Twenty Years In, Still Learning

I take the feedback I give students on their writing very seriously. In fact, I would argue that it is the most important thing I do as an English teacher. I spend hours (HOURS!) reading essays, making comments, identifying patterns, asking questions, and suggesting ways to strengthen an argument or sharpen an analysis. I want students to understand not just what isn't working, but why, and what they can do about it. I take great pride in my feedback, actually.

But yesterday, my students taught me something about feedback.

When the Squeaky Wheel Stops Squeaking

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as they say -- assuming the noise is the problem. In schools, the squeaky wheels are easy to identify. They are the teachers who ask questions, push back on decisions, point out when something isn't working – or isn't working as intended – and ask why the school is adopting a new initiative in the first place. They suggest different ways of doing things and sometimes say what everyone else in the room is afraid to. They volunteer for committees and then get frustrated when those committees don't accomplish much. They care about decisions that don't directly affect them and worry about things that aren't technically part of their jobs.

Thus, the noise is not always a problem. Sometimes it is evidence of investment.

This Is Not a Democracy

Somewhere along the way, we seem to have confused respecting students with treating them as equals. We want students to have a voice, to feel heard, to take ownership of their learning. All good things. But in our enthusiasm to create student-centered classrooms, I wonder whether we have become uncomfortable with the idea that adults are supposed to be in charge.