Twice a year, MAELS students invite family members to their Student Led Conferences. On November 17th and 18th, logged on to Zoom to celebrate the learning and growth within our MAELS community.
“I was both nervous and excited,” shared Lulu from Crew 6D. “I was nervous because it’s my first SLC but also excited because I know my mom will be so proud of me!”
“SLC stands for ‘Student Led Conferences’,” shared Isabella from Crew 6A. “The purpose of an SLC is to talk about what you have accomplished so far in your classes. For my first SLC, I invited my parents. I showed them some of the things I learned this year and then together, we set some goals and made plans for the rest of the school year.”
Over the last two weeks or so, students at MAELS worked hard to prepare an SLC presentation to demonstrate all of their learning. With the support of their Crew teacher and peers, students reflected on their growth over the past several months and presented it to their families. Students discussed areas of strengths that they were proud of as well as areas for improvement.
Some students, like Colleen from Crew 7J, discussed their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their subject classes. “While I was preparing my SLCs, I learned a lot about myself in terms of which subjects I felt more confident with and which subjects required some more attention,” shared Colleen. “I learned that I do well in ELA and science because they’re fun for me. However, I know I have a lot of work to do in math and Social Studies.”
Other students, like Aaliyah from Crew 6F, identified habits when discussing their strengths and weaknesses. She also discussed the actions she took to help her be a better learner. “I’m aware that sometimes I get distracted during mini-lessons and it’s something I will continue to work on,” shared Aaliyah. “When I realized this, I had a conversation with my teachers and they moved me to the front of the room. Now I can focus better on the lessons.”
Preparing for SLC takes a lot of work and perseverance but students learn so much about themselves in the process. For Isabella from Crew 8D, reflecting on the progress she’s made in just the last few months boosted her confidence.
“I learned that I can push myself if I really want something even if it’s really difficult,” shared Isabella. “I’ve always seen others persevere with difficult tasks but never saw myself as someone like that. When I looked back at my ELA work, I realized all of the perseverance I needed to complete all of my tasks. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do that and I’m glad I learned this about myself.”
By reflecting on their growth, students get a better picture of what they need to work on for the future. With their adults and Crew teachers, students create goals for their Spring SLC.
“My goal for the spring is to try to be on task,” shared Erica from Crew 6F. “I want to keep doing my best work so I can get good grades. I hope my teachers will continue to support me so that I can reach my goals!”
Many of our experienced SLC presenters wanted to share some words of advice for future presenters.
“One thing I wish I knew before I did my first SLC is what a reflection really is,” shared Isabella of Crew 8D. “Over the last few years, I learned that reflections don’t always focus on high grades or things that come easy to me. Being able to reflect means you’re able to look at your weak areas and see it as an opportunity for growth. When I began to take on this mindset, that’s when I was able to make a lot of improvements in my work.”
“I was a little nervous before my SLCs so I recommend talking with someone you trust. I talked to my mom and she was able to help me out and give me some pointers,” shared Sofia from Crew 6J. “I also recommend pausing at the end of each sentence and taking a breath. You don’t have to go fast! Slowing down helped me so much and it made me feel so much calmer.”
The teachers at MAELS were blown away by the tremendous amount of progress their students made in such a short amount of time. Ms. Vitale, a new teacher at MAELS, was impressed with what she saw.
“Being a new crew teacher, I learned so much about my students from their SLC’s!,” shared Ms. Vitale. “Their presentations were well put together and they spoke with conviction. Each student in my crew discussed how the transition from remote to in person learning was difficult, and now they are back and excited to learn and be with friends! I am so proud of all the hard work my crew put into their SLC and I can’t wait to see their growth in their future endeavors.”
This year, Ms. Gerecitano had the honor of observing the SLC of multiple students. “I'm really proud of our students as I'm watching different SLCs across the grades,” shared Ms. G. “The sixth graders who have never done this before already seem very confident, while the seventh and eighth graders sound like professionals. SLC’s are so beneficial to our students because it gets them to think about who they are as students, see where their strengths and weaknesses lie and prepare them for their world beyond MAELS.”
Too often, students are not part of the conversations that directly affect their lives. Student-led conferences place student voices at the center and put the power back in their own hands. Reflecting and taking responsibility for one’s choices is a habit that resonates throughout a person’s whole life. Over the last two days, we can see the growth and maturity of each MAELS student as they presented their work to their families and Crew teacher. Students were able to take charge of the conversation about their learning and it certainly won’t be their last!
“I realized how much I’ve grown as a student this year,” shared Eden of Crew 8I. “I am very grateful to all of my teachers that have helped me to learn and grow as a student and as a person. I am also grateful for my family who has always been there for me when I need them.”