As a teacher, one of my favorite days of the year is Student-Led Conference Day.  I have the opportunity to watch my students interact with their parents, guiding them through the important third grade work they’ve done so far this year.

They share their ups, their downs, their favorite pieces of work, and the things that were difficult for them.  It’s not a time to display perfect work—it’s a time to share the journey, and discuss life in third grade.

I absolutely love the pride and joy on the faces of the parents and the kids, and it makes every hour of lesson planning all the more worthwhile. Today, there was a time when I had four groups in my room, each family speaking a different language, everyone celebrating their child’s journey.

If your school doesn’t already do student-led conferences, I encourage you to suggest this format.  I’ll be writing more about this later.  For now, I had to share my joy in the moment!