Each Saturday join Ruth Ayres to share and celebrate events from your week. I have several things to celebrate this week, but I have chosen two to share today!
Celebration One - Monday morning I started my Mock Newbery Breakfast Club with my high ability 4th graders. It is a small group, but they seem to be willing to accept the challenge of reading books which are out of their comfort zones. I can't wait to start reading and talking about the books I have bought for this group...all recommended from many of you! I hope this becomes a great way for me to celebrate books and talk with my students.
Celebration Two - Last week we held our parent - teacher conferences. This year I decided to try student-led conferences. What a success!
Yes, it was a little more work with the preparations and practicing with the students, but well worth it. The kids were both excited and nervous about showing their assessment results and progress for the first nine weeks of school to their parents. But I could see the pride on their sweet, little faces...students and parents!
Accountability has been the buzz word for teachers, but this year I have made it a part of my classroom. I think students (and parents!) need to be held accountable for their learning. Because of the conferences, the students have a deeper understanding of the assessments they are given, the way their grades are determined, and the expectations set for them. I anticipate great things happening and many celebrations as we go forward.
For those of you who already use student-led conferences, is there anything you would do differently? If you don't use them, you might want to consider this. I think it will give you a reason to celebrate!
Have a great week and may you blessed with many celebrations!
Leigh Anne, wowzer - those ARE great reasons to celebrate!!
ReplyDeleteOur 6th graders are doing a Mock Newbery, too. What books are you reading? Maybe our kids can connect!
I just love that you tried student-led conferences! What a great way to get students invested in their own learning! Love, love, love it!
I'm doing Mock Newbery with my 6th graders. Our titles are chosen by KCLS (King County Library System), but I always add two titles to their list of six titles. I'd love to know which titles you've selected.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for doing student-led conferences. I love this line from your post - "I anticipate great things happening and many celebrations as we go forward."
Loved, loved, loved seeing your kids doing parent teacher conferences. I totally agree with you that kids need to be the ones talking about their learning, not just for accountability but also for CELEBRATION!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of student led conferences. I'm sure it would be very interesting coming from my kindergarten kiddos! :) Great celebrations this week!
ReplyDeleteSeems like student-led conferences are well worth the time spent. I've used student comments during conferences to help assess their understanding of goals, but haven't moved to working with them before the conference. It seems like it would add a huge sense of ownership for the student. So many come fearing what they will hear, and some parents still think it is an adult conversation. Thank you for the great post. Got my goal for the next conference period. Wish I could have a re-do!
ReplyDeleteI would love to do student-led conferences and have gotten close to it many times, but I always get overwhelmed by the amount of dedication it takes to prepare students for this. I am impressed! This is certainly something amazing to celebrate.
ReplyDeleteAll the students from K-8 lead their conferences at my school. It's a big step for those who are just starting, but everyone practices and they are the ones who know how the time has been spent, what has worked well, what has not, so really do well. It takes some education of the parents to be sure they ask their questions to their children, not turn to see what the teacher believes is true, and by the time they are older, they all are so proud to show their learning, and the parents are excited to ask good questions about that learning too. Our librarian & I have also started a mock Newbery. I hope we can all share the titles. We are letting students read different books, then share about them, pass on the books, etc. Would anyone like to do a Google Doc about this? Thanks for sharing all this Leigh Anne-much cause for celebration!
ReplyDeleteI love that your Mock Newbery started this week. I really had the best of intentions in this regard this year, but I just never got it off the ground. Enjoy your conversations!
ReplyDeleteAs a kid I would have loved being in a book club! What fun for them! Student led conferences are the expectation at my last school. It is eye opening for parents, but so worth it. I love your accountability focus.
ReplyDeleteYou have wonderful celebrations. I think I will speak to our Librarian about the Mock Newbery.
ReplyDeleteStudent-led conferences take time to prepare, but giving ownership of learning to the students is so worth it. It might be interesting to hear what the kids thought. In my school students put together portfolios with reflections for the fall conference. The meetings are 15-20 minutes. In spring we have student led conferences that last about an hour and in addition to portfolios include activities for each subject (including art, music, PE.) I hope that when others hear about your experience, student-led-conferences will spread wider.
Student led conferences and Mock Newbery are two new concepts for me. I want to learn more about them. Both are ways to involve students in their own learning. We need to find more ways for students to understand their own responsibility in their education.
ReplyDeleteIt is brave to jump in and try student-led conferences. Your success is written all over the faces of those students and parents! It sounds like you are incorporating the right kind of accountability in your classroom.
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