Youth In Charge
Are your students in charge of their own success?
Who is responsible for your students’ success?
Over the last ten years, as I’ve been in hundreds of classrooms as an Inclusion Coach, I’ve talked with teachers and watched their student interactions. I keep pondering the things I see, for example:
Scenario A:
Teacher: Did you do your homework?
Student: No, I forgot what to do.
Teacher: No problem. Get your paper out. I’ll help you now. Then teacher does a mini-tutoring session on yesterday’s lesson.
Scenario B:
Teacher: Remember, all make-up work is due by this Friday.
Student: What make-up work do I have to do?
Teacher: Just a minute, and I’ll look it up for you.
Teacher looks up grades and makes a list for student.
Scenario C:
Teacher: You have a re-do accommodation on your IEP. Meet me at lunch and I’ll help you re-do your persuasion essay.
Student: Do I have to come at lunch? I’m really hungry.
Teacher: Of course not, I can meet you after school if you’d rather.
Teacher adjusts schedule and prepares for a remedial session that student forgets to attend.
Scenario D:
Mother: Did you do your math homework?
Student: I can’t. I forgot my book. Besides, I don’t understand it. My teacher makes it too confusing.
Mother: Really? Well, that’s it! Don’t worry, honey. I’ll call your teacher tomorrow.
What’s wrong with all these scenarios?
The teacher and parent are more invested in the student’s success than the student. Right? What’s the final outcome? Students become passive and don’t develop resilience, initiative, and persistence in the face of challenge. All those skills are critical skills of successful adults in our society. Think about it. Are we really helping them when they don’t learn to help themselves?
Instead, Carol Guthrie, a Special Educator in Florida told me that she teaches students to monitor their own grades online weekly. If they have any grades below 70%, they send an email to their parents (copied to the guidance counselor, content teacher, and special educator). In the email, they inform their parents about their grade, explain how that happened and share their plan for correcting the situation. Carol has noticed a big change in student ownership and fewer failing grades! She gets families and teachers on the same page. What a boost for executive skills development too! Thanks for sharing, Carol!
What have you tried to develop your students’ ownership for their own success??
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