Lapwai Elementary Takes A New Approach To Parent & Teacher Conferences

By Agnes L. Weaskus

While looking and taking pictures of the first signs of spring on March 25, 2004 this reporter could not help but notice some unusual new flowers growing at the kindergarten school and District office. The flowers were so extraordinary they had pictures of kindergarten students growing in the hearts of each the flowers. The flowers led the pathway to the school and may have just helped parents or guardians find their way into the school.

What brought parents to school? The “student lead conferences” brought the parents to school. In previous years this would have been the parent and teacher conference held each semester for students and parents during report card time. However, this year the elementary teachers have taken a new approach that places the control of the conference in the hands of the students themselves.

Teacher Lynnette Rowden informed, “We work with the students for several weeks by working with them to learn how to assess their work and help students identify their best work to place in a folder for the parent conferences and grades. At first some of the student were a little scared but we worked with them and their confidence level rose so they began to look forward to the conferences with their parents.” Rowden continued, “they became more focused on their work and learned how to show their work to their parents. The students feel better because more control is given to them rather then the teacher, it is a student driven process.”

“They decorated the room and chose how things would be presented to the parents. It was a little hard for me because I was used to doing that task. Things are a little crooked on the wall but it is their class and I had to give it up to them. They are very happy about it. Some were not sure what to do, but after coaching and practicing what to do, they became confident with themselves,” said Rowden.

Superintendent Harold Ott is very excited about this approach and is pleased with how teachers have taken to this style of involving students more in this fashion. He sees excitement in the both the teachers and the students. The parents appeared to be pleased with the confidence the students displayed.

All of the students looked very comfortable taking their parents and showing them what they were going to be doing by following a schedule lead by their child or children. Parents and students smiled a lot during the student lead conferences. The teacher was always available for any questions the parents asked but it was pretty much the students that did the process. Rowen said the students worked harder on their school work and were more positive once they grasped the concept and then they could hardly wait to have their parents come to school for the conference.