At the beginning of the school year, we expect that our students will need clearly stated ruled and expectations so they will abide as productive classroom citizens. Yet, as the school year progresses, our students begin to test the classroom limits, and they often search for a chance to exert their own opinions and beliefs in the classroom settings. To ignore this student need may lead to classroom management concerns, while creating opportunities for student expression may enhance student learning and cooperation.
How can you do this without losing classroom control?
- Utilize assignments that provide student topic choice.
- Introduce current events that open the door for discussion and the sharing of opinions.
- Set the stage for student presentation and performance or role-playing.
- Allow students to create their own resolutions for key historic events.
- Organize response groups where students gain collective power and report shared ideas.
And all else fails, provide students an open forum in your classroom where they feel comfortable to share their concerns and their ideas. What could be better than a weekly or monthly soap-box session in every Social Studies classroom? Imagine the lessons they could learn.
Happy Teaching!