First Student Led Conference (SLC) was organized at VNGS Navalur on 18.10.19

It was a conference with parents led by the student.  The role of the classroom teacher was that of a facilitator in the conference process.  Students led parents through a discussion of their work and established academic and social goals.  The process included the teacher facilitating several conferences at the same time.  The student directed the conversation focused on their work and classroom behavior.


Since the process of communicating the progress of students to parents must involve students in a meaningful way, for a discussion of student work to be relevant, accurate and complete, students were meaningfully engaged in the process.  Having students led a conference with parents is a way to maximize their involvement.  The involvement of students in the conferencing process promoted three elements essential to improving student performance in school:

·         Relevance; why we are teaching what we are teaching to students

·         Responsibility; making the student more responsible for learning

·         Reporting to parents how students are progressing in learning

Student-led conferences was a success as it was a change in the roles that teacher, student and parent had  played in traditional parent conferencing.  Teachers became facilitators, students became leaders and parents became active listeners and questioners. 

Student-led conferences benefitted the students as:

·         It increases students’ self-confidence

·         Encouraged them  to take an active role in their education

·         Allowed students to disclose any worries or struggles they are facing

·         Motivated parents to attend meetings and conferences

·         Gave teachers an insight into how their students think

·         Created the opportunity for an on-going dialogue

Seema Singh Dogra

Principal

Velammal New Gen

Navalur