Student Voice: Class Expectations & Syllabus

So as this school year started I took to the ways of many other educators who are incorporating student voice into the classroom and had my 8th graders help create a class syllabus and technology policy.

I have spent the past few years dabbling with student voice in the classroom and have come to the conclusion that for me, in my class, having students share their voice is better than dictating expectations and learning to them.

During the past year I have hosted a Student EdCamp where students discussed grading, technology, formative assessments and other topics that were important to their learning without teachers prompting them, and the ideas from that EdCamp were fantastic.  With more technology I have been able to give students more options in how they learn and listen to what works best for them.
From the start of this school year, I wanted to incorporate as much student voice as I could.  I have started by opening up my syllabus to the students.  The way I explained to my 8th graders is that they have been in school for eight years, so they already have a lot of experience with school and what a well run classroom and learning environment looks like.

I provided a few talking points, i.e., describe what coming to class prepared looked like, or what work time or down time looks like.  I threw in a couple of my own afterwards (I think its important to share pet peeves with students so they know going in that tapping on their desk with their pencil like the drummer from Def Leopard gets on your nerves).  I was very impressed with what every group in every class ended up doing.  As a matter of fact, the majority of the class expectations were exactly what I have had for the past few years.  There were a few additions that put me on the edge of my comfort zone, like a change in how students leave the classroom, or having snacks in class that make me a bit nervous, but together we worked out expectations so we both feel comfortable.

Overall, the benefit of opening up the syllabus to not just student input but to student creation is that you build a higher level of trust with you students.  Students are part of the learning process. After all, the learning process we have been creating is entirely for them, so why not have their input and voice in that process?  In the process, students practice communication, working in groups, problem solving and seeing things from a different perspective than their own and even that of a student, all great skills to make our future students proud.  As we have been underway for a couple weeks now the impact of providing student voice and input in the class syllabus is visible and has had a positive impact in the classroom and in building relationships with students.

If you are thinking about bringing student voice into your classroom and don't want to jump all the way in, there are ways that you can stick a toe into the water that make a big ripple in the learning pond.  Student voice when creating a class syllabus can be a big leap forward and a great starting point.