Almost every time I speak with a parent or colleague either on a Zoom call or while physically distancing and walking my dog, the question comes up. What do you think will happen in September?
I have got to be honest; I cannot even think about that right now. We don’t finish until the end of June, and I need to focus on being fully present for my teachers and students. I literally tune out when the speculation starts. I don’t know what that says about me or my character or the state of my well-being; but it’s the truth.
That is, until one of our Global Education Students Chat leads shared some of her answers to our slow chat question on the topic, “What is School?”
A7: I wonder how students can make large scale adjustments to the education system. #GlobalEdSsChat has given so many students a voice, helping students gain leadership and take charge of their own education. pic.twitter.com/SUobTnvCZE
— Anahit Hakobyan (@AnahitH03) May 23, 2020
Anahit prompted me to think about how we are making some huge decisions about going back to school and what that will look like, and how unfortunate it would be if we didn’t take the time to ask students what they think it should look like.
This tweet by Jessica Kirkland came at about the same time as I was pondering how we can capitalize on student voice; it’s worthwhile to take a look at some of the replies. There are some that would say focus groups and surveys are enough, and others that suggest that kids are not emotionally equipped to help because it may re-traumatize them, while others speak to the necessity (and difficulty) of getting a broad range of voices and experiences. These are all things we need to be mindful of, but ultimately we should try, wherever possible to give students a place at the table, to genuinely listen to them, and to respond with flexibility wherever possible.
If you are interested in what a few leaders have to say about how Covi19 will impact leadership and instruction next year, check out the replay of this conversation moderated by Rachelle Dene Poth & Dr. Nathan Lang-Raad which featured many thoughtful leaders I admire (Beth Houf, Bethany Hill, Jay Billy, Neil Gupta, Joe Sanfelippo, Sanée Bell, and Rosa Isiah). I was humbled and grateful to provide the voice of the teacher-leader in the group.
Dana Mitra in here article, Student voice in secondary schools, shares a hierarchy of student voice:
At the bottom, is Listening. Listening is about students sharing their voices and opinions, while adults interpret information and possibly act on it.
Next is Collaboration, which is defined as adults and youth working together, whereby adults initiate the relationship and ultimately have the final say in what happens.
Mitra (2018) places leadership at the top of the student voice pyramid and she defines this as students driving initiatives.
Mitra’s research points to the fact that educational contexts can be transformed when students assume agency in initiatives and when their opinions are not just listened to but valued.
If you are interested in what students have to say about their experiences, check out our What is School discussion:
No matter what school looks like in September, we will have missed a valuable opportunity to make a change if we don’t consider all stakeholders wherever it is possible to do so; and students are definitely an important stakeholder.
Reference:
Mitra, D. (2018). Student voice in secondary schools: The possibility for deeper change. Journal of Educational Administration, 56(5), 473-487. Retrieved from
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEA-01-2018-0007/full/html
