HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 3 way_conferences_2014

 Three Way Conferences provide a forum for homeroom and subject teachers, students and parents to acknowledge student progress and achievement and to set goals for the rest of the academic year.  In Three Way Conferences, students typically lead by explaining their learning achievements, as well as areas for further improvement. This may include displays of student work across number of subjects and across a semester. Students can use their portfolios, workbooks and/or classroom displays to assist them in setting goals.  Three Way Conferences are an important avenue for involving parents and students in the learning process and help parents understand the teaching and learning, assessment and reporting processes.  Three way conferences have benefits for teachers, parents and schools. 3 way_conferences_2014

Students are responsible for reflecting upon work samples they have chosen to share, that have previously been selected with guidance and support from the teacher and to discuss goals and targets for the year. The student, parent and teachers collaborate to establish and identify the student’s strengths and areas for improvement. This will lead to the setting of goals with all determining how they will achieve these goals. The teacher takes notes during the discussion using the ‘goal chart’ and these notes can then be used in the student’s written report. 3 way_conferences_2014

 Each conference will last for approximately 15 minutes. Parents, student and the teacher will sit at a table. The student or teacher commences the conference by explaining the purpose and procedure of the conference.  Each student will create learning goals, whether it is for language, Vietnamese, maths, transdisciplinary skills or an attribute of the learner profile. This may be a mixture of English and the student’s mother tongue. If you need a translator, please arrange this with the family.  The goals are created by the parent, student and teacher. In some situations the parents may need guidance about what goals to create. 3 way_conferences_2014

 Conferences should be positive, focusing on what the student can do and what they are working towards  Provide specific skill details and improvements  Be honest but diplomatic and to the point  Pleasant tone for problem areas  Personalized comments for each student  Be relevant and explicit to the assessment and student work  Offer solutions / suggestions for improvement  Make positives from a negative situation  Because the conferences are early in the year perhaps the parent and student will have more ideas to offer 3 way_conferences_2014

In brief, the goals should be:  Specific  Measurable  Achievable  Realistic  Timely The goals should cover a range of subjects. How many and how these are done should be agreed within each grade level.  Maths  Languages  Transdisciplinary Skills  Profile or Attitude (Specialist teachers can make links)  Specialist subject teachers need to discuss goal setting with students, and give them ideas on how they can share their goals during the Three Way Conferences. Class teachers need to incorporate this into the conference. 3 way_conferences_2014

Everyone needs to be clear about their roles prior to the conference. The role of the specialist teachers  Where possible, members of the ELS team will join teachers, parents and students in the Three Way Conferences.  Single subject teachers (PE, French, Vietnamese and Music) will share their goal setting with students to class teachers and students. Teachers can incorporate them into their conferences.  A letter has gone home to parents to inform them of their role during Three Way Conferences.  Please share the roles and responsibilities of all parties with your students.  We wish to collect parents’ perspectives on how they can best inform us of how action is shown at home and how to share the action with teachers. Please see the attached list to collect thoughts and ideas. 3 way_conferences_2014

GRADES ROLE OF PARENTROLE OF STUDENTROLE OF TEACHER 5  Parents will be given a set of guided questions, created by the students, for them to use in the conference.  Parents will be positive and open-minded.  Parents will stick to the 20 minute time frame.  Parents will involve their child.  Students will design guiding questions for their parents to ask.  Students will share their strength and goals and provide evidence.  Students can use their portfolios, displays or books but will need to organise their time.  The teacher will prepare strength and goal setting sheets.  During the conference the teacher will support the student as required.  The teacher will invite the parent to share ideas 3 and 4  Parents need to help their child and set goals.  Display positive reinforcement.  Listen actively and make connections with home that may relate to goal achievement.  At the end of the conference the parent should sign a goal achievement contract to reinforce their role and responsibility in the process. Please sign the goal sheet you have created with your child and the teacher.  The student will complete a graphic organiser to record their goals.  The student will suggest how to achieve the set goals.  Stay focussed.  Be prepared to ask or answer questions.  The student will suggest how to achieve the set goals.  The teacher will also assist the student in filling out the graphic organiser to record their goals.  Keep to time.  Know your student.  Prepare your students and think about the next steps to take to achieve the goals. 1 and 2  Be present and timely.  Be positive.  Be open-minded.  Listen to your child and the teacher.  Focus on your child’s learning and goal setting.  Stay focussed.  Be prepared to ask or answer questions.  Speak clearly and listen to the teacher and the parent.  Take your role in the conference seriously.  The student will suggest how to achieve the set goals.  Keep to time.  Be positive.  Know your student.  Prepare your students and think about the next steps to take to achieve the goals.  Stay focussed. Rec  The parent will reflect on how they can support their child’s needs at home.  Provide evidence of support that the parent will offer at home.  Be positive.  Listen to your child and the teacher.  Share any history about your child.  Recognise areas of strength and weakness.  Be prepared to speak, either in English or in a language they feel comfortable speaking.  Reflect on work.  Facilitate discussion.  Intervene and offer guidance and support.  Listen to the parents.  Listen to the student.  Be positive.

 Three Way Conferences are a celebration – it is a chance to look at strengths and goals and, in a positive way, give everyone a clear picture of what the student is working towards. 3 way_conferences_2014