Student Choice in the Classroom

Student choice is a powerful tool for transforming classrooms! It’s a cost-free, low-prep, and high-impact way to engage all learners. It can feel scary to give up some control over to students. However, giving students the power of choice in the classroom does not mean that a classroom is unruly. Rather, this gradual release of responsibility allows students to become more active in the learning process. It also frees teachers up to guide learning instead of acting as the ultimate source of knowledge. I have found that when teachers make the shift to give students more ownership of their learning, it pays off greatly in student motivation, engagement, and student performance.

5 Ways To Give Students Choice

Here are some simple ways to begin integrating more student choice into your classroom:

Choice of Books

If we want students to become lifelong readers, then it is imperative that they have the ability to pick out books to read that interest them! Depending on your grade level, this may take some modeling on finding books and using the classroom library, but your students will be more engaged in their reading if they read books they like. My first graders had full ownership of our classroom library, and one of the students even had a leadership role as the “classroom librarian” to help put new books away or help friends who needed to find a book.

Assignments in Student Choice

The classroom was full of diverse learners, so I liked incorporating student choice into some of the classroom work. Things like homework choice boards, writing about topics that interest them, and picking their center activity are just some ways to incorporate choice into your student’s assignments. Student motivation and engagement are greatly impacted by giving them ownership of their learning within the structure of a classroom guided by a highly qualified teacher.

Leadership Roles/Classroom Jobs

I told my students that it was not my classroom; it was our classroom, so we worked together as a team, and all played an important role. I was not just preparing my students to be successful in first grade. I wanted them to be successful in life! Therefore, I intentionally released some of the control to my students by giving each of my students a leadership role or classroom job. While this will look different in the primary classroom than in the upper grades, the concept is the same. When you set high yet attainable expectations, you’ll be amazed at how your students step up and soar when they feel like they are an integral part of the classroom!

Behavior

This one is crucial, and our language here is so important. I taught my students, “You have the power to make your own choices!” It doesn’t matter if someone else “told them to” or “started it first” they have the power to decide how they will respond and act. Giving your students ownership of their choices is life-changing and is not something they learn in one lesson, but instead is a daily, ongoing life lesson that we continually model and teach.

Learning Goals and Student Choice

Even in first grade, I want my students to take ownership of their learning, which is why we talked about learning goals. We had ongoing conversations about areas where they were strong and areas where they needed to grow. I often asked them during student conferencing, “So, what’s your current goal? What is one area you will work hard on growing in?” It takes some guidance, but there is nothing like seeing the accomplishment on a student’s face when they have met a learning goal that they have set! This also helps teach them metacognition and how to be a lifelong learner.

Giving students the freedom to choose in the classroom is incredibly powerful. When students can steer their own learning, it sparks engagement, curiosity, and personal development. Through choice, students learn important skills like decision-making and resilience, preparing them for the challenges ahead. Embracing student choice not only improves academic results but also fosters a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. By encouraging choice, we unlock each student’s potential and create a brighter future filled with empowered learners.