I wrote a poem about student voice & choice and empowerment. You can read it below, or listen to me read it here:
The Choice is Yours
They come in bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
Full of wonder, full of questions, full of unbridled excitement
But more often than not, the fire fades, the passion wanes, the curiosity is weathered by compliance
And hours and hours of “ours,” not theirs
A fight for power when the real fight should be to EMPOWER
the hearts and minds entrusted to us
Thus
A change is needed, superseding the way it’s always been done
Experiences that rediscover the innocence and wonder of youth
And add relevance and truth
To this process we call learning
It’s time for teaching to be the act of relinquishing control
In pursuit of a much nobler goal
One where questions, ideas, and purpose nurture the souls
Of the children we serve
Simply put, it starts with a choice
A change in winds to shift the ships – ownership, relationship, partnership
Those elements that help us chart a course to empowerment and ultimately, a deeper learning
What better time than now, in the face of unwavering uncertainty
To recognize and embrace change as the only true constant
And give our students the tools to successfully navigate that change
To embrace it, and to have the confidence and resolve to deal with it on their own
It starts with a choice
Letting go of the what and the how, it’s theirs now
And suddenly a purpose begins to materialize, a return of bushy-tails and bright-eyes
Only time can tell what magic’s possible
when you ask “What am I doing for students that they can be doing for themselves?”
The choice is yours