Friday, February 9, 2007

Student Voice

Students are the whole point of the educational system. Without them, we would have no one to educate, so it seems to me that letting children have a voice of their own is important. The younger children can partake in smaller issues, where older children who are becoming adults need to know that their opinions matter.

In many cultures, there is a passage into adult hood that boys and girls go through. We don't have that in America, unless you are a part of a particular religion. We expect our students to graduate high school and make good decisions when they turn eighteen, but up until then, children don't have the opportunity to make many decisions that affect their school or learning.

I think that it is a wonderful idea to involve high school children in parent-teacher conferences and with other issues so their voices can be heard. It teaches them to be involved with what effects them and it helps the parents and teachers understand what their child/student likes or dislikes. Having students more involved wouldn't mean they make every decision and the school will be run by children. It just be giving them an opportunity to learn about being responsible, to form their own opinions and learn how to express themselves without being ridiculed or judged.

I wonder what the parents and teachers at Kennebunk High School in Maine have learned by letting the students have more say. I'm willing to bet they learned things about their child/student that they otherwise might not have known.

Students have a big responsibility, and that is to learn and be able to demonstrate their learning. What better opportunity to let children, especially teens express their opinions, however outrageous, and let them learn from this experience. Maybe this would help them gain more confidence in the transition of growing from child to adult.

1 comment:

Debra Dirksen said...

It's funny, I didn't think of it until you started talking about it, but in elementary school is common for students to participate in the parent teacher conferences. Many times they help guide the conference, but the same isn't true of middle school and high school students. As a middle school teacher, I can't remember ever having a student attend the conference with their parent. It's just one more way we alienate parents and students as they move into middle school. Their voice, in my view, would be crucial at this time. I think you're right!

If we give students an opportuntity to be heard, and a way to learn how to take a responsible role in society, perhaps they would be more responsible. I think it's wonderful that the students at Adams City High School in Commerce City took the lead and successfully managed to pass a bond issue to support building a new high school. The first bond issue to pass in 40 years. It couldn't have been done without the students influence. I think elementary students can have the same level of influence but perhaps need more guidance.