Shona
Chaos or Creativity?: the dilemma between teacher control and student agency
Teaching is like a tightrope walk between keeping things in check and giving students the freedom to become independent learners so you don’t have to micromanage. It's a real juggling act, where teachers often grapple with wanting order and encouraging students to be their own bosses. Last week this was a real dilemma for me at the learning hub as I found myself endlessly getting on and off the tightrope and searching for that sweet spot.
Now keeping control is crucial for learning that runs smoothly. You've got a bunch of different personalities and abilities in your class, a schedule to stick to, and that lesson plan that you know will be amazing if the kids could just work with you the way you imagined. But, in the pursuit of control, there's also the risk of erasing the possibility of authentic learning. You know, the kind that involves the students questioning, exploring, and thinking on their own.
On the flip side, letting students be independent learners is brilliant for their personal growth. They’ll come to understand why they’re at school in the first place as they explore critical thinking and creativity. But, let's be realistic, it's not all sunshine and rainbows! The fear of behaviour getting out of control or the class losing focus is enough to make any teacher think twice about letting go of the reins.
Remember though, control isn't about killing creativity, and independence isn't a one-way ticket to chaos. It's about setting up an environment where control supports the growth of independence and needs flexibility, a huge helping of patience, and a commitment to turning students not just into knowledge regurgitators but active seekers of understanding.
So back to that sweet spot idea; a mix of order and freedom. Clear expectations, wiggle room for choices, and building a classroom vibe that's all about teamwork – I’ll try again this week if you will?
Want to know a bit more about student agency? Check out some information from The OECD here https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/student-agency/Student_Agency_for_2030_concept_note.pdf
Or try some of these tips from Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/article/teacher-moves-cultivate-learner-agency/
Naomi
Time for Talk
After my despair last week about the limits of time, I realised that I need to stick to my values in the time I do have. Among all the NAPLAN practice test and cohort meetings last Friday, I decided to make the last class of the day different. So with the Year 5s, we embarked on a philosophical enquiry.
I've trained with the Philosophy Foundation UK to facilitate P4C (Philosophy for Children) enquiries, and I absolutely love it! It's all about getting the kids to think deeply, talk, and really listen to each other.
After the frustrating task of getting the students to move the desks and chairs to form a big circle in the classroom - who knew it could be that complicated? - I told them the tale of a scorpion and a frog. You may be familiar with the story of the scorpion who asks the frog to help him cross a river before stinging him halfway and they both end up drowning. Then, I asked the Year 5s the big question: Who's to blame for what happened?
After some talk time, each student wrote down their answer on a whiteboard. What's great about the whiteboards is that while they were listening to others, they could change their minds and rewrite their answers. I noticed some of them doing this and was able to ask why they changed their minds.
Now, I'll admit, it didn’t go perfectly. It was tough keeping everyone focused and listening. And with 30 kids in the class, it's hard for them to be patient and wait their turn to speak. But even with the challenges, it was brilliant to see kids who wouldn’t volunteer to answer a question in class confidently joining in and shaping the discussion.
As an educator, I could have found lots of reasons not to do this activity, but it felt really good to try something different. Lots of the kids were excited about it, so I'm definitely going to make time for more enquiries.
Do you fancy trying some P4C with your class?
Check out https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/ and https://www.thephilosophyman.com/ for some brilliant ideas and resources.
Or if you want to delve more into the importance of talk - oracy - in learning, have a read here https://oracycambridge.org/oracy-at-the-heart-of-the-curriculum/
And don’t forget to download our free Jumpstarter guide of five energising activities - some doing, some thinking and talking at https://elasticeducation.com.au/jumpstarterfreebie
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