Strategies Of Classroom To Promote Participation And The Learning Agency

Each classroom has a few anxious students who always participate, and a less enthusiastic majority is happy. Often, asking students to raise their hands when they know the answer exacerbates this problem because some students process the question more quickly and their enthusiasm to respond can undermine the trust of others. That's why Ann Young, a high school math teacher, uses a thumbs-up approval strategy that is less visible for students to participate with more confidence.

"You need strategies and instructional routines that allow everyone a point of entry, especially at the beginning of the class," Young said in an Edutopia series on the science of learning. If you have something that the children feel like: 'Oh, this is great, I participated today, I contributed something today', then they continue with their next task, they have a little more than they should. "

Giving students a certain agency about their learning is another simple way to increase student motivation. No matter how carefully a teacher chooses books to include in the curriculum, there will always be students who are not excited to read them. Allowing students to choose books they will read in a book club format could make a difference for many. Ultimately, teachers and parents want students to take ownership of their learning and identify strengths and areas that need support. Some schools have discovered that student-led conferences are a good way to build this type of learner independence. "Very often, in everything you do in education, in life, students always feel that, oh, adults are always saying their opinion, I have no voice, I never have anything to say," said Lynnel Reed, school counselor. "So, part of what we do with the student-led meetings is that they have the opportunity to say what their concerns are, how they see things."

"Interestingly, social and emotional competencies are as important as the intellectual skills we try to teach in school, and they predict more about how you do in school and in life than the particular lessons that are taught academically," said Linda Darling-Hammond. . , President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute.

By: Preeti Narula

Content: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53138/classroom-strategies-to-encourage-participation-and-learner-agency