Co-Power!

One of the things we consider most important in this shift in classroom culture is that our success relies on everyone working together.   We learn together, support one another at being independent and responsible (see 'Road to Independence' post) and create a physical space that represents our combined thinking and ideas.

To increase this sense of ownership, we, as educators, have been more attentive to noticing opportunities where students can assist.  As we saw the impact of having students more involved, we made some amazing realizations!  That we, as teachers, don't have to do it all!!  If we are willing to take a co-stance with the students, they really are capable of partnering with us to create an environment with the right conditions for learning.  This is taking student voice to action- creating student agency!

Below are some examples of 'CO':

• problem-solving discussions around distractions from learning* 
• co-constructing bulletin boards and anchor charts
• re-organizing materials for greater efficiency 
• allowing students to take on some of these tasks during learning time instead of seeing it as an extra or something that had to be done outside of regular class time and then struggle to make it happen (If we truly value these types of behaviours and actions as skills we want our students to develop, why can't they happen during regular class time?)
• peer teaching of skills and using new or specific material or strategies

*distractors from learning- Anything that takes time away from when we can be learning. Some examples might include: students not returning materials to appropriate places, everyone not helping with clean-up and the reorganization of things during transition times, students not working responsibly while others are focused 

Examples of Co-Power 

Measuring for a new bulletin board to be added to the classroom

The creation of a Road to Independence tracking system

Creating the anchor chart for our co-constructed "How to Show our Work."
Typically, I write the charts that hang on the wall.  Why not have capable 

and competent students do the writing and recording?

Organizing our learning materials.
Adding a curtain rod as a tape roll holder.
The student used tools he needed to screw the 
brackets to the shelf.

Changing a teacher-constructed bulletin board to a student-created one.

Preparing space to hang our roller coaster provocation.
Typically, this might have been done after school.  I would have
taken down and organized the rosaries that were hanging here
and then hung this new material. This was now down within
learning time with student support.