It is over a month now since I have walked in a school, and I have already started to experience withdrawal symptoms. When I thought for a moment, I realised that what I was missing was the voices of the students.
We talk a lot today about student voice, about engagement and ownership but too often those are waiting room conversations marked by abstractions of aspirations, intentions and imperatives. So, this month I want to explore student voice, what it sounds and looks like and how it is impacted by the behaviours of their teachers and leaders and the culture and the systems that enrich or diminish them.
Here are four moments spanning three decades and two continents:
“Most of the candidates struggled to answer what we thought was a simple question. ‘Why did you become a teacher?’ But Mr Atkinson was brilliant! He talked about his own English teacher whose lessons had made him want to teach.” This observation took place in a feedback session with the student council who had just interviewed one of the candidates for the vacant vice-principal post. For more than a decade in two different schools, I had consistently involved our students in recruiting teachers. Why did we do it? Because in all the interviews over the years when I adopted this strategy, students consistently chose at least one of the top two candidates. And let’s face it, who better to choose teachers and teaching leaders than those who are taught by them!
1c. Students are introduced to critical thinking, problem solving and enquiry.
It was the third day of an Adhyayan school review I was leading at an Indian ICSE school in Mumbai, and I was asking a group of students about the consequences of poor behaviour. One of them described a ‘circle time’ where the class discussed what consequence should be given to two boys who had fought with each other. While the teacher led the conversation, it was the students who came to judgement. Their verdict? Both boys needed to commit to 2 hours a day of meditation for one week for them to reflect on how to interact with each other and the other students.
1a: Students are involved in shaping school rules and norms and keeping them under review.
Shift the scene to London to a small independent state ‘Academy’ primary school. As I enter the reception, I see behind the desk what looks like a 9-year-old student. She welcomes me to the school, asks me why I am visiting and then takes me through the guest procedure for signing in. The phone rings on the switch board. “Good morning, my name is Amanda. I am a Class 6 student on reception duty. How can I help you?” If I hadn’t been certain before, I was now convinced that I was going to have a great day…
S.Q.8: Students contribute to the life of the school.
Back in Mumbai, this time for a Child Protection Workshop for school leaders and teachers from across the city. Students from the host school were asked to give their views on safe teacher behaviour. One of their suggestions was that if a few teachers would shout less and smile more we would be more motivated to learn with them. These students’ courage to speak out and importantly their deliberate presence at this workshop said much for the school’s value of its students and the premium it paid to listening to their voice.
9b: Staff and students understand the systems for putting across their point of view.
For the past 15 years, Adhyayan has been undertaking school reviews in which students are key members of the school review teams which include parents, teachers, support staff leaders and managers. They engage in the review, observe lessons, take learning walks, conduct book looks and stakeholder interviews, and share their voice as equal members of their teams as they come to judgement.
In July, I will be leading one of our regular Community of Practice sessions on Student Voice. For the next few weeks, my posts will look at and listen to our students’ voices. I would love it if you would join me in sharing your voice at our COP. My request today is for you to ask yourself what their voice means to you and the school community to which you belong and the questions you are seeking answers to.
