Complete Coverage

What Teacher Leaders Learned This School Year

What is the most significant lesson you learned this year? I posed this question to members of the Teacher Leaders Network virtual community last week. Some common themes emerged:

Learning can be messy. Once I released control of learning to students, I realized we'd go places I didn't anticipate. Even though we covered curriculum objectives, we also explored ideas, places, and concepts I would have never planned. Co-learning with students is wonderful. —Marsha, middle school, Kan.

I learned to talk less than my students. I'm evolving my classroom to a more student-centered environment. The students ask questions, answer questions, collaborate more, interact daily, and even help track and understand relevant data. I navigate while they sail the ship. —Rob, 8th grade ELA, Fla.