Student Agency and reciprocity

A large part of my developing teaching philosophy includes both student agency and tuakana teina (in a broader sense).

Students in the class are constantly making choices about their learning and choosing what is important to them. This ranges from simple choices like where they sit, who they learn with and how they present their learning. More specific choices about learning are offered through in-class workshops and through analysing test and using rubrics and checklists to self assess and set new goals. 

I often ask students to self and peer assess as well as give each other feedback. Through teaching a skill or strategy to others I believe that students can truely demonstrate their own understanding. An example of this is the Minecraft  and Robotics lessons that some of my students developed for Year 2 students recently. By developing a lesson introduction and outline the students from my class were able to deepen their own learning and to develop oral and written language skills. 

An older student teaching younger students to programme an mBot.