Small Shifts, Big Changes
Personalized learning seeks to unlock untapped potential and foster deeper, more meaningful engagement with the material being learned. It is not just a methodology; it is a philosophy that places the learner at the heart of their education. It is a promise of a brighter, more inclusive future for learners of all backgrounds and abilities. Personalized learning offers the opportunity for tailored instruction, increased engagement, greater independence and responsibility, stronger critical thinking and problem-solving, and deeper student-teacher interactions.
When we think about personalized learning, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. You may think to yourself, “All those things you listed sound nice, but how can I personalize every student’s learning journey when I have so many students and so many things to do?!” I’m here to ease your mind, share my own journey with personalized learning, and share how just a few small shifts made me a more student-centered instructor.
Small Shift #1: Cultural Awareness
Our students come from all walks of life and it is critical to acknowledge the unique journeys each student has taken on the way to your school or classroom. In Zarreta Hammond's book “Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain,” she discusses the differences between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. An individualistic culture may take the stance that we all achieve success on our own, while collectivistic cultures believe that it takes a village to build success. Collectivistic cultures learn best through socialization, storytelling, and play.
After taking a deeper look into the cultural backgrounds of my students, I realized that most came from a collectivistic culture. I re-examined my practices and whether or not they lent themselves to social learning, and identified tasks where students worked alone. For example, during writing time I might have students working on their own pieces, but they are working in a group and sharing ideas with one another to further their writing. Instead of asking for silence, I am asking them to talk out their thoughts and ideas and then commit them to paper. Making this shift helped me connect more with my students, they felt more excited to learn, and even better, I heard their voices more throughout the learning experience.
Small Shift #2: Flexible Seating
Flexible seating can sound scary at first. Teachers can feel a loss of control when they put more power into the hands of the students, which is the very core of personalized learning. When teachers learn to use flexible seating appropriately and understand the power of choice to improve outcomes, they can create opportunities for students to rise to the occasion and take flexible seating very seriously; even my six-year-olds get offended by others who misuse the privilege. Students are given the choice and responsibility to decide where they learn best. For example, I am a jittery adult. Sitting in a meeting for long periods makes me lose focus and I become easily distracted… sound like someone you know?! However, when I’m given the gift of grace and allowed to stand, I listen much more intently. Think of your kiddos and how they must feel being forced to sit criss-cross-applesauce or sit in a chair they didn’t choose for over an hour. Like all things, flexible seating takes time to introduce and teachers need to provide explicit guidelines on how to use it well.
Small Shift #3: Discussion-Based Formative Assessments
A day in the life of teachers and students is really busy. Teachers pay careful attention to transition times and have to fit in a certain amount of content in small amounts of time. The shift to discussion-based formative assessments has been difficult because I never feel like I have enough time. However, when we think about time differently and how students learn best, this shift becomes a lot easier to manage. For example, my team and I have implemented what we call “debriefs” at the end of each lesson, a time to reflect on the learning that just happened. The key difference in these reflections is that it is either whole-class or small group rather than individual written responses. We are listening to the key takeaways our kids are sharing after each lesson and evaluating what concepts need to be pushed deeper or revisited. Sometimes students share with the class, while other times they reflect with a partner, but either way, the reflection is student-led, the teacher takes a backseat to listen, and students feel the joy of sharing their thoughts and ideas.
My journey toward personalized learning has been filled with many ups and downs, as will yours. With each stride towards personalization, we create a path towards a more empowered, adaptable, and intellectually curious generation, poised to meet the challenges of tomorrow with confidence and enthusiasm. Teachers, I implore you to strive to make small shifts in your practice that can reflect components of personalized learning, rather than attempt to overhaul the entire system that disappoints us and our students so often. It is these small shifts that will lead us to more significant change.
Katelyn has been an educator for 10 years. She began her career teaching English As A Second Language to university and adult students. After receiving her Master's in Education from George Mason University, she taught English as an Additional Language to upper primary students and later became a fourth-grade classroom teacher. Currently, she is a first-grade teacher at The Village School in Houston, Texas. Her passions are in educational leadership, language acquisition, and curriculum development.