Students Manage Their Learning

With support and coaching, students can manage their own learning — even at a very young age. This is powerful, motivating, and frees up teacher time.

Start simple. Ask students to put together their learning plan for Genius Time, with the ultimate goal of equipping them with the skills to:

• identify what they want to accomplish,

• lay out how they’ll accomplish it (milestones, resources, what they need to learn), and

• assess their progress.

What are the advantages of equipping students with the skills to manage their learning? Are these skills important later in life? What’s holding you back from starting now?

If all of your students are managing their learning, how does that change your role as a teacher? What are the downsides if students own their learning?

What are effective techniques that help students manage their learning?

How much priority does this merit? How is student agency impaired in the world of standardized education?

Check out Alan November’s book Who Owns the Learning? or this helpful list of ten suggestions.