These days are circled on our calendars! We know that parent/teacher conferences are a busy time of the year for teachers and the amount of preparation that precedes the conversations between parents and teachers seems endless. I have found ways to be more efficient in my preparation for conferences over the years, but I still understand that I will most likely lose my voice at the end of the night!
My solution to a great night with parents: LET THE STUDENTS TO THE TALKING!
Immediately after the end of the first quarter, I hand out a Standards Based Report Card (Think back to kindergarten when we all got these) to allow my students to think about and reflect on the skills they’ve mastered or still need to improve upon. It’s a tough task for many, but these report cards set the stage for the conversations I have with most parents. Instead of conversations about grades or missing homework, I let the students tell their parents about their level of mastery in my class. For most parents, this is an eye-opening experience!
While I use paper and pencil for this activity, many teachers in my school use an online resource called Blue Harvest. Billed as “Assessment through Feedback”, Blue Harvest allows teachers and students to be in constant communication about their mastery of specific standards. As an online tool that provides on-going assessment and feedback opportunities, there is nothing better.
Consider some of these ideas as you begin your own parent/teacher conferences, and remember to let the students do the talking.
No comments:
Post a Comment