The surprising outcome of giving control back to the students.
Giving Power Back to the Learner
Have you ever asked your class what they think of your teaching? That is a dangerous game to play!
A couple of weeks ago, I did just that. I took a few minutes in class and bravely (or stupidly) asked the students, “Hey, are you guys actually learning this material or do I need to try a different method?”
Obviously, I know if the students are learning the material based off of test scores, but I was curious to see if they felt like they were learning. What happened next was absolutely hilarious!
After a few minutes of all of us discussing a new method that I had been trying, one of the students raised her hand and said, “I would like to learn some more vocabulary. A lot of times I don’t know what words to use. I think that would be helpful.” Another student chimed in, “Yeah, me too. I would like some more vocabulary too.”
Most of the class agreed.
Then came something amazing. One student said, “Yeah, and I think we should take a quiz once a week to keep us accountable.” The entire class nodded with vocalized their agreement…all except one student.
He couldn’t take the irony anymore. He raised his hand and asked, “Profe, do you want to explain to me how you just managed to trick the entire class into begging you to give more quizzes?”
I couldn’t help but smile.
The invitation
Was it a classic Tom Sawyer with whitewashing the fence? No. Was it a Jedi mind trick? No, although that would be useful in the classroom!
What happened that day was not a trick. The reason that my students were begging me for more education and accountability was nothing less than a desire to learn.
That desire was expressed because I invited them into the learning process. It wasn’t me versus them. I was on their team. The implied question in the discussion was, “We need to learn Spanish. How can we do this together?”
People are control freaks!
They need to have a voice in their lives and their futures.
Since I was already having success in student controlled learning, I decided to take it a step further with my Spanish students.
I ended the discussion that day by saying, “Fine. I will give you more vocabulary, but you guys are going to have to choose the words. Let me think about how to make that happen over the weekend.”
The next week I had each student set up a Quizlet account. Each one of them had to add 3 vocabulary words a day to a virtual notecard stack. My only rule was that they were not allowed to use Spanish words that were overly similar to English words (like the Spanish for “taxi” which happens to be “taxi”).
Later that week, I had a pop quiz to see if the students were truly learning. Most of them got a 100.
“Ok, that was an easy quiz.” I thought. I waited a few more days. Since they were adding more words to their vocabulary lists every day, the next quiz would be harder.
Again, mostly 100’s. The same result happened on the 3rd quiz….and the 4th.
Some students get high grades. I get that. The shock came from the students who usually received C’s or D’s on their quizzes. Even those students were now making perfect scores.
Again it is all about offering choices and control. When we hand the learning process back to the students, we can drastically change the poor educational model that we have today.
You aren’t a talking head behind a podium. Give the learning back to them today! That actually means less work for you (the lazy teacher in me just rejoiced)!
Here are some practical ways to give choice and control back to the students in the classroom.
Note: The choices you give do not have to be complicated, and this isn’t some sort of hipster version of teaching called “Free Range Learning.” You are still the teacher, and you still are in charge. However, by giving even small choices in your classroom, you will see HUGE differences.
1. Seating Arrangements
Let the students decide where they can sit. That way they have control over their environment. If the people that they are sitting with become a distraction, pull the students aside after class and ask them to sit somewhere else tomorrow. Let them try to solve the problem. Obviously, if they do not comply, you can choose for them.
2. What to do first
If you have multiple tasks that you are going to do in class, let the students decide what they do first. By giving them a voice, you are not giving up your voice. If you don’t like the order that they choose, simply ask them to pick a different order.
3. Homework
When assigning homework, pick three assignments that you are comfortable with and then ask the students to choose the assignment for the night. That leaves no room for complaining because they choose.
4. Due dates
Many times, the students have more on their plate than you are aware of. Ask them when they would like a project to be due or when they want to take their next test. Obviously, if they pick a date that is too far away, you can ask them to adjust their date. You can even make the final call, but at least their voice was heard.
5. Classroom rules
If you are having trouble with classroom discipline, ask the students to weigh in and have a discussion on what it will take to keep an academic environment. This recently happened in one of my Spanish classes. After a few failed days of trying to force them to speak Spanish, I asked them what it would take for them to comply. They replied “Candy!” I haven’t looked back.
6. Problem Solving
My friend Mr. Wallace has recently tried handing the learning back to his students by simply giving them new math material that they have to teach themselves. He refuses to even teach the material because he wants the students to own their problems. He says that once they find the solution, not only have they learned a process in math, but that have learned confidence in themselves. Now they are problem solvers.
Conclusion:
The power of choice is a beautiful thing. As teachers, we tend to be control freaks (trust me I KNOW). But the irony is that the more control we give back to the students, the more ownership they take in their learning. Suddenly they stop creating problems and become problem solvers. Their learning accelerates.
Don’t worry control freak! The final calls are still yours. You need control too. But having the students weigh in on their learning will radically change your classroom. If applied on a larger scale, it has the power to transform the entire education system as a whole.
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If you are breathing, you are an educator.
If you want to increase your influence and expand your impact, download my FREE ebook: “Profe Pablo’s 25 Teaching Tips that will instantly make your life easier” (PS — Be Careful with the one that tells you to stand on a desk. I’ve only fallen twice!)
Originally published at www.profepablo.com.
