conferences – Page 4 – Pernille Ripp

classroom expectations, conferences, grades, letter to Jeremy, students

Why Top Down isn’t Always Bad

December 6, 2010 Pernille Ripp

This letter is part of a series of letters taking place between Jeremy Macdonald @MrMacnology, a 5th grade teacher in Oregon, and Pernille Ripp @4thgrdteacher, 4th grade teacher in Wisconsin; two educators who for the first time are attempting a no grades classroom, as well as limited homework. We share our thoughts and struggles with creating the best learning environment for our students so that others may learn something as well. To see the other letters, please visit us here or here.

Hello again,

Initially I was going to start out with more questions in reply to your post, and yes, it is a total reflection of my personality, and then I thought why not reflect a little and then bombard you with questions later?

So I get the time restraint when it came to sharing student grades with them before report cards went home. I send mine home tomorrow and getting to all 25 students last week was a stretch but I am so glad I did. Each child was asked to reflect on their own grades – I have to give letter grades – and then meet with me. The scale is simple A = Secure, B = developing and C = Beginning. You know how I feel about students failing in 4th grade so that simply is not an option for a grade. And besides, aren’t we so vigorously trying to push our students further away from equating learning with a grade? Anyway, this format turned out to be informative and wonderful. Most students rated their knowledge level at the same point as I would have, some were way too harsh on themselves leading to in-depth conversations about self-esteem and math, in particular. Some, of course, were not even quite sure what the grades meant and had therefore thought A’s looked pretty good. There were tougher conversations but in the end I felt good and I think the kids did too. See, there will be no ugly surprises tomorrow. No hiding report cards from parents. Or pretending to not care about that stupid thing anyway. I remember feeling like I betrayed the kids on their report cards in earlier years; where was their warning before this had to be taken home? Instead, the students feel that they know why they are getting the grade they are getting and also that they have the responsibility for that grade. No longer is the grade the final product of the trimester but rather the beginning of the next one. What do we know and where do we need to go with it? Relief…

Ok, I get the learning is learning and we must be excited about all of it. But can’t we just admit to ourselves that bringing technology into the room does appear more exciting than just plain old paper and pencil? Of course, this is a broad generalization fore there are times when paper and pen are best, but come on, let’s be honest here; those kids light up when they can incorporate anything tech into the lesson. Perhaps in 20 years, paper and pencil will be the novel thing to do and will reclaim some of its lost glory.

My final point about setting students up for disappointment leads me to another falsehood that we as teachers love to repeat to ourselves when we worry about passing students on the following year. “All students will adapt and grow to love that classroom and learning environment!” We pacify ourselves with that statement enough to where we can find ourselves repeating it when having discussions about different learning environments. I think it is bogus. I remember years that I hated going to school simply because the learning environment was stodgy and boring and nothing like what I was used to. Of course, students are adaptable and flexible and all that, but shouldn’t we have some sort of technology consensus or minimum of integration at a school at least? And yes I am dreaming for I know what I am up against but sometimes top-down decisions can prove to be a blessing in disguise. Now who to persuade on that?

And hey, Macdonald,”Ripp” is what one of my favoritest students on the spectrum calls me. No titles, no formalities, just a name. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

conferences, letter to Jeremy, technology

Are We Setting Students up for Failure?

November 21, 2010 Pernille Ripp

Hi Jeremy,

I am so glad to hear that conferences went well. There we both were, sweating over every single detail and once again our fears got the better of us. My parents loved it. No one asked any questions as to what grade their child should be getting but instead asked pointed questions to their children about their learning. As you may have realized, I have gotten hooked on student-led conferences as well in the process. So maybe this shows us too that we have done our job well as well. We have prepared our parents as much as we prepare our students. We let them know from the beginning what type of environment we envision and then we follow our own guidelines. No surprises means no anger. I do wonder how you ended up doing your report cards in that you say some students were surprised? Had you not shown them to them beforehand or discussed it with them? I am liberally borrowing the idea from Joe Bower in setting grades with the kids, that way there won’t be any surprises or confusion. I agree, we continue this path and we adjust and continue, knowing that it is the right way to go.

I too am tech-obsessed. I like to blame it on my parents who had one of the only original apple computers in town. My students know that I have this obsession and they love it. And yet, like you, I ponder whether my obsession is a healthy one and whether it is educationally relevant to the students? So every time I choose to introduce a new tool for the students I have to know why. Is it just for playing or is it an integral part of the learning process. My students blog because we are learning to connect with an audience and to cater our writing to specific purposes. Blogging also has the added excitement of responses from other people rather than just plain old me. And yet, we write by hand every day as well. One teacher told me that they thought students needed to learn how to write before they moved on to typing. She therefore did not want students doing technology “stuff.” I was hurt and confused by her comment, knowing that she was directing it at me and the approach I have taken and I didn’t get what she meant as I see the two as one in the same. I can just as easily write a story by pencil as by typing. To me that seems to be an excuse to keep students away from technology.

