Students as Teachers – Why not?

As a Math teacher, not many would agree, given the dearth of unknowns lurking around! Few month back, I thought my Gr 8 students can LEAD the learning henceforth & I can just follow, as a student. I thought it will empower them, wanted to give them an opportunity to own their whole class learning. Little did I know that this would open up new avenues that we could venture into.

I took a week to think about through all the ‘what if’ scenarios. Braced myself, decided to go ahead and shared this idea to the class. I gave my students the topics list, announced their teacher roles. Each one volunteered for a learning topic (including the MATH-HATERS). We spent the next few minutes to discuss our thoughts on students’ responsibilities AS A TEACHER. First day, first student’s class – Awe inspiring, he had come prepared with a sequence (aka lesson plan), check-for-understanding worksheets, made interesting extensions to the topic & the students were thrilled about it. Then came the critical feedback from his fellow students.

Student X – “Aunty, I think he was explaining the steps to us…, didn’t get us to think why we solve that way”
Student Y – “Ohh, isn’t that a lecture?”
Student Z – “Aunty, How are we learning in our class, when you teach?”

This led to a discussion about metacognition – constantly monitoring one’s own learning & making changes to one’s own learning behaviours. Coincidentally we had ‘Blooms Taxonomy’ stuck in the math lab, for teachers’ reference. We pondered a lot more on – when I am listening to a lecture/watching a video, what kind of thoughts run in my head? When I try to make notes in class or from a reference book, what am I doing? When I am actively engaged in class (active learning), where all I am gently nudged into analysis, questioning my prior connections with that topic, making fresh connections, thinking about where can I use my new learning (application), argue with my friend over my strategy being more efficient (evaluation) and so on…

My students have understood the role of teachers very well, highly reflective and felt a great ‘thumbs up’! I was looking forward for further classes.

Further 3 weeks, it was a terrific experience! I got to witness my students, armed with ‘active learning methods, explorative learning sequences & formative assessment plans’. They showed me their lesson-plan in advance for suggestions. To be honest, I had very little to convey. Each student had a very interesting start for the class, ranging from hands-on cards, music, survey, discussion starters, group modelling activity, etc.

Students owned the topic, learning objectives, class control, usage of resources. They strived to differentiate as per their fellow learner-needs, came prepared with sound understanding/research, followed up on their assignments, flipped the learning, assessed their teaching & received feedback. I was a student in class, sitting one among them, witnessing the learning.

• I am moved by the ‘learner qualities’ my students portrayed – empathetic, considerate, handled classes with respect, strived their best to be supportive to their peers’ learning, thoughtful & encouraging throughout the class.
• I could see ‘Student study-skills’ shaping up – Elaborate ‘why’ questions, Explaining it to themselves & their peers, Planning their learning & teaching, organised sequence of thoughts, time management, note-taking, resource preparation, assessment –evaluating learning, alternative plans, decision making.

I could see ‘Visible thinking-routines’ – My students used thinking routines mentioned below though they didn’t use the below jargons.

• Connect-Extend-Challenge
• Explanation
• What makes you say that?
• Generate-Sort-Collect-Elaborate

• Students as teachers – Typical win-win scenario. Teachers get to understand learner needs/ learning styles more precisely. My students were teaching the way they like to learn (I got plenty of hints there!). Students can empathise the role of a teacher, develop deeper understanding of teachers’ role.
• Empowering Students – They identify the problems in their learning or the class procedures through critical analysis, own the solution process, and approach it in different ways.
• Few of my students who used to think ‘Nay! I can’t get certain strands in math’ have gained this new-found ‘I-can-do’ approach after becoming a teacher and I needn’t say how this magic unfolds.
• Student become independent learners and prepares them for life-long learning. Relinquishing control to the students – not at all easy, as it sounds. As a teacher, one has to constantly remind self that students are LEADING.
• Student learn how to learn – This is the pinnacle of all! Students are beginning to experience & reflect on their learning preferences. Prepares them for the forth-coming self-study in higher-secondary & college education.

Can any teacher reading this, ask students to teach?
My two cents – Below is a checklist for you to start with, if you want to reap the above-mentioned benefits.

1) Are your learners engaged in your own class? Engaged students in ‘active learning methods’ experience its effectiveness in their own learning.
2) Does your class has visible ‘thinking-routines’? Pose critical thinking questions like – Why am I doing what I am doing? Do I need to try something different?
3) Do you have an open-minded approach to learning? I mean, your purpose – do you teach so that your students learn to explore and make more connections for real-life usage, or do you teach aiming at a score in summative assessment?
4) Do you make efforts to accommodate different learner needs and learning styles, when you teach? This will help the students understand the importance of inclusiveness, empathetic towards’ peer learning and thoughtful approaches to facilitate them.
5) Do you facilitate your learners towards ‘constructing their own ideas’ and evaluating them?
6) Do you constantly give & receive feedback to & from your learners? Do you reflect on ‘How well did the class go?’, ‘what could I do differently next time?’

Students are much more knowledgeable, organised and energetic as teachers, if only they get to be one! I have had this opportunity to learn new ways of ‘facilitation’ from them. I am incredibly fortunate, to have such inspiring young teachers in my class.