New GTA session at CTE Real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself.—Mohandas K. Ghandi
Setting Up Conferences:
Have a specific reason for the conference. If there isn’t one, students will believe that they are wasting their time and such a conference won’t accomplish much.
Give the students an assignment to bring to the conference. The onus of work for the conference should be on them—after all, this is for their learning benefit.
Use the time to accomplish something that you can’t in another format.
Set a time limit and keep it--usually 10-15 minutes. If someone is late, reschedule instead of running into another student’s time. (Have a few extra times set aside.)
Treat conference absences like regular absences.
Benefits:
Provides a means for one-on-one feedback that can’t be done in a regular classroom.
Allows you to build your teacher-student relationship.
Address concerns that don’t fit in the regular class setting. True for both students and the teacher.
Lets you and the students closely examine an assignment, which can boost the overall outcome of that project.
Students become familiar with outside help. This can serve as a bridge to returning for help during office hours.
Pitfalls:
Avoid overly confessional moments. Even though the student may need to unload about a particular concern, remember that you still have a professional relationship. Empathy differs from counseling.
Maintain your professional stance—dress, language, and roles—for this isn’t home.
Conferences are too short for major one-on-one work. If you need additional time, set up a separate office visit.
Conference time may impinge on personal schedules. Commuters or full time workers may have difficulty in scheduling an appointment, so try to be flexible.
A conference may not have a carryover uplift in the classroom. Know that the conference did accomplish academic work.
