The Harder We Push, the Worse it Gets: The Imperative for Student Power with Mike Nicholson

When you look at the history of educational reform in the United States, it feels like we’ve tried everything:

• No Child Left Behind

• Race to the Top

• Common Core State Standards

• The “science of” fads (which aren’t as scientific as they claim)

The one thing we haven’t tried?

Giving meaningful autonomy to young people.

I was honored to bring Dr. Mike Nicholson on my podcast to discuss why we must give students autonomy in our schools. This is not a “nice to have” or something that works for only some students.

We have a mental health crisis among our young people because schools rob them of their psychological fundamental needs: Autonomy, purpose, and relatedness. In the podcast, Mike and I dig into these three needs, what the research says about giving students autonomy, and practical suggestions for schools, administrators, and teachers to give students power NOW!

If you want to learn more about Mike and his organization, LearningInspired, you can visit their website at www.learninginspired.org.

How are you giving more autonomy to students in your settings?

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Breaking the Paradigm is a division of Developing Education, which is on a mission to transform education globally to foster human development and flourishing for all people.

First Intention: Curriculum and pedagogy support for Montessori adolescent practitioners, specifically with math and language across the prepared environment.

The Enlightened Educator Project: Supporting educators with mindfulness and resiliency through professional development and downloadable resources.