Choice
- The Forgotten Basic Human Right
Dr.
Kathie F Nunley
My
son came home from school yesterday with a small styrofoam
cup, with a lid, and a worm. The worm, presumably, was inside
the cup. Honestly, I didn't verify it.
He
spent the entire time of our drive home regaling me with the
story of the worm. A man had come to their school that afternoon
and gave them a wonderful informative lesson on worms and
passed out pet worms. To a 6 year old, this is just about
as good as a school day gets.
"So,"
I said, "all your classmates took home worms today?"
"No,
not everyone," said my son, "Some students didn't take worms."
"Oh,"
I said, thinking about the age group "you mean some of the
kids thought the worms were too icky to take home?"
"No".
He said nonchalantly, "Some of the kids didn't choose to do
that work."
For
parents whose children attend a student-centered school, like
my son's Montessori school, statements like these are an everyday
event. But this statement struck a chord with me yesterday
in the car, with my son, and his worm, Fred.
Not
all students are so lucky in their education. Not all children
get to go to a school where the afternoon presentation is
viewed as an option. Where some children who may find working
the geography puzzle more appealing than worms can live out
their desire without reprimand. Not all children have this
opportunity to develop responsibility, creativity and a positive
view of learning.
Choice.
It's a basic human need. Not only is it a basic human need,
it is a basic human right. Because with choice comes a sense
of control. A sense that I have some input in my life and
in what I do and in what happens to me. And because of that,
I must also take responsibility for myself and my state in
life. If I'm not learning, if this is not helping me meet
my goals, I have the power to change my behavior and my course.
The absence of this right is slavery.
I don't believe very many people (myself included) would advocate
total freedom of choice for children and their education.
Obviously they don't always have the ability to make good
decisions and their long term planning skills are less than
mature. But I do believe we need to look for more ways to
add it into any traditional "teacher-centered" classroom.
In
a strictly teacher-centered classroom the teacher makes all
decisions -from where the students sit to what they learn,
when they eat and even when they can go to the bathroom. Imagine
a child spending 7 hours a day in an environment where all
decisions are made by others. Now imagine this happening for
12 years, at which time we turn this person loose in society
and wonder why he or she can't make good decisions, has no
self control and doesn't want to take responsibility for their
actions.
The
most immediate benefit to running student-centered classrooms
is in the reduction of management problems. People want some
control. If you don"t give it to them, they will take it.
This power struggle for control leads to 99% of classroom
management problems. The easiest way to lessen the power struggle
is to allow the students to feel they have some control somewhere.
Imagine as an adult if you were living in a world where all
decisions were made by entities outside yourself. What if
someone told you what subject you would teach, where you would
teach it, what grade level, what text book, which pages you
would cover on which days, what assignments you would give
students, how you were to grade them, which projects you could
assign, when you could use the faculty bathroom or worse yet,
who you needed to ask to get permission to use the bathroom.
No
doubt some of you look at that list and find some or many
items that are in fact, controlled for you . Maybe you are
assigned a school or a text. Maybe you do give department
designed tests. Maybe you are told when you can leave your
classroom. But I�ll bet none of us have ALL those things
assigned.
My
point here is that we can live with some things being "mandated".
My district can mandate the curriculum I teach. They can tell
me what text to use, when I have to turn in grades, what days
we have school, when to show up and when to attend faculty
meeting. But they don't dictate everything. I can teach the
curriculum in the order I see fit. I can use the text and
supplement it as I see fit. I can create my own projects,
assignments and lectures. There is choice somewhere.
Students
are no different. Students don't mind you telling them what
they have to learn and when it is due and how it is to be
graded and what days and times they need to be at school.
But could they also have a little freedom within that structure
to be the most creative learner they can be?
Look for small areas where choice could easily be added. Could
they have some choice in the order in which they complete
assignments, the seat they sit in for certain things, the
problem sets to work?
Choice
is a wonderful thing. Suddenly the student is in control.
And with that comes responsibility, creativity and feelings
of self-worth. When you offer choices you may find students
doing what you would have had them do anyway, but now you
have their interest and attention because THEY decided to
do it.
*****
Fred the worm slept in his styrofoam cup in my son's bookcase
last night.
"He
likes the dark" I was told.
"Did
you ask him if he likes the dark?" I asked. "Maybe he's not
one of those worms that likes the dark. Did you ever think
of that? Why don't you give him a choice about where to sleep?"
"Mom,
he's just a worm".
Dr Kathie Nunley