Research shows that giving students agency and influence in their learning makes them more engaged and invested in their education. It also empowers them to take control, show initiative, and adopt leadership roles. Giving students voice and choice also helps them feel valued, encourages them to realize their interests and potential, and can improve their academic outcomes.
Student voice, choice and social and emotional learning (SEL) go hand-in-hand. SEL helps students develop agency because it teaches them to engage authentically as leaders, problem-solvers, and decision-makers. It also improves students’ communication skills and their ability to advocate for themselves.
Here are four ways schools can incorporate student voice, choice, and SEL in students’ learning.
Example 1: Student voice, choice and leadership
Involving students in designing their instruction can be a great way to promote student voice/choice, and it also fosters leadership skills, motivation, and investment in their education. Invite students to design all or part of their SEL instruction, perhaps during an advisory period. Have students define what the instruction will include, how it will be facilitated, and how they can measure program impacts.
Example 2: Data-driven decision-making
Inviting students to examine and reflect on their SEL data can improve their self-efficacy and goal-setting skills. This could be a simple conversation about their data, like asking students if they agree with it and helping them brainstorm ways they can improve. This is an effective way for students to express their own voice, set goals, and work toward their growth opportunities in a personalized and effective way.
Example 3: Adult/student collaboration
Creating opportunities for adults and students to collaborate not only promotes student voice and choice, but it also strengthens teacher-student relationships. Within SEL, this could mean including students in the administration of the SEL program, involving them in analyzing SEL data trends, and making collaborative decisions around how to improve school climate based on aggregate SEL survey results.
Example 4: Student expression
Hosting town halls is an excellent way to give students a platform where they can speak about topics that are important to them. The town halls can center on topics of the students’ choice, such as learning challenges, celebrating areas of strength, equity, etc. Giving students meaningful ways to express their strengths and concerns, while also eliciting feedback from teachers and peers, will go a long way toward building self-confidence and self-efficacy and will make them feel valued.
There are many ways to integrate student voice and choice within a school, and they can range from simple classroom activities to highly involved initiatives that address foundational school or district educational practices.
SEL assessment data can enhance student voice and choice frameworks and can give students and teachers the data they need to facilitate conversations, examine strengths and areas for improvement, and guide instruction and supports.
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