Areas of Impact
Age Group
High school and middle school
Length
20-30 minutes
Frequency
Yearly
Type
Student-Led Conference Community Reflection
If we want a community in which all students belong, in which all strengths and contributions are recognized, it just makes sense to have students include that in their portfolios.
Overview
This document scaffolds students’ reflection on their contributions to their community for the Student-Led Conference Portfolio.
Context
At Gateway we decided to include a “Community” section of the portfolio because community is something that we talk about all the time, and so we felt that we needed to value it in students’ portfolio presentations at Student-Led Conferences. After completing the Community Commitments Checklist, students are ready to choose an artifact that represents their contributions to the community. Some examples of an artifact might be a community recognition award, a sports team certificate, a photo of their contribution to a school event, or a Collaboration Rubric with peer feedback from a class.
Implementation
Just like thinking about learning, thinking about social-emotional skills takes practice. The more you highlight and teach collaboration and community skills in class and across the school, the more students will be able to thoughtfully reflect on their own skills. At first they may be uncomfortable with this process. But the more they are exposed to identifying community skills through groupwork and reflection, the more comfortable and capable they become in discussing their skills.
Related Content:
Student-Led Conference Community Commitments Checklist
Student-Led Conference Portfolio Checklist
Student-Led Conference Work Selection Checklist
Student-Led Conference Work Reflection
Student-Led Conference Goal-Setting
Student-Led Conference Family Letter
Student-Led Conference Family Homework
Student-Led Conference Checklist
Group Collaboration Role Cards
Belonging and Becoming: The Power of Social and Emotional Learning in High Schools by Barbara Cervone & Kathleen Cushman.