Over the next few weeks, I’m going to explore four skills, concepts, and understandings that support student-directed learning. I’m starting with relationships because, for me, they come first.
Trusting and supporting relationships are important to have in place because they are what will make all the difference when students struggle - and they will struggle because making decisions that direct their own learning is both hard and unfamiliar. School, for many students, is not a place where they are asked to use their own ideas and innovate. Tasks in school involve recalling information to find the correct answer on a test, for example. When students are asked to apply knowledge it is still within parameters set by question or task, like writing an essay or conducting a science experiment.
When we ask students to come up with ideas for art-making it can be challenging and uncomfortable because it is so different than other learning in school. There is no right answer, there are few parameters but the opportunity to learn how to innovate and connect personality with learning is the payoff.
Students and teachers have to trust each other as students work through the discomfort and challenge of learning how to approach open-ended tasks, plus teachers need to know their student’s individual strengths and areas for growth so they can support them as they develop capability.
Teacher-educator and author Zaretta Hammond calls these relationships “Learning Partnerships” in her book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain and that’s what TAB teachers have to create - partnerships with each student that support learning.
So, how can you form partnerships with students? It depends on you, your individual students, and your school community. I find that I am always problem-solving every year as changes and challenges arise. These are some things that have worked for me to form relationships with and between students that support learning.
Get to know students. I talk to them, ask them how they are, and try to connect with each one. I’ve used whole class sharing before, where we move chairs to sit in a big circle and I ask a question that everyone, including me answers (I always make it clear that it is always okay to say “pass” instead of sharing). I use low-risk questions like “What is your favorite candy?” or “What are you looking forward to"? at the start of the year and might use something like “What is a goal you have for yourself?” after we know each other better. I’ve also done this activity in table groups as well, which is more comfortable for some students.
Develop connections between students. Conversations as I described above help but they can go further when they also impact classroom learning. This year I started to develop “critique conversations” where I worked on fostering learning partnerships between students. This evolved into “critique games”. Both increased connections between students and conversations centered on the creative process.
Create a welcoming and inclusive classroom. I try to greet each student as they come into the room. I also try to talk to each student about their work during every class. I make it a point to show a range of artists and artistic styles for each theme or unit introduction I do. These artists always include a variety of identities and points of view. I tailor the artists I feature to reflect the identities and interests of students in my classes.
Daily check-in. I try to talk to each student about their work daily. I ask them about their ideas, process, and goals, and about what is going well or any challenges they are experiencing. This is both a time for connection and a formative assessment. I’m looking for how I can both support and challenge each student and plan teaching accordingly. It helps me to take quick notes to refer to, especially about things I need to take action on, like planning a class demo or checking with a student I’m worried about.
Last, but not least
Check out Hammond's work about Learning Partnerships. I took part in a two-year fellowship centered on her work that my school system offered and I was struck and inspired by how much connected to TAB. The link in the underlined text takes you to her blog with free content and also tells you where you can purchase her book.
Relationships are a key part of making a space that everyone can thrive in. Positive relationships help us create a classroom where students want to be and create, and are the tool that lets us move students to higher levels of understanding and success.
Thanks for reading 💛