It’s now been over three years since I’ve been in the classroom. Three years. And while I miss being in the classroom, I can honestly say that thanks to the many incredible teachers in my PLN, not a day has passed that I haven’t learned more about how to return to the classroom a better teacher.
A powerful example came recently when I read this thought-provoking post from my friend Abe (@Arbay38). One of his comments perfectly articulated one of my fears of shifting toward more student voice, choice and ownership:
This right here!! So glad I’m not alone in this train of thought!! @Arbay38 https://t.co/jcjYJFqoIB #studentchoice #studentvoice #ttog pic.twitter.com/RWS3Uy0goX
— Mary (@HonorsGradU) July 16, 2017
The rest of his post greatly assuaged this fear, but I’ve continued to reflect on this question over the past couple of weeks. But then, he shared something else on Twitter — something so profound, that I think I can finally put this fear completely to rest:
A student went home today and wrote a response to @MonteSyrie on his blog. He is a pretty awesome kid #tg2chat https://t.co/OglaZRskYc pic.twitter.com/XEvk01mU8K
— Abe Moore (@Arbay38) July 25, 2017
This child has reminded me once and for all that the bottom line is doing what’s best for kids. Withholding opportunities for autonomy now for fear of future constraints is like refusing to build the ship for fear of future rough waters.
Isn’t the possibility that they may not experience this kind of autonomy in future classrooms all the more reason to help them cultivate it now? To help them reflect now why it matters, and how they’ll respond to its absence in the future?
Our students deserve the very best we can offer right now. And as we regularly ask them to choose courage over fear through risk-taking and the growth mindset, we can be the first to model that back: choosing courage over fear.
featured image: DeathToTheStockPhoto
Great post, Mary, for encouraging teachers to reflect upon their purpose and practice. Lynton’s statement that a classroom without student voice is more like a graveyard where dreams are destroyed is very powerful. It would be a great one to discuss at a staff meeting; or for those of us not in a school at the moment, in our PLNs. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Norah! I agree–I think the more we bring student voice to staff meetings in particular, the more progress we’ll make to meet students’ learning needs and to build school culture.