Most folks I know would profess to trying to create a student centered classroom.  I try to  do my  best to have the work emerge from the ideas, passions, and dreams of our students.   And I’ve tried to be a part of a team that allows a school to build on this idea.

The beginning of the year is the hardest time for this model.  Unlike the rest of the year, you do a lot of talking.  You’re trying to build a culture, a community, that will support students as their own ideas take shape.  The community has to be safe enough to take risks but not so comfortable that kids can’t challenge each other.   You’re trying to quickly pass ownership of the classroom and the work onto the students, to move yourself from facilitator to coach.   It’s real work.

But man, doing it after four-day weekends, three-day weekends, six-day weekends is hard, hard work.  I knew today would be difficult and urged any of my peers who came near me to forgive themselves as much of what would make today tough had nothing to do with them.  For students to take full ownership over the work, they have to know what they’re accepting and have an understanding of what the work is.  That’s next to impossible to do within a fragmented calendar.   We’ll get there but it’s going to take some time.