Creating Opportunities for Student Ownership
Running in the dark Over the past few weeks, I’ve been waking up around 4:30. I usually work for an hour or so before I go on a short morning run. With the sun rising later and later, I rely on my headlamp and streetlights to guide me. Last week, I tried a new route. My time was significantly slower; I was disappointed and dejected. I ran the same route the next day with the same results. On Friday, I returned to my original route and my time improved. What was the difference? My original route is well illuminated--High Street, Market Street, Downtown Mall--and my second route is not. This speaks to the importance of being able to see what’s in front of you and the need to reflect on our progress. As teachers we must illuminate the path for our students and provide them with opportunities to reflect on their progress. This is what excites me about student led conferences. When students know the learning intentions and criteria and are provided with frequent opportunities to refle...