Events
Rebel Roundup |
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Rebel Roundup is an event in our Field House for parents to have short conversations (2-3 minutes) with their student’s teachers. It is important that all parents and teachers respect this time limit to allow all parents to meet with all of their student’s teachers during this event. If you need additional time to speak with the teacher, please call or email the teacher directly for further discussion or to set up a conference. If you want to meet with more than one teacher, please speak with your student’s school counselor in the Field House to set up a conference. Here are some suggestions to think strategically about how you can best spend your time at our Rebel Roundup:
• Anticipate where the lines of parents might be longest, and visit those lines early. At Rebel Roundup, there is a line to speak with each teacher. The maxim, “The early bird gets the worm” is true for our Rebel Roundup. Expect that you will spend more time waiting in some lines. Recently, longer lines have been with teachers who teach Algebra 2 Honors, AP World History, English 10 Honors, and other classes that present a new level of difficulty to students who have been historically successful in those subjects. • Come prepared understanding your conversations with teachers will be short, and be ready to make the most of your time. In classes where your student has been underachieving, this might include, “What are the critical knowledge items and skills my student needs to be on pace in your course at this time? Which of these has my student been successful at, and which has my student not yet been able to demonstrate?” I will relay to my teaching colleagues that they should come prepared with information that they can relay to you that shows an understanding of the specific learning targets as well as specific information regarding your student’s progress in meeting those targets. Remember: if you need to speak with a teacher at length, schedule a conference with that teacher. If you want a conference with multiple teachers, please arrange one through your student’s school counselor. Rebel Roundup is not designed for conversations that last beyond 3 minutes. • Follow up on your conversations with your student. Remember a parenting suggestion I have made in the past: Trust but verify. Consider whether there are any classes in which your students’ anecdotes and efforts do not match the student progress. Possible examples might include classes in which students are excelling but do not spend much independent time working on those classes, or classes in which students are working very hard but are not making adequate progress. If you sense there is a disconnect between your students’ reports and their teacher's progress reports, make a plan to see that teacher first. • Please allow me to remind you that we can best support your student if our conversations at Rebel Roundup are collaborative in nature. We should all presume positive intentions of each other and make sure we use inquiry and explorative language. This can sound like, “My student tells me that...can you please share with me your perspective?” We hope this “how-to” guide for Rebel Roundup is helpful to you. |
