Student-led Conferences: The Key to Going Gradeless
We want students to know that their hard work is valued and not thrown out at the end of a term. We want students doing the heavy lifting and thinking, demonstrating their learning to the larger community. Taking time to explicitly teach and model what student-led conferences look like, sound like, and feel like allows students to become autonomous, engaged critical thinkers and learners. Student-led conferences—as opposed to parent-teacher conferences—invite families to participate in their child's learning journey.
Student preparation for a student-led conference is a beautiful process. Students are proud of the effort they have put in and excited that their work is valued. You see their confidence grow and their love for learning shine. As student agency increases, social-emotional and inquiry skills also develop.
With student-led conferences, families hear how their child is progressing, more than any number or letter could tell them. Families become a part of the process, learning about their child’s interests and passions. Learning extends beyond the walls of the classroom. Student-led conferences shifts the paradigm and culture of learning.
Student-led Conferences: Misconception vs. Reality
| Misconception | Reality |
|---|---|
| Student-led conferences are the same as sending home a portfolio of work for parents to see. | This is a time for students to dive deep into their learning of one or a few pieces of work that they are proud of with teacher guidance. Parents get a better understanding of their child’s learning/thinking process. |
| Parents just come in and take pictures of their children beside their work. | Give families responsibility by sharing an ‘Ask Me’ list of questions that the students have generated together or having them fill out a reflection/feedback form at the end. |
| This is too advanced for young students; they won't be able to do this. | Student-led conferences can be done at any age. Expectations will vary. If teachers explicitly teach and model the process from an early age and provide multiple formal and informal opportunities to practice, imagine their potential by the time they leave elementary school. |
| This is not worth the time and effort. Parents may not even show up. | Yes, implementing student-led conferences takes planning and work. If the teacher takes time from the beginning of the year to explicitly teach students about how to reflect on their work and how they learn (which we should be doing anyway because it’s outlined in the curriculum!), students will be doing the heavy lifting. Also, don’t think that the work “goes to waste” if a parent/guardian doesn’t show up. Another option is to ask a student from an older grade, an older sibling, another teacher, a resource teacher, or an administrator to take 15 minutes of their time to sit with the student. |
| Conferences should only be done at midterm or before report cards go home. | Start by organizing one time for all students at the end of an inquiry. Conferences can be done anytime once they become an organic part of your classroom practice. Conferences can be done for different students or different groups of students at different times in the year. You will know when the time is right in your classroom. |
| This is just an informal parent-teacher conference. The teacher will still do most of the talking. | Send a note home prior to the conference. Outline the purpose and expectation of a student-led conference. Communicate that the teacher's job is to observe and take notes, which is critical to providing feedback to students after the conference. |
| This process will take up a lot of class time. I have a lot of curriculum I need to get through. | Not only are students sharing their understanding of concepts within the curriculum but also developing higher-order thinking skills and the process of inquiry (which should be explicitly taught and assessed). So much curriculum is embedded in student-led conferences. Also, you can use your observations to guide instruction, provide feedback, and report student progress. |
10 Tips to Keep in Mind
As student-led conferences depend on the purpose, there is no formal “How to.” There are, however, some “musts” to keep in mind. Student-led conferences only truly work if students are genuinely engaged in their learning and you are allowing them to dive into inquiry.
Here is a top 10 list to keep in mind to help navigate this process.
1. Language is important!
From the beginning of the year, model using the language you want your students to use. The word ‘metacognition’ is not too complicated for students as long as they hear it and use it over and over. Share a language list at the beginning of the year to promote common understanding of classroom values and integrate this language into your everyday practice.
2. Explicitly teach and model learning something new
Students need to see the teacher reflect on new learning. When was the last time you truly learned something new? We ask our students daily to have a growth mindset and be open to learning new things. We as teachers need to model this mindset. Taking time to show students what reflection and metacognition looks and sounds like is important!
3. Quality over Quantity
When students are choosing what to share, less is more. Just because a student has a lot of things to show, taking one or a few pieces a student is really proud of will teach students how to reflect and effectively communicate their learning process. Too many pieces can be overwhelming and the true purpose of the conference will be missed.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
Have students role-play and record their interaction, then let them watch themselves and their peers. This allows students to receive feedback they can use to improve the conference. Students can then take the feedback and role play again. Ask students how they used the feedback they received. Tracking feedback and knowing how you used it is important.
5. Document the process
Flipgrid is a great digital tool that allows you to create a group for any topic. Students do not need a login, just a code to access the group. Students can video record themselves sharing their learning and upload it to one spot. Students can use the code to watch each other's reflections and give each other feedback on their videos. I sit with each student, watch their video about what they have learned, and talk about where they are on the continuum. Together we discuss their strengths and next steps, which are in turn recorded on their report card. Students don’t have to open their report card on the bus ride home to see what they “got.” They already know what it says because they were a part of the process.
6. Give parents/guardians a job
Once parents arrive, have the student give them a piece of paper with guiding questions to ask. These questions should be generated beforehand in class with students so that there are no surprises. This will help the parent understand the process of the conference and allow the student to feel comfortable and confident. Add a reflection for parents/guardians to fill out after the conference has ended.
7. Take notes
As conferences take place, rich conversations occur between parent/guardian and child. You may need to step in to assist the student, ask a question to push thinking, or otherwise help redirect the conversation. Students should know this is a time where we are assessing their skills, which you have outlined in class together before the conference. Take note of the rich discussions happening; these make great anecdotes for feedback and report card comments.
8. Let students make mistakes
As much as we want our conferences to go perfectly, it may not happen for every student. THAT'S OKAY! Remember that students are learning how to communicate their learning process and it may take a few conferences to see improvements. Isn’t that what learning is all about? Expressing this to families is also important. If conferences become a regular occurrence, teachers and families will be able to see students' ability to express their learning process developing. Keep a folder of reflections so that both students and families can see the improvement.
9. Let it happen organically
Student-led conferences do not need to happen only at the end of the term. As students are finishing up on an inquiry or project, start talking about the sharing and reflection process. When students are pursuing their interests and know their work is valued by parents/guardians and the community, they are engaged in the process of student-led conferences.
10. Keep students’ and families’ reflections
Keep a folder for the student-led conferences for the whole year. Your job is to facilitate, direct, give feedback, and support students along their learning journey. This requires a shift in our planning, our assessment, and our mindset. It may seem overwhelming and time-consuming to start but you will gradually see a shift in who is doing the learning and talking and who is doing the listening and facilitating.
To truly transform teaching we need new structures to support it. Student-led conferences are one powerful way we can make the change and start the process of going gradeless.
Gillian Berard is an elementary French Immersion teacher in Ontario, Canada, implementing Inquiry-Based Learning. She believes the craft of going gradeless is something we work on WITH students, rather than TO students. You can follow her at her Twitter account @GillianBerard.