5 Benefits for Increasing Student Choice and Ownership
Student choice and ownership is an earned reward in the classroom. For teachers to provide choice and ownership to students means a shift has occurred from directing learning to facilitating learning. The teacher has routines and procedures in place as well as exposed students to high expectations with rigorous work. In response, students have shown maturity in handling the freedom that comes along with that change. There are additional benefits for students other than experiencing choice in their learning and increased ownership in the process.
This blog post will outline 5 benefits of increasing student choice and ownership in the classroom.
Realistic Goal Setting
As students become more in charge of how they learn, they become more in tune with their learning style and pace. When students plan out their workload or project runway, they are able to be more realistic with their timeline. Setting goals is fun but can be discouraging if you cannot paint an accurate picture of what it takes to reach it. The more students pay attention to how they think, learn, and produce, they will begin to goal set with more accuracy. This results in more goals attained, thus increasing student confidence and motivation to continue with the next goal.
Responsible Decision Making
Similar to goal setting, the more students get involved in making decisions in regards to what happens in the classroom, the more realistic and responsible they become. When students are invited into behind-the-scenes conversations about how to run the classroom more effectively, they start to pay attention to the details. They begin to form an opinion and feel rewarded when their opinion is taken into account. This increases their investment into the operations of the classroom. Attendance and motivation to learn increases while misbehaviors and misunderstandings decrease.
Enthusiastic Attitude
Autonomy is a huge motivator for people. Choice and ownership create autonomy. It allows students to experience freedom. When they feel a part of something greater than themselves, but that they have a say in their environment, their mood begins to shift. They feel important, valued and seen. They enjoy the room to operate in an adult-like manner. Choice and ownership bring enthusiastic attitudes, making the whole environment more joyful.
High Personal Accountability
When students are more in control of their learning, they begin to hold themselves accountable in a new way. They put worth greater effort, pay attention to their overall progress, and even report to peers on their achievements. Students track their academic growth and own up to misunderstandings and misbehaviors they have caused in the classroom. They take a high personal accountability for their performance due to the shift in more ownership. This builds their responsibility quickly.
Increased Pride in Work
Students start to see the value of hard work. They care more about their handwriting, work output, pacing to complete assignments, and effort to go above and beyond the initial requirements. Because they have been allowed to have more choice and ownership in their learning journey, they become more invested in how they show up as a learner. Their work habits morph into more responsible ones. Their grades improve as well as their confidence and pride in their work.
Next Steps
Teachers, begin to slowly build in choice and ownership into your classroom. Overtime, you’ll see these five benefits manifest before your eyes!
If you’d like more information on strategies to increase student choice and ownership in the classroom, read my latest book Always A Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success.
More classroom resources are also available here. Also, catch up on other helpful blog posts here.
GO BE GREAT!
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.