I have the lofty goal of getting my students to really take ownership of their learning this year. My students owned a great deal of their learning in Grade 3. It is amazing to watch students immerse themselves in a project and work hard to learn as much as they can. I find children work harder, enjoy the process more, and dare I say learn way more this way. Classroom management is much easier as everyone is too busy and engaged to misbehave. Sometimes students even stay in at recess just to continue working. It is so much fun to teach in a class like this.
I had the opportunity to really own my learning when I worked on my professional growth plan two years ago. I worked harder and learned so much more than I did during past teacher evaluation processes. I got up early to watch inspiring Ted Talks, read books and changed my practice in the classroom. I learned along with my students and had the best time. I can tell you that it is incredibly satisfying to grow in this way.
This past year I had the opportunity to let my own daughter own her learning. She was having a challenging time in math class and was getting discouraged. I brought up the idea of dropping the math class and taking the math class online. My daughter would be in control of learning the content and completing assignments and tests independently. My husband initially thought it was a crazy idea to do such a thing during the graduating year, my daughter did have to get into university.
I am happy to report that my daughter loved taking ownership of her learning. She worked harder in this course than any other and even started tutoring a friend once a week. She got an excellent mark in the course, earned three scholarships, and is ready to study Neuroscience this Fall.
Taking ownership of one’s own learning is best for students and teachers alike. We can all reach for the stars when we own our own learning!