Purposeful Choices to Center Students’ Voices
In 2020, we find ourselves living in a time when empowering and amplifying student voice has become somewhat of a movement in education. Tech companies and curriculum writers alike tout products with the promise of helping teachers elevate student voice in the classroom. Educators know, however, that it takes much more than a tool or a program to help all students feel comfortable to speak up and speak out in powerful ways. Amplifying student voice begins with creating a classroom culture that invites all students to be their authentic selves. How do we do that? What needs to be present in our classroom culture, our pedagogy, and our curriculum to honor students for who they are and to use that as a springboard to amplify their voices? I challenge you to think beyond the technology or a single lesson plan, and consider purposeful pedagogical choices you can make to center all students’ voices. As a coach, here are some things I encourage teachers to implement in their own practice.
Create space for students to share their identities.
The students who fill our classrooms have voices. Their voices tell the stories of who they are, what they love and fear, their experiences, dreams, and passions. If we want to hear the true and complete voices of our students, we have to create space for them to share their identities and to learn from the identities of others. Identity work helps us understand why we view the world the way we do. George Ella Lyon, a writer from Kentucky, has inspired many teachers and students to use her poem, “Where I’m From,” as a mentor text to write their own identity poems. In writing these poems, students of all ages reflect on the people, objects, and places that shape their identities. Sharing their poems leads to deep, rich conversations about who we are and why that matters. Setting aside time to explore identity fosters community, develops empathy, and builds racial literacy. Ultimately, it amplifies student voice in authentic and meaningful ways. The Teaching Tolerance Social Justice Standards can also help educators with this important work.
Representation matters.
The students who fill our classrooms, particularly our Black Indigenous Students of Color (BISOC), benefit from seeing themselves in the curriculum and in the world. It gives them courage to speak their truths, which is really what amplifying student voice is all about. Maria Hinojosa, a Latina journalist and professor, tells the story of growing up in Chicago, watching the news with her father, and never seeing anyone who looks like herself on television. This invisibility made her believe that her life story was less valuable. In an interview with Teaching Tolerance, Hinojosa challenges educators to look at their students for stories that need to be told and empower them to own their voices and tell these stories. Students feel empowered when they see themselves in the curriculum, not only during certain times of the year or regarded only as an oppressed group, but consistently and celebrated as brilliant contributors to our world. If we want to grow in our students the courage to use their voices, we have to be intentional about developing a curriculum that is inclusive of race, gender, religion, and sexuality.
Engage students in meaningful work.
The students who fill our classrooms will want to amplify their voices for causes they are passionate about and learning that is relevant to their lives. Our job as educators is to provide learning experiences that promote inquiry, offer choice, develop agency, and engage students in meaningful work. During the recent school closures caused by the pandemic, high school students in Wendy McElflish’s photography class studied Dorthea Lange, a photographer during the Great Depression. They used her photos as mentor pieces as they took their own pictures to document the impact of the Coronavirus on their families and community. McElfish reflects on how this project gave her students the opportunity to voice their emotions through art, and how the relevance of the project led to high levels of student engagement. When our pedagogy is rooted in deep, authentic learning, it naturally centers the voices of our students.
If we want to make amplifying student voice a priority in our classrooms and schools this year, we must look beyond technology and programs, and focus on developing the pedagogies and mindsets that will fuel and sustain this work in purposeful ways. If we do this well, our students will use their voices to make real change in our classrooms, schools, and communities.
