So often you hear,
“These kids can’t…”
“Kids these days won’t…”
“I would be able to do this if this group…”
I could write a list a mile long about the deficit thinking we can get trapped in. There is power, however, in thinking about what kids can do. This shift to empowerment has changed my classroom and our collective attitudes. I like to think it helps our classroom community be more successful.
One big shift in this empowerment I have made this year is treating students as teachers. This allows me to pre-teach, reteach or have one on one time with a student and in turn, allows students to feel like experts. During the one on one time, I invite the student to teach what they learn to a group of their peers. After the small group, I invite their peers to join us, the student facilitates and I support, if necessary.
This type of empowerment has let me communicate with caregivers in a positive way. Students are smiling with pride when I video or photo them teaching and I am able to tell caregivers about successes in the classroom. Most recently, I have been using this reading groups, students teach each other a game and then bring the game home. They are experts on how to play the game, feel great about sharing and families are eager to affirm their at school success.
My next steps are bring this idea into my math groups because caregivers are can be afraid of math homework and “new math,” I think that sending home student led games can be beneficial tool to start the conversation about math thinking.
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