TL;DR: Choice and voice are essential in order to engage students. Student choice is directly related to the concept of autonomy. Student voice is often communicated through their choices and behaviors. It might be the teacher in me, but when words rhyme or have a strong sense of alliteration, I’m all for it! Two of my favorites? CHOICE + VOICE, … Read More
Authentic Audiences
TL;DR: The importance of valuing our students’ voices and helping them feel heard. Taking your classroom to the next level with these strategies to provide an authentic audience. Have you ever struggled to challenge your students? Have you tried to incorporate authentic audiences in your learning activities? If the teacher across the hall can do it, you can too right? … Read More
Waiting to Have “Those Conversations” Is Hurting Students
In This Post The importance of conversations about our students’ futures. Helping our classrooms become avenues for discovering passion & practical uses for it! Using your content to help students find their futures. Growing up, learning was a struggle. I moved throughout my day feeling as if I was walking through a fog of confusion. While most of my classes … Read More
Teaching Writing for Student Voice
In this post: The importance of providing freedom for students in your writing instruction. Strategies to use when teaching writing to shift the focus to student voice. My experience and background in empowering student writers. When we think about teaching writing, we often associate it with the traditional 5 paragraph essay, a regimented guide, or a ready-made curriculum. There’s a … Read More
Dear Desk, It’s Not You, It’s Me: Promoting Student Agency
In This Post: After removing a desk from our learning space, my students reacted with excitement. My realization was that I was too focused on how I saw things, and not on how THEY see them. This lead to 5 pedagogical shifts to promote student agency. In a lonely corner of an elementary classroom stood an oversized wooden desk. Its … Read More