Students become more engaged in their learning when we teach and model leadership behaviors and give them many opportunities to use those skills. For example, teachers who allow their students to lead discussions and ask authentic questions become partners in learning with their students (rather than the "deliverer of content").
Preparing students to be classroom leaders isn't an easy process, but watching students grow in their ability to lead is worth the investment and even the initial stress and discomfort of letting go. In all honesty, student-led classrooms can look and sound like organized chaos. So, how often do my students lead class? Very often!
In my classroom, students are having discussions at their tables, asking questions, and helping each other seek answers. They are reading each other's writing and giving feedback and practicing the skills they know they need to develop. Students are walking around the room accessing resources to help answer their questions and organizing textual and visual information with a variety of tools, including notebooks, Chromebooks, iPads, and markers. I post completed assignments or projects on bulletin boards to showcase their progress as they master new concepts. The room is a product of their learning.
How can you get to a level of comfort with this chaos? Over the years, I've learned five tenets for making my class the best student-led learning environment it can be.
- Extend trust. Trusting students can be a tough one for teachers because it means being comfortable taking risks. I use the language of trust, assign roles, and actually assume that my kids will do the right thing. For example, I give them choices in how they configure group work. We discuss how to make appropriate choices by sharing examples of good and bad choices, and I provide reminders and reinforcement as they consider their decisions. I assign group roles loosely assigned, letting the students decide who will record information, get materials, or share learning with the class at the end of group work. I let them adjust my suggestions so they learn that they have autonomy over their learning processes. If my students think of a better way to organize their information or data, they can make the change. If they think they will work better in groups of three rather than in partners, the choice is theirs. We come to the mutual agreement that, as long as they are working productively and all learners are engaged and responsible for their own learning, then I am fine with it. Student leadership won't work without trust in students. Give them the chance to show how much you can trust them.
- Own errors. My students know it's okay to make mistakes—that's how we learn to revise, reflect, and adjust our thinking. One way I model this is by acknowledging when I make a mistake. It's not uncommon, in the course of a school day, for me to say "take back what I just said!" This shows students that owning and correcting mistakes is part of being a reflective learner and allows students to experience making mistakes in a positive way. Too many times, students are ostracized and belittled for making errors. I try to identify ways students can experience mistakes positively, by using errors as opportunities to readjust thinking. For example, if a student states a misconception or makes an error in a strategy, I ask clarifying questions. Questioning individual students so they can reconsider their answers also gets other students thinking and asking their own questions.
- Learn in tandem. I ask questions and let students know that I am learning with them. Students should never think you know everything; instead, they should understand that we are all learners on a journey together. Point out your own learning—from a lesson or reading—so they are comfortable sharing their own.
- Model expectations. I consistently model what I think my students can achieve. If you want students to create and sustain a routine, it needs to be consistent. If you encourage it with words and then gestures, eventually these routines become automatic. If you want students to ensure that all group members share ideas, you need to model that with students and practice it when you are working with your colleagues. Providing students with examples of how you use leadership skills demonstrates that these are also life skills. Model, model, model—and then step back and observe.
- Name the skill. It's important to identify specific skills your instruction is targeting throughout the lessons and throughout the year so students know their goals. For example, if I am teaching students how to listen actively, I tell them that's what we are doing. When students know what skills they need to achieve, and then have those skills reinforced through instruction, you can step back and hear them use the language or learning in their own, self-directed conversations.
Although some years run more smoothly than others, my goal never changes. Every year, I strive for a classroom where students can own their learning and lead in different ways. When you've built a community of trust together, students own it. You may not be comfortable with it yet, but it will get easier. So sit back, (try to) relax, and prepare to let your students lead conversations, listen actively, answer difficult questions, and take ownership of their learning in an environment they've helped create. Take a chance; let them lead.