Why Build Autonomy in Students?

Students in the 21st century will either be passive repositories of  repetition and memorization, acquisition and regurgitation or self-learners with successful strategies and tools to be able to shape and operate their own ideas into creative innovation and useful applications. The ability to manipulate and alter your own learning is a tactic all students should be able to utilize. The more autonomy a student possesses the more independent the feel, the more risks they will take, the more times they will willingly fail just to be able to try again, the more likely any hurdle they will face will be a mere obstacle used to rise and survey the objectives.

Learning does not occur through teaching but through engagement, analysis and application of this knowledge in ways that make it personal and memorable. Building confidence and learning autonomy must involve the construction of listening, inter-personal, speaking and writing skills. Reflection and feedback are the glue that binds self-confidence, risk-taking and independence together. Authentic learning experiences the brick and mortar that lock knowledge and application in place. As teachers we need to provide the materials and allow our students to design and build their own scaffold and foundation on which to construct their schema.

Self-confidence is an essential life skill. If a student lacks self-confidence they are unwilling to take charge of their learning and rely on constant confirmation and guidance to make any step forward.  Planning, organizing, self-monitoring, all lead to success. If students lack-confidence they also generally lack self-direction. So teachers need to model strategies like, organizers, note-taking, reflection, feedback and analyzing growth to help students find self-confidence and motivation. The more students feel in control the more they will be open-minded and responsive to new ideas. As learners become more self-confident they will:

• look for academic challenges
• build on their own learning strengths
• set goals and monitor their progress
• become more critical and creative thinkers
• strengthen reasoning skills
• problem-solve with ease
• let curiosity lead them down deeper and longer paths
• become more motivated to grow as learners 

Autonomy emerges when self-confidence is created and integrated into the mindset of our students. Making mistakes, moving forward, staying motivated, collaborating and planning with others, seeking new learning opportunities all solidify and gain momentum when our students find themselves challenged and struggling just a little to achieve their goals. When they overcome these barriers and speed bumps they  believe in themselves and will face future trials with optimism and excitement. Thus, independence and self-direction directly impact autonomy. Allow students to find their interests, guide themselves to understanding, and analyze and reflect on their learning and autonomy will become second nature.