A P R E S E N TAT I O N BY M A RT I N P R I O R

LEARNING CONFERENCES

LEARNING CONFERENCES – WHAT?

• Student -led • Focussed on learning – accomplishments and

goals• Parent, teacher and student all have input• Is useful for all students – P-6 and students with

high level needs

LEARNING CONFERENCES – WHY?

• Tangible demonstration of partnership between school and home, parent and teacher• Opportunity to further enhance strong, positive

relationships• School supports family in educating the child• Personalised learning with personalised support• Learning is at the centre• Learning happens at school and out of school

LEARNING CONFERENCES - CLARITY

• The young person and their learning is at the centre• It’s a more formal part of an extended

conversation between family and teacher• There must be plenty of other opportunities for

communication between parent and teacher• The conference, in effect, is the young person’s

learning support group

LEARNING CONFERENCES - PREPARATION

• A welcoming environment• Personalised agenda/template/key issues/notes• Time for preparation in class with the children• Work samples/portfolios available• Reflection by the young person, teacher (written)• Praise for the learner from teacher, parent• Questions from each person at the conference• Clarity about future

LEARNING CONFERENCES - PREPARATION

LEARNING CONFERENCES – PREPARATION WITH THE CHILDREN

• Preparation with children in days/weeks preceding the learning conference• Showcase learning• Achievements/learning reflection• Learning goals• Support needed at school and at home• Dreams and aspirations• Agenda/running sheet• Work samples/portfolio accessible

LEARNING CONFERENCES - BENEFITS

• School and home ‘on the same page’• The young person knows that parent and teacher

are working together to support them• School connectedness is enhanced• It’s a component of personalising the learning• Focus is on ‘learning’ rather than ‘schooling’

LEARNING CONFERENCES - BENEFITS

• Strengthens a parents engagement in their child’s learning• Assists the development of growing

independence and responsibility in learning• Relationship between teacher and young person

is enhanced – all learning is relational• Teacher understands more of the learner’s ‘story’

LEARNING CONFERENCES - CONSIDERATIONS

• Supported with information for the parents and families, and in class, especially as children grow older• Time – consider length of time available for the

conference• The conference is a component of extended

conversation during the child’s time at school

LEARNING CONFERENCES – MY EXPERIENCE

• Clarity around support parent and teacher share• Stronger, more positive relationships – on many

levels• Helped me get a better understanding of each

young person’s context – empathy• Some young people need more ‘support’ than

others

LEARNING CONFERENCES – MY EXPERIENCE

• More engagement in learning, particularly with boys• Parents were often enormously impressed, and

proud of their child’s achievements• Calmer classroom• Felt more like a partner in the young person’s

learning journey• Young person grew in confidence and

understanding of themselves as a learner

Even though it’s called a parent-teacher conference, the meeting is all about the student. Why should the central person be excluded? Students do better in school when they feel in charge and accountable for the quality of their work…

Student –led conferences generally require more preparation, especially by students. Essentially, the responsibility for doing quality work is transferred from the teacher to the student. Instead of being talked about, students discuss and defend a portfolio of work that demonstrates their progress

Anne Henderson, Beyond the Bake Sale