Student Voice and Choice

Student voice and choice has never been more visible than it has been in the past few months. Following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, there has been an incredible outcry for change by student leaders like Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg, Sam Zeif, Julia Cordover, and many others. Their activism was sparked by a tragic event, but nevertheless, it was, and still is, an example of students making their own choice to speak out on issues that they are passionate about, and boy are they making a difference.

It may seem like these magic students are rare; like they have been hidden behind school doors until forced to speak out. But take a closer look at your classroom, and you'll find a whole room full of magic students, whose voices are loud and clear, who have passions for things they believe in, and have the power to leave the world a better place then they found it. So how do we encourage all of our students to recognize their power? We start by incorporating student voice and choice within the classroom. We provide them with the confidence, agency, and support they need to fight for change. We turn expression into leadership.

So what is student voice anyway?

As explained by author John McCarthy in his article, Establishing a Culture of Student Voice, student voice can be better explained if we compare it to something like yoga. In a yoga class, a person chooses poses that best fit their personal needs, so why can't we do the same for students? Student voice is the practice of allowing student input in everyday classroom decisions. Examples of input can range from including options for which book to read during free reading time to reflecting on the decisions local policy makers are implementing in school systems. It's all about getting an authentic perspective from our students.

So you may be thinking...where does the choice come in?

Student voice is a good start on its own. But it won't accomplish anything unless you allow students to act on their opinions and beliefs. It's one thing to say, "OK, I know which book my students want to read since they have told me", and its another thing to say, "I will let my students choose which book they read based on what they are passionate about". The book example is something I hope all teachers allow their students to do anyway. The real challenge comes with letting students choose things like how they want their school to be run, what policies they want to challenge, and how to stand up for things they believe in. Student voice and choice needs to, "expand beyond allowing students to choose their own projects"(Michael Niehoff, 1).

What practices can encourage student voice and choice?

Author Jennifer Snelling provides readers with 8 ways to promote student voice and choice in the classroom. These practices include brainstorming, debate, voting, and student-led conferences, among other things. These practices are important because they allow all students to take an active role in their education, and prevent the occurrence of just a few select voices being heard in programs such as student government (Snelling, 1) .

Some more examples of what student voice and choice can look like in the classroom can be found in the list below:

Teachers can...

• Provide homework options
• Use student polling
• Create independent study options
• Invite students to get involved in school policy
• Offer more electives
• Permit students to learn at their own rate

List courtesy of The American Institute of Learning and Development

The three stages of incorporating student voice and choice:

According to authors Barbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey in their article Learner Voice and Choice Leads to Engagement, there are 3 main stages of incorporating student voice and choice into the classroom. These stages can help guide educators during the process of changing their classroom dynamics to support voice and choice.

1) The teacher designs lessons to support voice and choice, and will gradually give more responsibility to learners when they feel ready.

2.) Teachers and learners co-design assessment and lesson plans. This provides learners with the opportunity to decide how they learn best, and allows the teacher to design strategies to help support them.

3) Learner takes control of their education. They are given the voice and choice to decide which challenge is best suited for their needs. They become self-regulated and skillful learners who explore curriculum based on their own desires and passions.

Why is it important?

As the article,  Personalized Learning Inspires Student Success in Environmental Science says, our current and past educational system is like a process of herding sheep all in the same direction. By allowing students the ability to go their own direction and explore their own interests schools can promote creativity and individualism for students in the future.

Check out the video below to learn more about student voice and choice and practices that can support it from a high schooler who has experienced its benefits firsthand.

How can student voice and choice increase overall achievement? 

Students who feel like their voices matter are often more motivated to perform well in school. The more motivated students are to learn, and the more engaged they are, the better they will do. Providing students the opportunity for choice and control is very important because it can increase their academic achievement (Toshalis and Nakkula, 1). Incorporating these practices can also bolster overall school success. Author Leah Shaffer from Harvard University writes that, "practices written by distant policy makers are hard for adolescents to connect with, which leaves them feeling lost and unrepresented" (Shaffer, 1). By regularly soliciting student feedback, engaging students in studying and assessing their own school, including authentic student representation on leadership committees, inviting students to discussions that have to do with their own learning, and considering young people as stakeholders and partners in their schools, you create a community of learners that feel like they can make a positive change in any area they decide to pursue further (Shaffer, 1).

If we, as educators, make an active decision to incorporate student voice and choice in our classrooms everyday, then we can help raise the next generation of magic students. They will be students who are not afraid to challenge the system, who explore what they are passionate about, and who have the ability to change the world. They will be the next generation of leaders.

A full list of sources and annotated bibliographies can be found on this page: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CHv-kIAQz7IyTWSC8ZVJvBeZbl0Kmd-9iHF5v0gjAPw/edit