Classroom Responsibility - Putting Students in Charge
At the beginning of the school year, Solarz holds a classroom meeting where he explains his philosophy to his students. He says that this discussion "empowers students to take initiative and do what they think needs to be done to make the classroom run smoothly."
Classroom Jobs
Paul creates a list of important jobs based on the number of students he has. He says that creating these jobs and assigning them to specific students makes sure that everything gets done.
Collaborative Responsibility
Solarz displays his daily schedule for his students to refer to. Students learn how much time it takes to transition between activities, and call out, "Give me Five!" when it's time to transition.
I also display my daily schedule, but I have never had the students responsible for keeping track of it before.
Using Rituals to Encourage Responsibility
Paul advocates using rituals and procedures for reoccurring activities. He says that students can be responsible if they know what to do.
Literature Circles
Paul has students work in literature circles for an hour three times a week. The students read aloud in small groups and use rituals to increase their comprehension and have meaningful discussions of the material. They share responsibilities and take turns writing summaries for each section.
I have also used literature circles in my classroom, but I love several of the suggestions Paul gives for using them. I definitely think this will be something I will implement in the upcoming school year.
If you would like to see my thoughts from other chapters, check them out below:
Chapter 1 - What is a Student-Led Classroom?
Make sure to check out what other bloggers are saying about this chapter over at The Primary Gal's blog!
