Empowering Students with Classroom Leadership Opportunities
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2014
Location
Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-11-2014 6:00 PM
End Date
4-11-2014 7:00 PM
Disciplines
Education
Abstract
Modern classrooms place an emphasis on incorporating student voice and student leadership in the classroom. Increasing student leadership opportunities helps students learn citizenship, practice participation, and experience agency (Morrison, 2008; Thomson, 2012). The purpose of this study is to examine the ways students responded to the challenge of leadership opportunities when they were presented in the classroom. This self-study was conducted in a self-contained 5th grade urban classroom. Students practiced leadership opportunities by setting goals, participating in collaborative social-emotional learning, and applying for leadership positions in the classroom. Data sources included teacher notes about conferences with students, student leadership role applications and teacher field notes. In order for students to rise to leadership opportunities, the teacher needed to make leadership a priority in the classroom by incorporating it into daily classroom routines. Once the teacher made leadership part of the school routine, students fulfilled leadership roles in the classroom and suggested their own ideas for leadership roles and activities.
Empowering Students with Classroom Leadership Opportunities
Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University
Modern classrooms place an emphasis on incorporating student voice and student leadership in the classroom. Increasing student leadership opportunities helps students learn citizenship, practice participation, and experience agency (Morrison, 2008; Thomson, 2012). The purpose of this study is to examine the ways students responded to the challenge of leadership opportunities when they were presented in the classroom. This self-study was conducted in a self-contained 5th grade urban classroom. Students practiced leadership opportunities by setting goals, participating in collaborative social-emotional learning, and applying for leadership positions in the classroom. Data sources included teacher notes about conferences with students, student leadership role applications and teacher field notes. In order for students to rise to leadership opportunities, the teacher needed to make leadership a priority in the classroom by incorporating it into daily classroom routines. Once the teacher made leadership part of the school routine, students fulfilled leadership roles in the classroom and suggested their own ideas for leadership roles and activities.