Hey world! I've been in a democratic classroom for the past semester. It has been a fun adventure and really beneficial for me as a (future) teacher.
What is a democratic classroom?
Basically, it goes off of the idea that individuals are given human rights and that these human rights are respected by all and protected by the government (and by teachers). These rights are
- Freedom - Students are able to be themselves and have the right to express themselves through their behavior and opinions.
- Educators have a responsibility to protect and respect students’ individuality and acknowledge their right to make choices for themselves.
- Justice - Students have a right to school rules and consequences that are fair to everyone. Students accused of misbehavior have the right to tell their side of the story.
- For educators to listen to students in matters of concern and consider their views, demonstrates a sincere respect for as student’s sense of worth.
- Equality - Equal educational opportunity for each student, meeting individual needs of every student in order to give each a chance to succeed in school.
- Equality does not mean treating every student the same. Equality means educators will respond to students' individual needs so each will have an opportunity to succeed. It is more of an equity view than equality.
We want to teach students how to function in the “real” world as a citizen. Sure, our government isn’t exactly a democracy, but democratic principles are helpful in creating good, participatory citizens. Using the democratic classroom model and associated principles can help us to teach our students by precept and by example. By involving our students in this way we can help them to truly learn.
*If you want to learn more about a democratic classroom, here is a great place to start!
Soo……..what exactly does a democratic classroom look like?
This requires a lot of thinking “outside the box”. My main purpose of this post is to share principles and a variety of ways to implement them. Circumstances may not allow for the “ideal” democratic classroom. What a democratic classroom looks like can vary from teacher to teacher and even from class to class.
Each teacher is an individual. They bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. I have seen this in the school I have been doing my practicum in. Each of the teachers have their own strengths and instead of trying to be something they are not, they capitalize on their strengths.
Just like there is no one good way to be a good parent, there is not just one good way to be a good teacher. Be the teacher your students need. Teenagers can be perceptive. They know when you are interested and feed off of your energy. Be true to you - authenticity goes even further with students than all the smoke and mirrors in the world.
Some ideas:
- Allow students to help set up the classroom - helps them to have a voice in decisions about their learning and how the classroom could be set-up to support their learning. The degree of this will vary depending on how many classes you have, the resources available and so on, but
- Hold Class Meetings
- A place for students and teacher to discuss, plan, and organize. Also gives students valuable experience with the structure of meetings in the "real" world. For more information, go here.
- Consider flexible seating - Empower students with choice. Students are able to choose what is best for them. They are able to work better individually and in groups. This is such a cool concept. Here are some examples:
- A teacher created “The Learning Lounge” and explained that this setup gives student more freedom of choice, provided a more home-like atmosphere in which they felt comfortable to relax. The relaxed atmosphere produced more conversation which in turn produced additional learning at a deeper level. She also said: “The space has promoted the students in being responsible for their own learning. Ultimately, they play a major role in their own learning process and are able to self monitor their progression.” That's precisely what we want! But does it work with your teaching style and personality?
- A Flexible-Seating Paradise - I love how she used lighting in her classroom!
- The Funky Science Lab - This was my first exposure to flexible seating! I love how she adapted her classroom to the needs of her students.
- Flexible Seating - This is a great video for the basics of Flexible Seating!
- Consider circular seating - It is easy for students to hide behind others in rows. By arranging the classroom into a circle/half circle, students can see each other, make eye contact and no one person is singled out.
*Teachers need to be able to navigate and move quickly within their classroom. Keep desks/seats close together to allow for conversation and easy maneuvering. - http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr330.shtml
Classrooms are meant to support learning - is your classroom hindering the learning of your students? Think about it! And watch this video: Reimagining Classrooms: Teachers as Learners and Students as Leaders
Not every method will work for every classroom and situation - that's why there are options. Trust your instincts as a teacher and be true to you and your students!!
