Student-Led Conferences

This year, our Middle School initiated Student-Led Conferences.

The introduction of this method of reporting to parents followed on from my reflective report on inquiry into Student-Led Conferences, for my GradCert. in Educational Studies. Lack of student engagement in the learning process, and diminished responsibility for their academic progress was becoming an increasing issue in the Middle School, and the staff were keen to try anything that would turn around this common student attitude.

Our Student-Led Conferences took on the form of students selecting, reflecting on and presenting a folio of work samples (ones of which they were both proud and disappointed) to their families, and setting SMART goals as a group (student, family & teacher) to work towards achieving by the end of the next semester.

Promotion:

• Parents were informed of the change to the traditional P/T interviews via explanatory letter, College newsletter, Homeroom newsletters and social media quite a time prior to the SLC taking place.

Preparation:

• Some staff visited Meridan State College (a pilot school for Junior Secondary on the Sunshine Coast) to gain better understanding of what was involved in SLC.
• Students reviewed their previous school report (which many of them had not even seen) and listed their grades for academic achievement and effort.
• They reflected on their results and conferenced with their Homeroom teacher, discussing their identified strengths and areas needing attention.
• Students collected work samples which reflected work in which they did well, and not so well. Some classes chose to create a folio of work using Evernote which enabled students to link and share digital files.
• Students completed and practised their 'script' with the assistance of their Homeroom teachers and Learning Support Assistants. This was particularly important for some our students with learning difficulties, in order to gain confidence and become familiar with the process.

This preparation was the most time-consuming part of the process. Teachers did become stressed at the amount of time it took to conference and practise with each student (but it was worth it!)

Presentation:

• The school library was chosen as a 'neutral' and inviting venue in which to hold the conferences. Furniture was arranged in comfortable, relaxed configurations and included comfortable lounge chairs, footstools and booth seating, as well as byte tables and chairs.
• Some classes chose to create displays showcasing what they had been doing in class to enhance their Homeroom conference space.
• SLC's were held over three afternoons to offer families some flexibility. Those parents who were unable to attend, received a recorded/videoed conference of their child with their Homeroom teacher and another adult/teacher of the student's choosing. Teachers also made alternate times for parents to attend the SLC (which extended up to two weeks later).
• Together, students and their parents set SMART Goals for the next semester. These were recorded, printed, laminated and displayed at both home and in the classroom. (Teachers reported that this was the most difficult part of the SLC).

Reflection:

• Parent attendance increased substantially - not only did more 'both' parents attend, but we also had grandparents and siblings come to share in the students' learning.
• Most SLCs were positively received, although a couple of Year 9 students refused to take them seriously and the SLC ended in embarrassment, argument and/or refusal to set SMART Goals.
• Despite the promotion of the change of format, some parents still wanted the one-on-one time with the Homeroom Teacher to discuss 'delicate' issues. As a Middle College staff, we have decided to allocate 5 minutes at the end of a conference to speak to the parents alone, or offer the parents the opportunity to make another appointment.
• The students felt more accountable for their effort and achievement and, despite being very nervous about having to 'talk school' with their families, did an amazing job!

From as far back as 1897, Dewey (in My Pedagogic Creed) talks about the necessity of children to take responsibility for their education. The use of SLCs, as a means of enabling students to take greater charge of their learning, has many positive implications and reflects many of the elements od Middle Schooling. SLCs provide the opportunity for Middle School students to take the lead, 'own' their work and be part of an authentic, reflective assessment. They improve the quality of communication between home and school, and encourage parental involvement in student learning. They help develop strong relationships between student and teacher, and encourage schools to work towards becoming learning communities where learning can be shared. Student-Led Conferences empower students to be active participants in the learning process.

Learning Walks

About two years ago, my school embarked on a reform process which included classroom 'Learning Walks' to improve instruction.

In pairs or threes, teachers would visit their colleagues' classrooms, spending 5-10 minutes looking at the 'learning artefacts' around the room, observing how the students were engaging with the learning, talking to the students about what they were doing, and asking them what the next steps of learning might be.

Focus during the 'Learning Walk' was on student learning - not teaching, and how Learning Goals, Success Criteria, Anchor Charts and Exemplars were used within the classroom to improve student understanding.

What we, as teaching staff, learned throughout this process was immeasurable. Not only did we see creative and different ideas that we could use in our own classrooms, but we also witnessed a real improvement in the students' understanding of where they were going, how they were going and where they had to go next.

Our 5-minute conversations that followed each classroom visit, also helped us to better understand the purpose and benefit of the 'learning tools' our reform was asking us to use.

Since then, our 'Learning Walks' have progressed from formalised 'professional learning' time slots, to colleagues inviting each other into their rooms to show how their students 'do' things. Many teachers began to recommend the practices of others, and began to 'seek out' classes that they could observe to help improve their practice and, ultimately, their students' learning.

For a detailed look at Riverside's Walkthrough path, please visit Assistant Principal, Stuart Taylor's, blog.

CSI London - Year 9 History

I am often inspired during my Learning Walks and classroom visits, when I see other Middle School teachers doing creative things with their adolescent students.

Just recently, I joined a Year 9 History class who was learning about living conditions in England during the Industrial Revolution.

To engage the students in this often 'dull' topic, the teacher had set up the classroom as a crime scene, exhibiting primary and secondary sources of information on the walls, as clues for the students to use to solve the crime of how "Elizabeth" had died.

In investigative teams, the students gleaned information from the sources, discussed the relevance and reliability of the information, and put together their case to explain how "Elizabeth" had died.

The chief agent from each investigative group then presented their case to the inquest judge, using the evidence to support their case.

This 100-minute lesson implemented many of the signifying pedagogical practices of middle schooling - higher order thinking strategies (analysis, evaluation, justification), integrated and interdisciplinary curricula (Humanities, English and Science), cooperative learning, flexible student grouping, authentic and reflective assessment, and maintained student engagement for the duration.

What a great lesson to observe and be involved in!