THE POWER OF AUTONOMY
Yet even within the confines of that larger dynamic, we can make space for truly student-centered teaching practices. In SDT founders Richard Ryan and Ed Deci’ s words, this means offering“ choice, acknowledgement of feelings, and opportunities for self-direction” every chance we can( Ryan and Deci).
I tried taking this advice recently after hearing from my 8th grade students that our English classes felt too repetitive. This feedback came in an anonymous survey I administered before winter break, and I was struck by the consistent message. First I had to get over my own defensiveness in response to what felt like complaining. Then I set aside some class time for them to work together to answer three questions
“... despite the pressure I feel to stay on track with my lesson plans, I continue to remind myself that acknowledging their feelings and giving them a co-share in the management of our classroom makes a difference.
” adults often answer in surveys about team culture:
What should we keep doing? What should we stop doing? What should we start doing?
Working on white boards, groups of 3-4 students generated answers and some new ideas emerged. As they took turns sharing them with the class, it became clear that not everyone agreed about how we should use class time. We learned that different people have different values and interests, and I voiced mine as their English teacher.
After a 10-minute period of sharing and discussion, we settled on a list of specific proposals, which students then voted on to see which had majority support. I typed the final list onto a slide, and this became the basis for our new routine starting the next class.
I can’ t say that this intervention satisfied everyone, and surely some of my students still find our English class boring. We continue to iterate and experiment. And despite the pressure I feel to stay on track with my lesson plans, I continue to remind myself that acknowledging their feelings and giving them a co-share in the management of our classroom makes a difference. Other teachers I know have taken this approach further, distributing student roles
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CSEE Connections Summer 2025 Page 5