Implementation

Implementation of approach in a classroom

To implement this approach in a classroom the following areas below need to be taken into consideration:

The Teacher

The teacher who is considering taking on this approach in their classroom needs to display the following traits and qualities, or learn to adopt them:

• A facilitator of learning who guides students in their own thinking and problem solving.
• Someone who focuses on developing good communication techniques and endeavours to promote open communication.
• Have good empathetic skills which enable them to experience the students’ perception and feelings of what is happening.
• Places emphasis on developing strong teacher-student relationships built on trust and respect.
• Active listening skills – practices active listening based on the idea that by listening to students, they will be able to solve their own problems.
• To be truly human by displaying realness, be genuine and to show students their real personality.

The Student

• Students are good by nature and will make the right choices and solve problems with proper support.
• Students are encouraged to set their individual goals and achieve them based on intrinsic motivation.
• The development of a student academically, socially, emotionally and personally are of equal importance.
• The student is accepted as a person of worth, is respected, a unique individual, and person as prized.
• Students move from a personal position of dependency on adults to one which they progressively achieve independence.
• Students are involved in the problem solving process.
• Students have freedom in the classroom.

Specific Strategies

• Three Stars and a Wish – Students use this activity to think about three things they have achieved and one thing they wish to learn more about.
• Community Circle (Cares, Concerns & Celebrations) – Time for discussion and to express their feelings and opinions.
• Values Dilemma – Students identify then resolve a conflict by thinking of possible solutions.
• Learning Centres – Different areas are set up in the classroom so that students have a choice of how they wish to learn and which learning style they want to adopt.
• Simulation – Setting up an experience for the students that pose a real life problem/situation for them to explore whilst teacher takes on facilitative role.
• Open Classroom – An environment that is created where students are encouraged to be self reliant and work cooperatively  with other students to achieve their own goals.

Resources, Assessment and Evaluation

Providing resources – Make available to the students, a wide range of resources they can access as part of their learning and discovery process.  The information isn’t forced onto the students in the form of set lessons but is available for the students to use when they want to.

Evaluation and assessment – Assessments such as student self evaluations need to be implemented.  The focus needs to be taken away from performance based assessments and the teacher giving out grades.  Instead assessments need to be centred on the students self reflection and self evaluation.  This also falls in line with the idea of self monitoring and self regulation.

Possible evaluations:  

• Three stars and a wish
• Journal entries
• Revisiting contracts
• Mutual discussion between teacher and student to determine fair grade