Student-Led Conferences Enhance Learning Ownership

Students’ conferences are an innovative development of the typical parent-teacher meeting structure by focusing on the learner as the subject. These conferences let the student take charge of child education as he or she finds the platform to teach the teachers as well as parents how they have progressed, what they excel in, and what they think they have to work on. In this model, students keep portfolios of works produced in their class projects, assessment results, and reflections. They explain what they and their clients have accomplished, decide on their plans for the future, and define how they are going to solve problems. Such an engagement enhances responsibility and increases individual responsibility of the student in learning and personal development processes. To the parents, student-led conferences afford them a broader understanding or outlook of the student learning processes. That is, parents are not only receiving the voice of the teachers but also the voice of their child, and this is much more valuable. Teachers merely help the students to present their learning experiences in the best possible manner. The approach also creates other pertinent skills like interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. It fosters a positive approach or attitude towards learning, according to students' the ability to regard difficulties as possibilities for enhancement. When evaluation is replaced with collaboration, student-led conferences enhance partnership between the student, parents, and teachers. This practice, besides improving ownership in learning as well as the confidence of students, prepares them for success in school and other life endeavors.