“Teachers are needed more than ever, but in a very different capacity. We are no longer providing answers. We’re providing the questions and the tools to find the answers.”
-- Josh Stumpenhorst, 2012 Illinois Teacher of the Year
It’s important to take time during the summer to relax and recharge for the new school year. But it’s also important to take time to reflect on and reform our practices for the new school year. And no practice is more in need of reform than traditional teacher-centered instruction.
But why is it important for students to own and direct their learning? Will students meet academic standards if teachers give them control of their learning? Why are teachers reluctant to let students learn independently? What can teachers do to begin the process of letting go?
Listen to Rae Pica’s interview with Alan November, Josh Stumpenhorst, and me on BAM Radio for answers to these and other related questions. Also see these previous posts for ideas that help teachers shift from sage on the stage to guide on the side:
- Don’t Prevent Students’ Mistakes, Prepare for Them
- Flipped Instruction or No Instruction?
- Coach Students Rather Than Teach Students
- Less Lecturing, More Learning
- Formative Assessment Efficiency, Summative Assessment Proficiency
Let’s rest this summer, but let’s also lay to rest a teaching practice that has far outlived its usefulness. R.I.P. sage on the stage.
Image by zenwae, provided by Dreamstime license