The Conference Guide

Overview

In lesson 11 of 18 in Lead, Reflect, Grow, students explore the purpose and structure of a student-led conference (SLC). They examine how a conference can communicate learning respectfully to whānau, then begin a personal draft using evidence of strengths, growth and next steps.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Understand the purpose and sequence of an SLC.
• Identify the sections of the conference guide: welcome, strengths, evidence, growth, goals and invitation for whānau questions.
• Select specific evidence that shows their learning and progress.
• Draft respectful, clear statements for sharing with whānau.

Success criteria

• I can explain the purpose of each section in the conference guide.
• I can identify a genuine strength and support it with evidence.
• I can describe an area of growth without putting myself down.
• I can write a realistic goal and an inviting question for whānau.

Curriculum links

• Religious Education — reflecting on beliefs, values, identity and personal responsibility.
• Health and Physical Education: Relationships / Self and others — making intentional choices that align with personal identity and wellbeing.
• Health and Physical Education: Relationships / Self and others — understanding and respecting diverse cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
• Key Competencies — managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing; thinking; using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Welcome and purpose. Teacher opens with the hook and conference purpose and asks, “What would help a whānau member understand your learning journey?” Students think quietly, then share one idea with a partner. Emphasise that students choose what they are comfortable sharing and that families and whānau may have different ways of communicating, believing and supporting learning.

2. 4–10 min · Explore the guide. Teacher displays the six-part SLC sequence and briefly explains each section: welcome, strengths, evidence, growth, goals and invitation for whānau questions. Students annotate the conference guide planning sheet by writing the purpose of each section in their own words. Clarify that “evidence” means a specific example, such as a piece of work, feedback, learning habit or change over time.

3. 10–15 min · Model a conference. Teacher uses the model conference to read a short example aloud, pausing to identify the six sections. Students signal or name the section they hear and discuss which parts sound specific, respectful and useful to a whānau audience. Model replacing vague comments such as “I am good at this” with “I can explain my ideas more clearly because I now use evidence.”

4. 15–23 min · Personal drafting. Teacher directs students to complete the first draft on the conference guide planning sheet, circulating to prompt for detail and encouraging students to refer to earlier learning, feedback or work samples. Students draft a welcome, one strength with evidence, one area of growth, one achievable goal and an invitation for whānau questions. Students may use bullet points rather than polished paragraphs at this stage.

5. 23–27 min · Peer review for clarity. Teacher displays the peer-review prompts and establishes respectful feedback: “I understand…”, “I wonder…” and “You could make this clearer by…”. In pairs, students read only the part they are comfortable sharing and check whether the evidence matches the strength or growth statement. Partners give one warm comment and one practical suggestion; students revise one sentence.

6. 27–30 min · Plenary and next step. Teacher returns to the plenary questions and asks students to complete this oral or written response: “The section I can explain best is…; the section I need to develop next is…”. Students hand in or retain their draft as directed and name one action for completing it before the next conference-preparation lesson.

Resources

• The Conference Guide slide deck
• The Conference Guide planning sheet
• Pens or pencils
• Students’ previous work, feedback or learning records
• Board or display screen
• Timer

Assessment

• During the guide activity, check whether students can correctly explain the purpose of each section and distinguish a claim from supporting evidence.
• Confer with students during drafting, asking: “What shows this?” and “How does this goal connect to your growth?”
• Collect or scan the draft and use the plenary response to identify students who need support with evidence, respectful language or realistic goal-setting.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters on the worksheet, such as “One strength I have developed is…”, “My evidence is…” and “My next goal is…”.
• Allow students to dictate ideas, use bullet points, draw a planning map or conference privately with the teacher before sharing with a peer.
• Support EAL learners with teacher modelling, clear examples, paired rehearsal and a small word bank including strength, evidence, growth, goal, whānau and question.
• Extend confident students by asking them to explain how their goal reflects a personal value, identity, responsibility or way they contribute to their learning community.
• Be culturally responsive: do not assume that all students or whānau define success, communication or participation in the same way. Offer choice about audience, wording and what evidence is shared.