Classroom Environment - SLC's

In education, the emphasis is often on the growth and development of students. To truly honour their progress, it is important to create opportunities where they can actually showcase their accomplishments.  Last week was an exciting first for me – meeting the whanau of my students at the student-led conferences. We had a very positive atmosphere in the class as students talked their families through the mahi they were most proud of.  

In these student-led conferences, our students proudly showcased their learning journey so far this year.  Students guided their families around the room while referring to a script they had written and rehearsed prior to the night. It was a good reminder of the importance of empowering students to take charge of their education.

Initially, I found working in a shared space with another teacher to be a bit challenging when it came to room environment.  After discussion with my co-teacher and mentor teacher, we opted to 'split' the room for us to work on the displays and room environment.  I have found that since 'splitting' the class it has enabled a bit more clarity for both ourselves as teachers and our students during learning time.  I especially find it useful to have my groups' mahi where I can see it so I am able to refer to it when I teach.  I can happily say my wall displays have come a long way from starting in Term 1, and I have seen a shift in motivation for students to complete their work after seeing their peers be put on the wall etc.

Some key things I took away from the student-led conferences were how they celebrated student growth, fostered pride, and promoted whanau engagement. The conferences provided a platform for students to shine, fostered their confidence and hopefully were the start of some lasting home-school connections.  It was a great opportunity to awhi our students and build connections with their families.