Full SLC Rehearsal

Overview

In this penultimate lesson of Lead, Reflect, Grow, students complete a timed rehearsal of their student-led conference (SLC). Working with a partner or tuakana-teina group, they practise welcoming whānau, explaining their learning journey, asking thoughtful questions, and ending with a clear next-step goal.

Learning intentions

• WALT welcome whānau respectfully and explain the purpose of an SLC.
• WALT share evidence of our learning journey, including progress and challenges.
• WALT ask and respond to purposeful questions.
• WALT set a specific next-step goal that supports our learning and wellbeing.

Success criteria

• I can open my conference in a warm, organised, culturally respectful way.
• I can describe what I have learned, how I have grown, and what helped me.
• I can ask or answer questions using active listening and respectful language.
• I can finish with one clear, achievable next step.

Curriculum links

• Health and PE — Relationships / Self and others: reflecting on how role models and peer influences shape values and behaviours, and making intentional choices aligned with identity and wellbeing.
• Health and PE — Relationships / Self and others: understanding and respecting cultural, religious, and ethnic differences to build inclusive and supportive relationships.
• Health and PE — Sex Education: recognising that cultural, religious, and family values shape attitudes, rights, responsibilities, and respectful relationships.
• NZ Curriculum values and key competencies: respect, integrity, managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing, and communicating effectively.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Purpose and expectations. Teacher welcomes students, explains that today is a timed practice for the final SLC, and reminds them that each person’s culture, religion, whānau structure, and beliefs should be spoken about respectfully and never assumed. Display the four conference stages using the opening and conference structure slides. Students silently identify one stage they feel confident about and one they need to practise.

2. 4–8 min · Model and notice. Teacher briefly models an effective opening and closing with a volunteer or uses a prepared example: greeting, purpose, learning evidence, question, and next step. Show the model conference prompts and highlight specific language such as “I noticed…”, “A challenge for me was…”, “What would you like to know?”, and “My next step is…”. Students name two features that make the conference welcoming, clear, and respectful.

3. 8–11 min · Prepare the rehearsal. Teacher places students in 10 pairs and one group of three, then distributes the SLC rehearsal planner and feedback sheet. Explain that in the triad, one student presents, one acts as whānau, and one observes; roles will rotate. Students select or organise the learning evidence they will share and write a precise next-step goal, using the success criteria as a checklist.

4. 11–17 min · Rehearsal round one. Teacher starts a six-minute timer and refers students to the timed rehearsal instructions. Students present a condensed conference: welcome and purpose, learning journey with one piece of evidence, a leading question, and a next-step goal. The listening partner responds as whānau, asking one genuine question and offering one encouraging comment; observers in the triad record evidence against the criteria.

5. 17–20 min · Feedback and improve. Teacher pauses the class and reminds students that useful feedback is specific, kind, and actionable. Students complete the feedback section of the SLC rehearsal planner and feedback sheet, giving one strength and one suggestion beginning with “You could make this clearer by…”. Each presenter revises one sentence, question, or goal before the second round.

6. 20–26 min · Rehearsal round two. Teacher resets the timer and displays the second-round challenge prompts. Students swap roles and repeat the conference, aiming to improve one chosen feature: eye contact and voice, clear sequencing, respectful questioning, or a measurable next step. In the triad, rotate so all students practise presenting; the observer records one piece of evidence for each speaker.

7. 26–30 min · Debrief and exit reflection. Teacher leads a brief discussion: “What will help whānau feel welcomed?” and “How can a next step show both learning and wellbeing?” Students complete the final reflection on the SLC rehearsal planner and feedback sheet: “At the final conference, I will…”. Invite two or three students to share strategies, then collect worksheets to identify any students needing a short individual rehearsal.

Resources

• the complete SLC rehearsal slide deck
• the SLC rehearsal planner and feedback sheet
• Student learning evidence, portfolio, or reflection notes
• Timer
• Pens or pencils
• Board or display screen
• Seating arranged for pairs and one group of three

Assessment

• During both rehearsals, listen for respectful welcomes, accurate explanation of learning, purposeful questions, active listening, and specific next-step goals.
• Use the observer and partner feedback on the worksheet to check whether students can apply the success criteria independently.
• Collect the final reflection and note students who need support with confidence, sequencing, questioning, or making their goal measurable before the final SLC.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters on the worksheet and allow students to use brief cue cards or notes rather than memorising a script.
• Support students who are anxious, neurodivergent, or developing English by offering a choice of presenting first to the teacher, rehearsing in a pair, or recording an audio version before speaking live.
• Encourage tuakana-teina support by pairing students thoughtfully and explicitly teaching the listener to pause, paraphrase, and ask one respectful follow-up question.
• Extend confident students by asking them to explain how their values, identity, or learning community influenced a choice, challenge, or goal, while avoiding assumptions about any student’s beliefs or whānau.