MEANINGLESS MEETINGS. Student-led conferences only help students set goals for their academic lives and nothing further. (Illustration: Zahir Hassan via Canva)

Student-led conferences have not always been popular amongst students, whether that’s because of the awkward conversations between two adults while you’re sitting there listening or the yearning to go back home and sleep after being forced to get up early to set goals.

SPA has moved away from spring parent-teacher conferences and adopted a new way to set goals and plan for the future: student-led conferences. Students spend time during their advisory period to fill out three sheets full of questions like: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment in the first semester? How do you feel you can improve this semester? What is a realistic and attainable goal that you will set for yourself? Student-led conferences aim to empower the student to be more involved in their learning and academic goals. These conferences help parents and advisors understand the student’s planning and goals firsthand and allow the student to directly communicate their thinking.

The concept of students talking through their goals is necessary and helps the student, parent, and advisor be on the same page; however, there are other ways to accomplish goal-setting without awkward conversation and student disinterest. An alternative to student-led conferences could require students to fill out one questionnaire about their goals and how their parents and advisors can best support them, which is turned into their advisor. Then, students could have a mandatory 10-minute conversation with their parents on what both parties think is best for the student. Once this happens, parents and advisors can meet to discuss the student and their goals. With this new process, students are talking with their parents and their advisors are able to recognize the goals that the students want. The separate parent-advisor conference would still be a part of the process, ensuring that the adults are on the same page and on the same page as the student.

The other option that has been going on for a while are individual parent-teacher conferences, which are much needed. Parents and the student’s teachers meet for 10 minutes to discuss how the student is performing, behaving, and how their student can improve in each class. The purpose of this is to get a check-in to see how the student fits in with the dynamic of each of their class and how to improve, as told by the teacher firsthand. In parent-teacher conferences, the teacher gives personalized feedback on how each student can improve to reach their goal, unlike in student-led conferences.

Although it can be a hassle for both parents and the teachers, parent-teacher conferences are necessary for the student to thrive because there is lots of feedback given. The parent is also given an insight into the student’s life in each class and all adults can help the student to improve their learning. One downside of parent-teacher conferences is that a student could feel like their parents are too invasive in their personal learning and this could further decrease their academic performance. This is true to some extent, but part of learning as a student and a person is to understand how to communicate one’s needs from their support system.

Student-led conferences are not as efficient and effective as they should be. The alternative is a quick and easy way to achieve the same things that all parties want. Along with the new alternative, parent-teacher conferences must be kept because they are original, yet necessary.

(Illustration made using Canva elements: Thought Bubble Icon by ViveraDesign, Little boy felt embarrassed by Siifara, Man Is sitting on a Chair by Natalia Pirozhkova, Semi-Realistic Buildable Woman Sitting on a Chair Joyce Caleze and Blackboard 3D Illustration by Asofa)