Finding 9
Authentic Student Input
Connection: Most high school educators know that involving students in the school community builds their buy-in. But too often, students’ roles are deliberately superficial and cosmetic, never really impacting on adult plans or decisions. The exemplary schools we studied view students as vital agents in school improvement, not as a means to the end of buy-in. They approach students with a genuine interest in their ideas. Students feel trusted and valued, as they contribute to the process of positively transforming their school.
Description: Faculty and administration often go to students first in forming plans and strategies for these schools. This is done thoughtfully, with attention to the balance between authentic roles for students and a respect for their development. Jobs and decisions are not casually foisted on youngsters so that adults can wash their hands of responsibilities. Students are carefully placed in positions of authority with adults ever present in the wings, and students do not become scapegoats if things go awry. The approach does not go unnoticed by students we met. “The key element of the school is that kids have ownership and are really listened to,” a suburban boarding school student remarks. “You also have all the room in the world to succeed, and to fail.” At an urban day school, a student notes, “Because it’s a student-run system, everyone really
respects it.”
Authenticity takes all forms, and opportunities to develop it abound in a school setting. According to our observations at these exemplary schools, the key catalyst is trust, starting right at the classroom level. “I think you need to build an environment in which the [students] want to be authentic,” says one teacher. “Ultimately, that builds on respect and tolerance. So you really need to have a classroom where the [students] know they’re respected if they’re themselves.” This kind of classroom can be intimidating, especially for old-school or brand new teachers. A veteran teacher at an urban day school comments, “It can be scary as staff, because you relinquish control but empower the kids.” But no teacher we interviewed wistfully looks back on the days of didactic classroom instruction—the successes of collaboration and participation in these exemplary settings makes the case for change, especially when it comes to a focus on students’ ethical development. “It seems to me if you want anyone to make choices that aren’t self-centered,” one teacher explains, “they have to feel part of the process.”
Replication: The following structures and practices seem to contribute to an authentic student role at the schools we studied:
Copyright 2007 The Institute for Global Ethics
Themocracy
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