How much control should a teacher have in their classroom? How much do we want our students to learn? These two questions are inexorably linked. The traditional model of education has been to lecture, assimilate, standardize, control. In traditional educational models teachers spoke and students listened, teachers assigned and students performed, teachers knew and students needed to know what they knew. According to that method of teaching, creative thinking is a luxury.
What happens when teachers begin to relinquish control of their classroom over to their students? Some may witness noise, disorganization, randomness and unpredictability, but what it may be is discussion, collaboration, choice and creativity. Where one sees a big hole in the ground another sees the Grand Canyon. We want students to be more creative, but at the same time we want them to do exactly what others say. One of these has to give. The more creative problem solving higher order thinking we want our of students, the more control we must relinquish unto them.
When is teaching at its most profitable for both the student and teacher, when the teacher is the "expert" who needs to pass to their students whatever esoteric knowledge they have or a fellow learner growing just as much as their students do? To engage in the latter means we must abandon the pursuit of perfection and embrace the learning process along with our students- mistakes and all. The best way to teach creativity, courage and curiosity is to model it. Should educators be merely guardians of content clinging to the vestiges of control in the classroom or facilitators of discovery learning alongside their students?
Wil Codilla is a public school teacher, designer and speaker. @WilCodilla
What happens when teachers begin to relinquish control of their classroom over to their students? Some may witness noise, disorganization, randomness and unpredictability, but what it may be is discussion, collaboration, choice and creativity. Where one sees a big hole in the ground another sees the Grand Canyon. We want students to be more creative, but at the same time we want them to do exactly what others say. One of these has to give. The more creative problem solving higher order thinking we want our of students, the more control we must relinquish unto them.
When is teaching at its most profitable for both the student and teacher, when the teacher is the "expert" who needs to pass to their students whatever esoteric knowledge they have or a fellow learner growing just as much as their students do? To engage in the latter means we must abandon the pursuit of perfection and embrace the learning process along with our students- mistakes and all. The best way to teach creativity, courage and curiosity is to model it. Should educators be merely guardians of content clinging to the vestiges of control in the classroom or facilitators of discovery learning alongside their students?
Wil Codilla is a public school teacher, designer and speaker. @WilCodilla