As MJDS continues on a journey to define who owns the learning, Student Led Conferences (SLCs) have become a foundational element. This year we invited our 1st – 4th grade students to participate in addition to our 5th-8th graders and in the future, all students will lead their own conference.
Why: When students are empowered to own their learning, incredible growth occurs. By leveraging our learning guardrails: Documentation, Reflection, Questioning, Peer feedback, Self-monitoring and Assessment, students become comfortable with the goal-setting process. The metacognitive side of deeper learning develops and self-confidence blossoms.
How: In anticipation of SLCs, this Fall we focused on a goal-setting process aligned to our core values of Wonder, Empathy and Tikkun Olam. Every student began by self-assessing on how well they are living these values every day. Students then met with their teacher to reflect, revise and prepare for sharing this self-assessment at conferences. The conference process provides essential insight and feedback from parents regarding what each student’s goal might be, stemming from the self-assessment. Post-conferences, students will reflect on a personal growth goal and the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Students will share this goal with all of their teachers who will support individual growth towards those goals.
This process is still new at MJDS and we embrace the mess and struggle that comes with growth. Our incredible teachers continue to work diligently with students to know, challenge and support each child as they grow throughout the year as curious and empathetic leaders.
I’m thrilled to see this transformation at MJDS! So much more meaningful!
This was a huge success! Students felt so empowered. They were incredibly thoughtful and honest. I felt that the conferences represented reflection at its finest. I can’t wait to see how this looks again in spring.
This was a great experience! I could tell that the kids had worked hard to prepare and were thoughtful about their achievements and goals!
I love this. The pride on our children’s faces – when they realize they are able to be in charge of themselves – is immeasurable. Thank you!
I completely agree with all the comments. The student-led conference was powerful and also moving — I felt so much pride as a parent at my child’s own self-awareness and intentions toward self-improvement. I also felt this sense of inclusiveness and “team” — yes, the teacher and we the parents were including rather than purposefully excluding our child and more pointedly, the teacher and student – the key partners in the child’s education -were sharing with us, the parents, their world and life at school, just as they do in the class blogs. The critical teacher-student-parent triangle of education was just perfectly captured by this approach to conferences.
Last thing: I loved that the kids worked hard to prepare, and the conference was a work product itself. As jvoras wisely pointed out in person, what a professional activity the students did that even many adults struggle to successfully perform! Congrats MJDS students!
We will continue to develop students self-advocacy and goal-setting skills and appreciate all the support and feedback from our families.