LEAD Students Take Ownership of Their Learning Through Student-Led Conferences
LEAD Public Schools believes in order to develop our students into well-rounded individuals, they need to be empowered to take ownership over their own education. That’s why we flip the script on parent-teacher conferences by having our students lead the conversation.
“[It’s important] to get the student’s point of view and perspective of the school,” said Katreen Dawood, an 8th grader at LEAD Southeast Middle. “We show our parents what our everyday life is and what it’s like to be a student at LEAD.”
This week’s student-led conferences were a family affair for Katreen and her younger brother, Mina, a 6th grader at LEAD Southeast Middle, as they took their dad around to their classes and took turns reviewing their work with him. The students each walked their dad through assignments from each subject and even shared behavior charts with him that showed how they ranked themselves against their teachers’ ratings. (Spoiler alert: High marks for both students!)
“I feel confident in myself showing [my dad] the work that I’ve done,” said Mina. “It makes him feel comfort that I’m doing better in my classes and not going to fail.”
Through student-led conferences, LEAD students are able to take ownership of their learning through reflection and goal setting. It allows scholars to provide an update to their family members on their progress in school, while simultaneously building their confidence and communication skills – experience that will serve them well in both college and career.
“Student-led conferences provide a unique opportunity for students to speak about their own areas of strength and growth,” said Tom Schoen, principal at LEAD Southeast Middle. “It’s amazing to see how much courage and self-reliance our students are capable of.”
