A Legion of Learners

My goal this week is to discover new simple ways to switch areas of my classroom over to my students. Flexible seating is working great. Allowing students to move about, switch table groups, meet new people is a great community builder. Collaborative groups are very much a part of daily life in our room. Sometimes I secretively set the teams up based on personalities, skill and even possibility. The more opportunities my students have for flexibility and self-determination the more my students will be open-minded toward the curve balls I tend to throw at them. Rather than dodging the pitches they catch them or swing the bat. They do not always result with home runs but they always end with a base hit.

I have been Voxing a lot and listening to some absolutely amazing educators. They inspire me every day. Today, two such insightful individuals: Alana Stanton and Teresa Gross, opened my mind to new arrangements of furniture in the classroom, but also letting students have access to the whole room. The walls, the cupboards, the floor. I have a makerspace and they use it all the time- but what about my cupboards? Why are they full of my stuff and inaccessible to them? How can I incorporate them (at least some of them, I still need personal storage) to be apart of the makerspace? I am going to slowly reorganize and open up more cupboards thus increasing the square footage of the makerspace. But also I think allowing students more control over the physical arrangement could be cool. Let them draw up some plans and implement them. That is simple enough- they already have flexible seating why not flexible design and personal input?

A legion of learners not only integrates the mind and actions of a student it also brings together freedom and self-determination. Opening up a world of possibilities. Putting students in the drivers seat. Choices are their own. Remediation and enrichment circles are there to guide them to what they need but they choose to visit. To create a legion one must be willing to sacrifice the role of teacher and take on a role of observer. It is critical that teachers do not hijack the learning process. To let students fail and grow. Take the wrong path, mess up completely but then discover new ways of thinking in the process. When students make choices together that impact the class as a whole they feel more responsible for one another, they seek opportunities to let others shine. They lead but then let others lead as well. This is a true legion of learners. Now we as teachers just need to become silent and watch the magic unfold.