This was discussed at the parent orientation meeting and I didn't understand the concept then. I didn't understand how the teacher is going to have an honest conversation with a parent about their child's grades, behavior, performance, or any other issue, with the child right there.
At the board meeting the process was clarified according to the article:
Jodi Chilson explained how the practice improves parental involvement and helps students improve their work by using a "reflection sheet" for every test or project. The sheets are an outline of what the students feel they did right or wrong and how they can improve grades in the future. While students and parents interact, the teacher serves only as a facilitator.In essence, we are eliminating parent teacher conferences and having the school step in to force all parents to do, what we do every time a test comes home - talk to our child about it!
To go one step further, the child will tell us how they 'feel', not what they know. They should know what they did right or wrong because it should have been taught to them in class. Maybe a small point, but I'm amazed how many times I ask my daughter what the correct answer was and she doesn't know because they didn't go over the test in class, they are just handed back to be signed by mom and dad and returned.
I really don't see me wasting my time to participate in these sessions and have a conversation with my daughter that I have throughout the year anyway.
In effect, this creates one or two less teacher interactions a year and reduces parent involvement.
Okay, I've given more opinion than normal today - what do you think? Good idea or no?
8 comments:
More opinion than normal, perhaps, but absolutely necessary. This is another one of their busy-work initiatives, that will bring little if any benefit.
As you say, most of us are way out in front of this "cutting edge" approach, and are deeply involved with our kids' education. For the parents that are not, the assumption that 10 minutes of parent-child discussion in front of the "facilitator" will suddenly change that is really a reach. In fact, the parents not already having this type of interaction with their children likely do not even attend parent-teacher conferences in their current form.
Trimesters, goofy conference proposals, block scheduling for 4th graders, 500K weight rooms, real estate speculation, and on and on. You can't make this stuff up.
And yet, it continues.
First Saucon Valley withdrew its original contract offer, now this:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_3cuts.6865771apr22,0,4969170.story
OT, I know, but this is what awaits us, as our "mistakes" come home to roost in the future.
From the article news4less references:
Guidry said the current average salary of the district's 754 teachers is $53,644, with the lowest starting salary at $41,300. She said that at the end of the five-year contract, the average salary would be $73,300, with the lowest starting salary at $54,063.
The highest salary by 2012, for a teacher with a doctorate and 15 years of experience, would be $99,000.
(This is Easton School District)
I do find it hard to believe that a four year degree and no experience will be starting at $54,000 and full family benefits along with 180 day work year and guaranteed pension, and that same individual will break $100,000 in 15 years with a PHD paid by the employer.
As a parent who attended one of these "conferences" at the current middle school recently, my opinion is....what a friggin waste of my time AND a waste of my child's time (spending what is suppose to be educational time, writing 'reflections')....gimme a break! I don't need my child to 'reflect' on every test or assignment, I need them LEARNING!! We are already using a wacky curriculum/testing program in some subject areas(and this could be another blog)-we don't need the kids to waste more time thinking about how they could do better on a test that asks for the 'best answer'.
I want the teachers to TEACH, my child to LEARN and the Parent-TEACHER conference to be just that-between the parent and the teacher. Some things need to be discussed open and honestly between adults, not kids. Let's get back to the basics here, c'mon.
I don't want to start any trouble, but I thought I might add a little balance here. My child is in the middle school, and we had two conferences this year. One earlier in the year with the entire team of teachers, and a second one that was my daughter and myself. While I think the traditional conference is more helpful to me personally, I also see that the student-run conference encourages kids to be proud of their work and reflect on what they have accomplished. As a professional, I am asked to reflect on my own work all the time (even the best of my work), so I can make improvements the next time around. And I think it is a skill that kids NEED to have. I don't think it should replace the traditional PT conference, but I like it as an addition.
I don't really understand the people who are saying they need more time with just the adults to discuss their child. They are acting like that is the ONLY opportunity to talk to the teachers. I can call any of the teachers on my child's team and talk adult-to-adult any time I want, and I have. I don't wait for the parent teacher conference if I have a concern, and neither should anyone else. If you need time to talk to the teacher, contact them. Do you really wait for just one opportunity per year to talk to the teachers? Really?
Lineflat -
I didn't read in any post here that the current conferences were the only time they spoke with teachers, though that may be the case for some. I'm sure the teachers are glad to get at least the conference time to speak with
those folks.
Do you really wait for a scheduled student-run conference to have your child reflect on his/her work? Really?
Sure, you see the projects, and the things that they work on at home, but much of the work that is assessed never comes home - the teachers keep it on file. After it is graded, the kids maybe see the work, or sometimes they just see a grade. Sure, we talk about grades all the time. But, this may really the first opportunity that the kids have had to review their entire file as a whole, and select what they think is the best of it, and present it to mom or dad with an explanation as to why it is the best. I think it's very productive, but you are entitled to your opinion.
The original post stated that this "creates less interactions" and "reduces parent involvement." My point is only parents can reduce parent involvement. I have never contacted a teacher and been told "sorry, you have to wait for conferences to talk to me."
Really.
Sure, you see the projects, and the things that they work on at home, but much of the work that is assessed never comes home - the teachers keep it on file. After it is graded, the kids maybe see the work, or sometimes they just see a grade. Sure, we talk about grades all the time. But, this may really the first opportunity that the kids have had to review their entire file as a whole, and select what they think is the best of it, and present it to mom or dad with an explanation as to why it is the best. I think it's very productive, but you are entitled to your opinion.
The original post stated that this "creates less interactions" and "reduces parent involvement." My point is only parents can reduce parent involvement. I have never contacted a teacher and been told "sorry, you have to wait for conferences to talk to me."
Really.
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