Think about parent-teacher conferences when you were a kid. What role did you play? Was the experience positive? How did you prepare, if at all? Why did the conference occur? How did you grow as a learner? As a leader? As a reflective thinker? What evidence existed to document your learning journey? What kinds of conversations did you and your teachers have in preparation? Now think about the world tomorrow when our children are in HS, college and beyond. What will prepare them for a lifetime of success, leadership and engagement with the world?

Last Fall we introduced Student Led Conferences at MJDS as a natural evolution in our school to develop sustained student-owned learning. Our teachers were nervous yet excited, our parents were optimistic yet understandably skeptical and our students were somewhere in between. The results were excellent with plenty of opportunity for growth. Fast forward to our Spring SLCs and the difference was significant. Students had more confidence, teachers had prepared students to more effectively document, reflect and share their learning journeys.

As we prepare for SLCs version 3.0, our culture of students developing mindsets, skills and strategies for becoming life-long collaborative learners is flourishing. Through the lens of our core values and beliefs, students and teachers are becoming more adept at using evidence to drive continuous feedback, reflection and self-assessment.

Take a moment and click HERE to read a terrific article about SLCs. The following quote sums up the why behind MJDS’ decision to move in this direction. We are about developing the future of our world…what could be more important.

“Leading their own conference enables students to persevere and grow in the face of challenge because it focuses their attention on the specific steps they’ve taken, or will take, to achieve high quality work.”