Who does most of the talking in your classroom?
Walk into a teacher-centered classroom and there’s usually one person commanding all discussions from the front of the room.
Students wait patiently to be offered the chance to speak or provide input.
And it’s the teacher who decides who can and cannot share.
Contrast that to a student-centered classroom where MULTIPLE discussions happen at once.
Two students lead a brainstorming session and elicit ideas from a small group of peers.
Five more sit huddled in a circle of chairs and share connections they have made with a reading article.
And not all discussions are vocal.
Some students jot down insights and responses to probing questions written on the surfaces of tables.
Where is the teacher? Circulating around the room recording observations and insights.
And while it takes time to develop this kind of student-centered classroom, there is ONE overarching change the teacher made at the beginning of the year that allowed for it.
THEY MADE ALL SURFACES WRITABLE. (See below)
Writable surfaces have a profound impact to change the power dynamic in your classroom as well.
They send a message to students that their ideas matter.
Here are five ways to use them to help capture more student voice:
- Gallery Walk: Groups respond to prompts on different surfaces, then rotate to add or modify responses.
- Problem-Solving Stations: Set up problems or case studies at each station. Students solve them, then move to the next station to check and build on others’ work.
- Brainstorm Carousel: Groups rotate between stations, adding ideas to each topic or question, building on previous contributions.
- Mind Map Relay: Students expand mind maps on topics like ecosystems or historical events, adding connections and examples at each station.
- Rotating Review: For any subject, students answer review questions or solve problems at one station, then rotate to another, refining or revising what the previous group wrote.
Don’t have the budget for writable surfaces? No sweat. Use large sheets of butcher or chart paper instead.
Moving from Teacher-Led to Student-centered classrooms starts with small steps.
Which of the five ideas above will be your first step this week?
I’ve got 11 more possible first 👣 steps in my popular new book, ‘Where is the Teacher:12 Shifts for Student-Centered Environments.’
Here’s what an aspiring practitioner who recently ordered it said…
Gain inspiration for your learner-centered journey as well.
Order the book – – > Where is the Teacher: 12 Shifts
Here’s to using writable surfaces to elevate your student’s voices this week!
Your [co] learning experience designer,
