Justice-driven pedagogy acknowledges students as the copilots on the classroom’s flight to holistic success and achievement. Teachers should include students in the decisions they make in the classroom because those choices directly impact them. Students can come together to create classroom norms and expectations, while also developing strategies for ensuring that the classroom functions to benefit their learning.
One of the concerns students have expressed to me throughout my years of teaching is that although teachers ask their opinions, they often do not follow through by implementing students’ suggestions. It’s not possible to implement student feedback 100 percent of the time, but collaborating with students means that in some way, teachers are letting students shape the classroom. We must ask ourselves as justice driven educators: “Am I listening? Am I following through?”
At the beginning of the school year, ask students opinion questions based on what you are willing to give up. For example, ask students what constitutes as respect. If one of those suggestions is to not yell at them – do not yell at your students. Build the trust by exemplifying to students that you will listen and follow through with their suggestions. Demonstrate honesty and integrity by ensuring that you model their suggestions. Then ask more, use what you have already listened to as evidence that you can handle their opinions. Students will open up and share more, becoming leaders, advocates, and collaborative stakeholders in their education.
Additionally, students should engage in some form of recalibration throughout the year. Teachers should allow students to engage in discussion to evaluate how the classroom culture is meeting their needs as learners. Students can discuss the level of mutual respect, safety, learning, and other topics that relate to the classroom being an equitable and safe place for them. Allowing students to determine what works best for them, evaluating the classroom, and altering the space to fit their needs as individuals and a collective will create a collaborative classroom environment to improve holistic learning.
After every unit, discuss with students what worked and what did not work. Ask students to share their concerns and evaluate the lesson. Respect those opinions and implement some of the suggestions during the next unit.
Reestablish expectations. The schools I’ve worked in have always had an influx of students or massive schedule changes at random times throughout the year. Discuss and create class expectations. Have a student write them out and post them in the classroom.
Rearrange the classroom. Have students work in pairs, groups, circles, etc. to allow various opportunities for collaboration and engagement. Discuss what worked and what didn’t and then teach students how to continually be learners in any situation.
A classroom culture that is built on agency and advocacy, collective responsibility and challenging material, and high expectations of learning and humane interactions is an equitable classroom. Teachers are responsible for creating an environment that cultivates students’ self-management, agency, and academic achievement.
Excerpt from Equitable Instruction, Empowered Students by Carissa McCray
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