Conferences: A Precious Three Day Window to Say All the Things!

The pumpkins have been swapped out for cornicopias, the ghosts for turkeys, the candy for stuffing and pie. It is that sweet pocket of the year between Halloween and Thanksgiving where we are all moving towards the glow of the holidays, but have not yet been completely enveloped by them. Between coordinating family travel plans and menu preparation and getting an early jump on that holiday shopping, somehow families are supposed to also fit in a trip to the school to meet with their student’s teacher. My families want to hear what their child has been doing in school for the last few months, and while it is tempting to overemphasize the positive or dwell on the negative, it is probably the only chance this year that you as the teacher have to get your two cents across in a meaningful way. So order that 20 oz coffee, because it’s time for Conferences!

I strive to communicate with families on a weekly basis. I want them to hear how their child is growing in school, where they are excelling, and where I am noticing concerns long before they evolve into a major issue. But, if you also live in the real world, you know that weekly communication is a dream. On average, I’m sending home a weekly newsletter, emailing a few families, and making one or two phone calls each week. And I’ll be the first to admit that some weeks, that just doesn’t all happen. But since each student is generally more complex than a quick email, conferences are an incredibly important time to communicate each student’s strengths and needs.

At our school, our Novemeber conferences are student-led, meaning that students guide their families through a portfolio of work that they have selected, demonstrating all that they have done so far, as well as showing their own reflection on their learning. In the intermediate grades, this is pretty incredible to watch. At the kindergarten level, it’s a bit different. I have students lead their families through a few activities to demonstrate some of the skills we’ve been working on, like a math game or reading a Just Right book. I then break from the student-led model a bit and discuss how the student is doing socially and emotionally in class. This is where you can let the rushed schedule, the 12-hour days, the stress, the exhaustion, the pressure drive you into a comfort zone of placation. “Gloria is wonderful to have in class” or “Miguel’s creativity is a great contribution to our class community” are so easy to say! And by all means, if Gloria and Miguel really are that great, say it. But this is where I strive to push myself towards authentic conversations rooted in data, informed observations, and my professional judgment. By no means does this mean conferences are wholly negative or positive. My focus is on sharing my perspective of a student with their family, using work samples and observed interactions to facilitate a discussion of the student as a growing, developing person.

Here’s an example of a student-led conference agenda that I have used in the past:

Grab the family-friendly version one here on my TpT site!

This is a template, and template is just a rough idea of how things may go. I have my folder prepared for each student with work samples and sticky notes, but if the family wants to talk about something else, then that’s what we do. This is their time to talk about their child, so I believe they should have a say in what we talk about. That being said, I generally have one or two major points I want to talk about with each student, and I will hone in on those to make sure I have at least done my due diligence.

The most important aspect of this agenda for me is how it helps me collect and organize data to share with families. In kindergarten, “data” is anything from a state-wide readiness assessment (in Washington, we use WA Kids), Just Right reading levels (we use Fontas & Pinnell), writing samples, to anecdotal observations or even photos and videos of students working. I want every statement I make about a student to be based in evidence, because for those families outside of the education world, that is what makes most sense.

I have worked with teachers who bust out trays of treats during conferences, who give out gift baggies of Thanksgiving-themed school supplies. Good for them. I don’t. And I never will. My families leave conferences with a giant folder of student work, an agenda specifically annotated for each child, and hopefully a stronger sense of who their child is as a learner in kindergarten. Because frankly, if this is the only time families and I connect all year, it better be all about the student.

Teach on!

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