Putting Students First

What a great way to start the New Year – focusing on making education better by putting students first.

Like so many of my peers in education, we constantly struggle to make teaching relevant to the individual needs of our students. This is no easy task (primarily) because the needs of students change every year. The truth of the matter is there is no magic solution to the struggle that many educators and schools face when it comes to providing a quality education. However, I do believe that providing a quality education can be achieved in the US for all students regardless of their background/circumstance. What can we do to improve education for all students? First and foremost, I believe putting the focus squarely on students is essential. It is by no means the only area in education that I think needs attention; however, making students the focus can only help us stay true to what good education is all about. If money, time, and resources were not an option, I would begin the process to improve education in the following ways:

Create child-centered places of learning
Make students active participates in their learning
Create a safe space for children to take academic and social-emotional risks
Promote an environment where learning is challenging as well as fun
Encourage student engagement with peers and teachers; student-teacher connection is essential to student success in the classroom
Make schools viable places of learning for students and faculty

Thankfully, I am not the only person who believes education can be fixed or that in order to do so we have to put the needs of students first. Check out other resources to help put the needs of students first. tlb

Project-Based Learning: Real-World Issues Motivate Students | Edutopia.

Student-Centered Learning Environments: How and Why | Edutopia.

Five Characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching

Five Steps to Create a Progressive, Student-Centered Classroom/ASCD

The Learning Centered Principal/ASCD

Source