Chapter+12


 * Date: || July 10, 2012 || Title of Selection: || Conferences About and With Students ||

Select conference options suited to your students’ and their parents’ needs. Prepare for, conduct, and debrief each conference option. Organize conferences that don’t require your participation. ||
 * Learning target(s) this selection addresses:

Conferences are a very important part of the educational process. It is essential that students, parents, and teachers communicate in order for students to reach their full potential. In the past, the only communication that students received about their current level of achievement was on their report card. If we as educators want to help students reach their full potential, communication on all parts is needed. When it comes to conferences, one size does not fit all. A conference is much more than a note home to a parent. It is more than the teacher telling the parent everything that the child has done wrong and showing them their grades. It is a time when those that care for the child sit down to look at evidence that shows the current level of achievement and develop a plan (plan of action) together to see that the child reaches their educational goals. However, it still goes one step further. A quality conference involves the child (for the most part). It asks the child to play an important part of the decision making. It teaches the child to take responsibility for their destiny. It gives the child first hand experience in making quality decisions in regards to their education. Conferences are not events that are held only at the end of a grading period or once a year, they are living, breathing partnerships that happen often and frequently for and of learning. They should be selected from the different conference options available in order to meet your needs as an educator and the needs of the parents and most importantly the child. Through well thought-out conferences that occur for and of learning, our students should get the support that they need along with valuable information that will help them to become life long learners. ** Setting a Goal ** Select conferences options suited to your students’ and their parents’ needs. ||
 * What this selection illustrates about my learning/why I chose this selection:**
 * Name: || John C. Public || Date: || July 9, 2012 ||
 * I will learn ||
 * How to borrow and regroup (more on the floor, go next door and get 10 more) ||
 * My “before” picture—evidence I used to choose my goal: ||
 * I got some problems wrong in my math notebook ||
 * My plan is to ||
 * Practice some during RTI and do some with my shoulder partner during wrap-up time. ||
 * I need these materials: ||
 * Practice problems, my pencil, my math notebook ||
 * I will ask for help from ||
 * Ms. D and my shoulder partner ||
 * I will be ready to show my learning on this day: ||
 * Next Friday during RTI time. ||
 * My “after” picture—I will show my learning by ||
 * Working sample problems in my notebook correctly and working them right on the test. ||
 * Chapter 12 learning target:
 * I will ask for help from ||
 * Ms. D and my shoulder partner ||
 * I will be ready to show my learning on this day: ||
 * Next Friday during RTI time. ||
 * My “after” picture—I will show my learning by ||
 * Working sample problems in my notebook correctly and working them right on the test. ||
 * Chapter 12 learning target:
 * Chapter 12 learning target:
 * Chapter 12 learning target:

I used to conduct conferences as a “one size fits all” format. I did not consider the needs of the student or the parents. I conducted the conference like I had been instructed to. I did not debrief the students to the level that they needed in order to be successful and sell informed. ||
 * I used to:

Now I plan to consider the needs of my students and parents before I plan a conference. I plan to use conferences formatively and summatively. ||
 * Now I:

Organize conferences that don’t require your participation. ||
 * Chapter 12 learning target:

I used to be the one that would conference with the parents and/or students. ||
 * I used to:

Now I plan on showing my students how to conference with each other. I will instruct students on the “do’s” of conferencing and set guidelines in order to insure success. ||
 * Now I: