Student report card is known as one of the prevailing communication means between school and parents. During the teacher-parent conference, referring to the report card, teachers are responsible to detail the student performance in all aspects. Under this arrangement, students are totally passive. It is the reason why there are many critics by scholars that this administration oriented reporting system nowadays are not in line with the pace of the educational reform, though it has been implemented for many years.
“How could our students be more active in learning?” has been one of our major concerns since reform. We believe that if students would have more chances to get involved in and become the master of learning, they would be more active and motivated in learning. It is the time for us to reconsider the current reporting system. Could it be more educational? Why don’t we make some little changes in the practice of teacher-parent conference? In the conference, students should be empowered to share their stories, their achievements, as well as their life goals. This kind of arrangement is called “Student-led Conferences” in literature overseas. Some schools have had more than ten-year experience in this practice. Significant improvement in students’ learning is obtained.
The rationale of this project is grounded on the theories of Narrative Approach, which is derived and emerged from Constructivism. Everyone is a unique “Museum” of him/herself, and accumulated a great deal of knowledge and valuable experiences. He/She could use a wide range of tactics to construct his/her own story. School education should enable students to present their uniqueness effectively in front of different people. It is as similar as being a museum docent. During the preparation process, students are requested to set long-team and short-term goals. While they are guided to reflect on what they have learnt, their learning capabilities could also be enhanced. At the same time, the chance of presentation in front of others will be an incentive to motivate their involvement in learning and then become more responsible for their own development.