, the better the child's academic performance and attitude about school.
Student-led conferences open up the dialog between home and school, and hopefully will also encourage your son or daughter to speak more to you about their academic experience.
