It took years to make the full transition, but once I recognized and respected that the classroom fundamentally belongs to students, not me, both my teaching and their learning improved. chronicle.com/article/A-Teac…
Don't get me wrong. I still run a highly organized and purposeful course with clear intentions, but inside those things it's up to students to determine what's meaningful and act accordingly. In my experience this results in a more rigorous experience than previously.
While the transition took time, having crossed over, I can't imagine going back to an approach predicated on tracking and accountability from the top. Not only did it hamper student growth, it wore me out mentally and emotionally.
There is so much baggage we carry from the systems we were schooled in and teach in, but it's possible to identify and then discard that baggage. For years there were things I knew didn't work, but I didn't realize I had permission to do anything differently.
My journey started organically by questioning some of the classroom folklore and then was kicked into full gear by reading @KenBain1's What the Best Teachers Do. That book gave me permission to explore a pedagogy consistent with my values.
