Remixing School. What happens when 7/8 students design educational experiences?

What do you like about your school? What do you dislike about your school?

You can imagine how this went. A laundry list of complaints. Teachers are unfair, homework, more free time, less discipline, and how no one listens.

I listened, writing down ideas, taking examples, nodding and asking for clarification. No opinions, no judgments, just writing. Then I posed a simple question. “How would you fix these problems?”

Crickets. Absolute crickets. I waited the requisite five seconds. Then ten seconds. Then the flood of “Just don’t give homework!” and “Have teachers be less mean.” I continued to listen, asking three additional questions.

1. What are your responsibilities as students?
2. If you could change your learning experience, what would your day look like?
3. Given the things you dislike, how would you “fix” these issues?

So begins our two week, interdisciplinary project around remixing the school experience. I understand that this has been done in numerous schools, and students will often continue to “play school,” without attempting to learn from those around them. So, a few carrots have been built in to change this learning experience.

1. Students will be have the opportunity to meet with our co-principals during the design process. That way, they gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by administration when designing schedules and student services. It is also a perfect way for administrators to create larger connections with students.
2. Teams will present final designs to the school faculty, with hopes of gaining some feedback for their hopes and research-based ideas for educational change.
3. Providing student voice, and giving the possibility of democratic change, student ideas will be shared with our Flexible Scheduling Committee. This group is tasked with investigating possible schedule changes at the high school level, with trickle down into the middle school. This way, rising eighth graders will have the opportunity to voice opinions about their upcoming school experiences.

So begins student opportunities. My largest hopes through this process are:

1. Student engagement and discourse about their school experiences. Understanding that their school day can be completely different from someone else’s school day. Perspective is often ignored, as middle school students focus on self. The idea of “education for all” can be missed or ignored.
2. A greater understanding that they are receiving one view of school. Opportunities exist for positive change.
3. A view of the challenges faced by school staff. Solidifying the knowledge that teachers are here for students, not the other way around.

Excited to see students step up and be active participants, not passive observers in their educational experiences.

Here we go…..