Why Student-Led Conferences?Unlike elementary conferences, middle school teachers are not given a full week of half-days to schedule individual conferences with all parents. During conference week, middle school teachers have a two-hour block after school for conferences. Most middle school teachers at Harry Bridges have between 100 and 180 students per day or more. Do the math. It would be impossible to meet with all parents during that time.
Middle school teachers also have a daily conference or "prep" period to prepare materials, grade papers, make phone calls, meet with other teachers, or to meet with parents. Unfortunately, many parents aren't available during the day, sometimes teachers are called to other duties during this time, and there are many other duties that use up that time. That's where student-led conferences come in. Student-led conferences allow students to "show off" their work, reflect upon their progress, and share information with parents, allowing more meaningful interactions between students and parents. Teachers can see more families during an allotted time because the students do most of the prep-work. This is a win-win situation. |
A Student-Led Conference
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