There have been times though where I have had to stop myself, though. I know that my students get much more excited when they get to use technology but some times learning has to come from books and from discussion. Not from a movie, or a voicethread, or some other computer related activity. How do we set up our students for excitement about that type of learning? Is there a way to combine the two? Or will the technology always win because it is a gadget. Are we, in truth, by being techy teachers, doing our students a disservice by setting them up for perpetual disappointment when they move on to teachers that do not embrace it as fully as we do? Are we instead of helping shape 21st century students, shaping kids that will more quickly become disillusioned in a classroom because their teacher does not embrace technology? Should teachers even be allowed to not incorporate technology into their lessons?

We will always be advocates for learning, that is the nature of our job, but what we must deliberate on every day is whether a tool will enhance learning or merely dress it up to become easier to digest? I take an unpopular stance when I say that I feel interactive whiteboards are not all that they are hailed to be for learning purposes, although I agree that they catch children’s’ attention very well. And that’s it, isn’t it? Do we use technology to get the attention of our students or do we use it properly to teach them something?

I fear I left you with more questions than answers. Yet they are important ones that I struggle with on a daily basis. And I wish I could say that I had typed this on my Ipad, however Santa has yet to decide whether I have been good enough to deserve one of those for Christmas or not. I swear I have…

being a teacher, conferences, learning, new teacher, parents, students

Let Them Speak – Why Student Led Conferences are the Right Choice

November 12, 2010July 29, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I admit it; yesterday morning even I thought I was crazy. I was getting ready to unleash my students in their first student led conferences and with no experience to fall back upon, those 24 super nervous students were freaking me out. And then something magical happened; it worked! The students took their parents through an eloquent journey of their learning, and more importantly, flaunted their knowledge while setting new goals for themselves. I am sold.This beauty of the student-led conference was not something invented by me; in fact, many people have blazed the trail on this and I have even heard of kids as young as 1st grade leading their own conference. Therefore when I decided this year that the classroom was no longer all about me, I was intrigued by the idea of also “allowing” students to run their own conferences. Every year, I am exhausted and exhilarated after these. Exhilarated, because it is a thing of beauty to discuss success, progress and goals with parents – exhausted because I talked and talked for 20 minutes a kid two or three nights in a row. Although students have always been required to be at their conference with me (why discuss them if they are not there to hear it) they were never really engaged. Conferences for them were a way for me to tell their parents how they were doing, and as such, a passive act for them, something they were required to listen to but not be full participants in. This year, I knew it had to be different.Always a believer in preparation, I decided that much as I prepare for conferences so must my students. We therefore discussed the purpose of them until everyone understood that conferences were there to show off their learning, not as a form of punishment or “telling” on them to their parents. Then came the real work; what would they discuss? I knew that these kids had never led a conference before and so they needed an agenda. Students therefore received a 2-sided agenda from me with what I expected them to discuss. (Another valuable life skills happens to be how to lead a successful meeting so this proved practice in that as well). They were given time in class to take notes for their conference if they felt they needed that to guide them; some did but not all, and they were able to ask any clarifying questions of the agenda and curriculum we had covered. Students were also asked to self-assess both their writing and grade themselves. I have to give them letter grades on their report card, even if I would prefer not to, and so they were asked to translate their performances and knowledge into grades. It was eye-opening to see how harsh they could be when judging themselves. Once students felt that they had everything prepared, we met to go over their papers. They were given a folder in which they could place anything they wanted to show at the conference, including their notes. And then we waited…

Our final question session was yesterday right before the first conference was to be held. Students all placed their conference folders in a safe spot and took a deep breath. I showed no nerves, even though inside I was second-guessing this decision with every teacher-bone in my body. It wasn’t that I thought students couldn’t do it, but more that I wondered whether parents would get it. Would they see that this wasn’t just a way for me to “get out of” conferences, but rather a much better way for the same information to be delivered? I am glad I was proven so wrong.

