I am very impressed and encouraged by some of the postings on our discussion board this week regarding the student-led conferences. I guess the old cynic in me reads that chapter and sees all the pit-falls. I am also one of those people who gets turned off immediately when someone comes along and says "this is really great, you should try it!" There is no one size fits all, and no two schools, teachers, classrooms, etc. are ever alike, and no method is good for all.

Will I give student-led conferences a chance? Maybe, but I will have to think long and hard about it. My work load lately has been at the limit, taking anything else on at this point, no matter how new and improved it is supposed to be is simply out of the question.

Right now I am still trying to get my "sea legs" underneath me. I am trying new instructional strategies such as Power Teaching, different formative assessments such as anticipation sheets, etc. Being a man, I admit I have a one track mind*. I like to try and master one new thing at a time. Doing two is about my limit. When I get one or both of these down I will give it serious consideration, but not until then.

* Let's all recite the Man's Creed from The Red Green Show:

I'm a man.
I can change.
If I have too.