Make Students the Subjects We Teach, Not the Objects

Can you guess who's talking too much and distracting students?  Us!  We need to stop talking/doing/showing so much and give students a chance to learn, explore, and even experience failure.  Too much time is spent teaching “at” students, rather than providing engaging opportunities for active learning and the 4 C’s (creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration).  Are we teaching how to be a student or how to learn?  Make students the subjects we teach, not the objects. 

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a pilot model room-redesign with 1:1 devices, big displays, and new furniture to promote flexible seating. One of the most powerful opportunities my classroom has provided is the chance to model learning for my students. Researching and creating our makerspace, receiving and discovering ways to integrate a 3d printer, even integrating new hardware like a chromebit or software like Seesaw have given my students the opportunity to watch me as a learner, a novice. To be clear, this is a vulnerable position and relinquishes a certain amount of control, which can be particularly threatening if you equate control with authority and expertise. What is added is empowerment, invitation and an opportunity for collaboration if students are included or welcomed to observe the process - including reflection. 

An interesting discovery for me was that as digital learning opportunities rose dramatically for my students, I instinctively needed to keep an analog side alive. While one wall is all "teched" out, another features fish and turtles, and another features our makerspace corner and marble-run walls. Hands-on will always be critical for engaged learning, and tech integration shouldn't become a hands-off process. We just need to keep that time and discovery-mindset a priority and allow kids to earn. Online models and practice can be invaluable, but classroom manipulative and physical exploration are irreplaceable. 

How do we make this mindset visible in our classrooms? Become the next top model!  Create. Model creativity and design thinking. Doodle, build a tower, or sit in on a tech-team station to share the creative spirit that bridges age and classroom roles. Remind students that creativity can be measurable but must be fun. We want our students to think and work efficiently, but don't confuse task completion, even the flashiest Pinterest project, with creativity if students aren't thinking, making, or showing. Also, don't think that measuring creativity has anything to do with an art show that judges students' artistic ability or a bulletin board with only "best" pieces. 

-Jed