As a teacher, I am automatically a leader. While this position doesn’t always make me comfortable, it is a part of the job. If I were just a leader, I’d have no issues with my role, but the fact is that in my classroom I am the only leader, and this is where I sometimes have issue. However, I don’t share these feelings with my students, because I feel they might eat me alive if they knew what I was thinking.
There have been times when I handed over the reigns to my students. I don’t recall how or why it happened, but in response to what one of my elementary art students said, I responded, “Well, then, you be teacher for a bit….” And the young man jumped at the chance to run the classroom. While I sat down to work on a drawing, he walked around the classroom and did what I typically do; walk around and offer feedback to the students on their work, and offer help if they needed it. He told a group that was too loud to “bring the volume down” and generally did a pretty good job as a stand in for me. It was a fun moment for all of us, and had other kids begging to get to be “teacher for a day.”
In my speech class at the high school, I try to give the kids as many opportunities as possible to get up in front of the class as possible. When I do notes, sometimes I assign simple chapters to the kids to teach to each other. Small groups are formed and each group is assigned a part of a study guide, and each group has to present their portion of the notes as a small group. Therefore, they are also acting as my replacements for a brief period of time. Of course, they are communicating and publicly speaking as part of the exercise, which is highly relevant for a speech course. But even better, the students are engaging with the material in a wholly different way than what they are used to, so they have to look at the material from a teaching perspective. Some kids just go along with it, but some really get it, and you can see it in how they present the material. They take their job as teacher seriously, and it’s nice to see some kids respond this way.
I just think it’s always nice to share power, and to get everyone involved in the process. To make our students feel valued and appreciated should be one of our daily goals as educators.
I am an advocate of making our students feel as though that they have an intricate part in their learning process. By that student taking over as "teacher for a day" and modeling the strategies that YOU have given to them should be a validation that you are in the right role. Do not look at this as giving up you leadership role, but transferring wisdom and experience. How cool was that to watch your influences unfold right before your eyes, congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI think students love the role-playing between us and them. However, sometimes power can make them feel on top of the world and they can't handle it. I praise your idea of allowing everyone at least for one day to become the teacher. It gives them a chance to see all the sides of being a leader and to lead others as well. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI have done this as well. And I find it very interesting to watch the students. Now I have first grade and to watch them be the teacher is like looking in a mirror. I have also listened to them when they play school and I hear what I sound like through them. It is a learning experience to see and to see how the class responds to each other when one of them is the teacher. Kids are not used to being able to make decisions and to guide their learning. Its always the teacher but it is good for them to experience what it is like to be in charge.
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