Promoting Family Involvement at Report Card Pick-Up through Student-Led Conferences
Coaches: Cherianne Barry, Horatio May Community Academy & Sarah Groth, Namaste Charter School Adaptable for grade levels: PreK-8 Key Subject Area(s): Interdisciplinary Also incorporates: Parental Involvement
Study Group Teaching Method Description:
Watch your students shine through participation in student-led conferences! Engaging students in these types of conferences helps encourage them to take their parents through a variety of classroom-based practices that highlight the learning and knowledge they’ve gained throughout a certain period of time in the classroom. Parents will learn about the daily classroom routine, while also witnessing the growth and development their children have experienced as students.
This teaching method guides Study Group members in the implementation of student-led conferences. This strategy offers teachers the opportunity to learn how to prepare their students for student-led conferences by showing them how to prepare conference scripts and agendas, how to properly prepare a portfolio, and how to construct effective learning centers, role-play activities, and academic practice. This Study Group highlights the importance of student-led conferences throughout the school year, as well as the value in fostering meaningful, open relationships between teachers, students, and parents.
Illinois State Standards and Benchmarks:
Although Student-Led Conferences allow children to demonstrate knowledge in all academic areas including English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, and Social Emotional Learning Standards, Student-Led Conference particularly highlight the following Illinois State Standards:
STATE GOAL 4: Listen and speak effectively in a variety of situations A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience
About the Coach:
Cherianne Barry teaches fourth grade at May Community Academy. In her five years of teaching, she has assumed many leadership roles such as providing professional development for teachers, serving on the PBIS (Positive Behaviors, Interventions, and Support) Team at her school, and lead teacher of an SES tutoring team.
Sarah Groth teaches kindergarten at Namaste Charter School where she is actively involved in a number of committees, including the Teacher Recruitment and Hiring, Wellness, Mentoring and Principal Advisory Committee. Sarah has a contagious passion for student-lead conferences and has eagerly shared this method with her colleagues through presentations and observations; this will be her second year sharing the method through a CFE Study Group.
Meeting Times:
The Study Group meeting schedules are determined together at the Study Group Program Kick-Off Dinner on Thursday, June 4, 2009.
