The most beautiful, and frustrating, aspect of learner-centered education is that there is no “single way” to go about it.
Many “edu-celebrities” sell tips and tricks, but often those “active” learning exercises are just rote education dressed up to look fun. We might call those who engage students in active, but teacher-controlled, activities, the “teacher as choreographer.”
But if we truly want to empower students and prepare an environment where they can thrive as whole people, we must shed our identities as the choreographer and instead adopt the stance of “teacher as coach.”
We are there to advise, support, and guide young people, but we must allow them to chart their own meaningful paths through their education and their lives.
So what shifts are required to go from the choreographer to the coach?
I dig into this question with Kyle Wagner, founder of Transform Learning Consulting, as we discuss his 12 shifts for student-centered environments.
These 12 shifts aren’t prescriptive “best practices” that only apply in one setting. Nor do they uphold the status quo.
These 12 shifts are true mindset and paradigm shifts that can take place at the macro and micro level of education, making them powerful points for consideration for all levels of education.
If you want to learn more about Kyle’s work, you can get his new book Where’s The Teacher: 12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments for 30% off at this link with the code WT30: https://www.routledge.com/Where-Is-the-Teacher-The-12-Shifts-for-Student-Centered-Environments/Wagner/p/book/9781032484716
You can also find him on LinkedIn and on his website, Transformative Educational Consulting.
Join The Enlightened Educator Project!
The Enlightened Educator Project is on a mission to to develop mindful, reflective, and resilient educators to make education more humanizing and sustainable for all.
If this resonates with you, we are looking for schools and individuals to join our cohort of educators who are building community and resilience together. Cohorts start in the Fall and Winter.
Check out our website at www.EnlightenedEducatorProject.org and learn more about our school cohort model here!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lE1Z3lQFkiZ9YZtPlvkSutdverMrBcz_/view?usp=sharing
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