Two weeks ago, we had parent/teacher conferences. Not surprisingly, I was very nervous! For some, it is the first time we are meeting, and we all know that we don't always have sunshines and rainbows to report. :) I did have something new to add to my folder this year, though, that my parents reacted very positively to.
For my PDP, I am focusing on the social curriculum. Each week, I give students a feelings survey, where they can circle a sad face, middle face, or happy face for the following areas: classroom, friends, playground, bus, and home. I put together graphs for each student, showing the results of the First Quarter Feelings surveys. I conducted interviews to explain any negative feelings and so that I could pinpoint the problem areas of my classroom.
Parents were pleasantly surprised to not only have data regarding test scores, but also about how their young child felt about different areas of school.
I feel better knowing that I have a better understanding of how my students feel while they are at school. It is easy to forget, sometimes, that they are only six and seven years old, and that what we might consider irrelevant issues, might be affecting their well-being on a daily basis.
Nice idea Paula. What a great way to allow students the ability to share their thoughts and feelings with you about school feelings. I would tend to think this would help students take more ownership at school and work harder to make it more positive for themselves.
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