For the students in your classroom, engaging with course content may not always come easily – especially when students feel they have no agency over what it is they’re learning. By giving students a voice in the classroom, you can help promote a more engaging space where students feel empowered to learn.

Here are some things to implement in your classroom to help students feel more in control of their educational journey:

• Conduct surveys - Find out exactly how your students feel about a recent assignment, lecture, or group project simply by asking them! Getting real-time feedback from your students on what they find the most engaging can help you make positive adjustments to your lesson plan throughout the year.
• Promote student discourse - Encourage students to discuss researched course topics amongst themselves without your input. Hosting Socratic seminars is a great way to get students engaged in methods of divergent thinking as well as giving them a platform for their own voices amongst their peers.
• Provide options - Keep your students engaged by giving them the power of choice. Whenever possible, give your students options on how to engage and learn new topics, how to present their knowledge and different methods of exploring course content such as videos or articles.

For more on designing a more student-led curriculum, check out these articles:

• Promoting Student-Led Learning in Elementary School
• Hosting Student-Led Unconferences
• How I Make a Student-Led Curriculum Really Work

Connect with fellow teachers by joining our educator Facebook community.