Conferences
Preparing Families for Student-Led Conferences
What to tell families before a student-led conference, questions they can ask, and how to prepare middle and high school students with a template, evidence and rehearsal.
Read the article →For teachers of grades 6–12
Know what they know. Tell families what it means.
Practical, research-checked notes on assessment, feedback, grading and family communication for middle and high school teachers, including student-led conferences.
The articles
Self-assessment
What a Student Self-Assessment Form Should Actually Ask
Five questions that make student self-assessment useful in grades 6–12, when to use it, and why self-assessment ratings shouldn't be graded.
Read the article →Grading
How to Explain a 1–4 Grading Scale to Students and Families
Why standards-based grading uses four levels instead of 100, what each level means in plain language, and how to explain a 1–4 scale before the first report card.
Read the article →Formative assessment
Formative Assessment Without the Extra Grading
Quick formative assessment checks for middle and high school that need no grading, and how to decide in advance what you'll do with the results.
Read the article →Project-based learning
How to Tell If a Driving Question Will Actually Drive the Project
A five-minute test for project-based learning driving questions, with before-and-after examples for middle and high school.
Read the article →Teacher reflection
Teacher Reflection That Changes Next Week, Not Just the Journal
A five-minute weekly reflection routine for secondary teachers, built on Brookfield's four lenses, that ends in one concrete change to next week's plan.
Read the article →