While some students did better than others, 1 never showed up, and 3 parents forgot to bring their kids, it was still incredible to hear and see the kids share their learning. Parents were given a recommended question sheet but most did not need it. They knew which questions to ask their children and I became what I should be; an accessory to the conversation. I jumped in when clarification was needed or if a child judged themselves too harshly. Otherwise I helped guide a little and then just listened and what I learned was so valuable. I got a better grip on how secure some of my students were than I could have ever gotten from just observing them in the classroom or let alone given them a worksheet. I also got to see another side of my students as they spoke to their parents, in essence representing themselves as members of my class to the outside world. I know what I have to repeat in class and what students get. I know what has made an impression on them and what I should skip next year. But the best part of all of this was the pride these kids took. And not just in their work, or their grades, but in doing the conference themselves. The parents noticed too and I therefore must declare these my most successful conferences to date. I am thankful for the advice given to me regarding student-led conferences and I hope this will inspire others to try it as well. If you let your students lead; you will be amazed. I know I was, and for that I am thankful (and proud!).

I have all of the forms I use available here

assessment, conferences, feedback, new teacher, parents, students

Best Advice for Conferences

October 12, 2010 Pernille Ripp

Recently I was asked to be guest moderator for the fantastic new teacher chat (#ntchat) hosted by Lisa Dabbs @TeachingwthSoul Wednesday nights. While the name may be deceiving, this is certainly not just a chat for new teachers, but for all teachers looking to find new ideas and to share their expertise. I was very happy to be a part of this chat because the topic was preparing for parent/teacher conferences. The chat was lively as you can see from the archive found here, so I thought I would share some of my best ideas for how to have the best possible parent/teacher/student conferences.

My best advice: Don’t make this your first contact with parents! Whether it be email, phone, letters or whichever method of contact you prefer; make sure you have reached out to all parents before they show up for the conference.
Invite the student to the conference. Many schools are turning to student-led conferences, which is an idea I want to try as well, but if this makes you uncomfortable or does not fit into your school, at least invite the child. After all, if you are trying to discuss solutions and give feedback then the child is a vital part of that conversation.
Plan, prepare, and know exactly why you are giving the feedback you are planning on giving. If you seem ill-prepared, parents will notice. This is an important conversation and should be valued as such. I write notes for myself for each student using this planning sheet. This way I know what I want to highlight and I also have a paper trail. We write focus goals together and the next day the parents get a copy of my notes.
Dress the part. Again, this is a big deal to students and can be a great way to share successes and give feedback. Don’t let your clothing distract from the task at hand.
Remind, remind, remind. Parents are busy so send home a reminder or two or three, or have students remind their parents. If you have an inkling someone may not show up, call them. If it is a transportation issue, offer to come to them.
Be flexible! Not all parents can automatically come to your planned dates. I have had phone conferences, morning meetings, late night conferences. Whatever it takes to communicate is worth it to me.
Start and end with something positive. You want everyone to feel good about this experience but you also want to be honest. All kids have great qualities and success stories; share them! Do not be afraid to bring up things that may appear critical, after all, this is a learning dialogue, however, leave the conversation on a positive note as well. Sometimes it is best to let parents speak first, try to hone n on their social cues to see if that is the case. That way they will be able to be fully engaged when they have spoken their piece rather than waiting for their turn.
Be honest! If you feel a student needs to work harder, say so, but say it in a constructive manner. Highlight the effort being made and how you feel you can work together to improve it. Some parents will need a lighter phrasing than others; trust your instinct and know your relationship with them.
Have samples ready. To illustrate highlights and “normal” work, use actual work from the student showing their progress and what you are basing feedback on.
Do not use teacher language. We may be fluent in the land of acronyms or reading comprehension but others are probably not. Don’t assume that they will know what working on fluency means, rather explain it in a direct manner.
Leave room for questions. Make sure that there is plenty of time for discussion and questions during the conversation at the end. Sometimes surprising knowledge comes to light or even more successes are found.
Be on time and stick to the schedule. We are all busy so do not leave people waiting; it is unprofessional. That also means you may want to schedule a short break for yourself to eat or just breathe. If a conference is going over the time limit, offer to reschedule at another time. Parents will appreciate your respect and promptness.
Do not be afraid to involve others. If you have a mentor, ask them to sit in on a couple. I have had my principal sit in on several and have valued his feedback. Also, if you are worried about a conference make sure someone sits in with you. If a conference ever turns argumentative or unprofessional do not be afraid to ask to reschedule with someone else present.
Embrace them! I love conferences because it allows me to show off how incredible my job is and what amazing students I have. Yes, they may be tiring, and a lot of work but let your enthusiasm show; you will be surprised at the response you get. After all, I have the best job in the world and I am not afraid to say that.

So what did I miss? Please add your best advice in the comments, we are each others’ best teachers and mentors.