Essential Components of Empowering Student Voice
Growing up, I remember spending countless days with my Opa (my mom’s father). So many memories come to mind when I think of him. In the winter we would ice skate on the small pond that he had on his land. As a young girl, I was mesmerized with how snowflakes glittered on top of the glassy ice. I could see bubbles beneath the layers of ice, and I would get as close as possible to see if I could see any sign of life. As I skated, the cold air would whip my cheeks, but I was so bundled up in my bright yellow snowsuit (thanks to my mom) that I remember how refreshing the coolness felt against my skin. There’s something about being so warm, yet enjoying the cold on your face. Those days were some of my favorites–– looking back, they were simple times.
I could go on recalling fond memories that made my childhood. I try to reflect on what made me who I am today as so many factors contribute to who we become and also choose to be. In part, raising children myself has caused me to reflect on my own upbringing. Recently, I was talking to my boys about the importance of asking others about themselves during a conversation–– every person matters and it’s important to make everybody feel like somebody. Our conversation jogged my memory of a time when my Opa taught me about the importance of not only sharing my voice, but genuinely listening to others. Both are important skills to embrace.
Our Experiences Influence the Lens We View the World Through
I remember a time when my Opa was talking with a neighbor of his. We had been working in his garden picking green beans and digging up potatoes. Fresh dirt was under my fingernails and it didn’t bother me one bit as I worked diligently, feeling proud of our harvest. His neighbor stopped by to check out the progress of his garden and engage in friendly conversation. As a young girl, I stood quietly by his side, listening to their exchange. When they concluded and his neighbor went on his way, my Opa kneeled down beside me and asked, “Did you hear how I asked about how they were doing?” I nodded. He went on to explain how he continued asking various questions to keep the conversation flowing. Yes, he responded to questions and shared about himself, but he focused more on engaging his neighbor. My Opa had an amazing way of making every person feel incredibly important in the moment, just as my mom does, too. I’m so grateful for both my Opa and my mom.
From the time I was a young girl, I was taught the importance of asking others about themselves and not just sharing about myself. It’s totally acceptable to share about ourselves, celebrate accomplishment and even explain our viewpoints, but it’s also equally important to ask others about their perspectives and seek to listen with empathy and understanding. Both my mom and Opa have also served as role models on how to respectfully advocate for what’s right and that sometimes we need to speak out, even if it feels uncomfortable. It’s all in how you compose yourself while also expressing appreciation and understanding for others.
Embrace Your Inner Boldness by Sharing Your Voice
There are also times which call for inner boldness; such as when the state took my Opa’s land to construct a highway straight through it. It felt like an incredible injustice. He was forced to move, but didn’t go down without speaking out on our local news and fighting for what was his. In the end, he lost. State law overruled. Land can be taken if justified by the state. But my Opa didn’t leave everything he had worked hard for and loved behind. Instead, he worked closely with a company to detach his home from its foundation and move it! That too, made the news. He was empathetic and understanding of others, yet bold. His home now sits on 42 acres of land and both my mom and dad reside in it today. From my Opa, I’ve learned when it’s beneficial to remain quiet and listen, how to add-value to others, and also when to speak out. He was an amazing role model of what it means to persevere through challenges and ‘think differently.’ We may not always get our way, but we can always develop new solutions or outlooks.
Empowering Student Voice
In the field of education, empowering student voice is an important topic I hear about and speak on often. But, what does it truly mean? It sounds simple, right? Empowering voice doesn’t mean to just encourage learners to talk and share what’s on their mind or provide input on a decision.
Empowering student voice is about supporting learners to:
- Understand who they are within
- Recognize how their culture impacts who they are
- Identify their personal values
- What influences their thinking
- To gain empathy and understanding for others and diverse viewpoints
- Leveraging credible sources to backup claims
- Sharing big ideas, growing, and acting on them
We all come from unique backgrounds and diverse cultures that contribute who we are as individuals, so as we share our voices it’s beneficial to know ourselves and those we are connected with, too. When we have a solid understanding of ourselves and balance that with respect and a genuine understanding for others, we can better connect to identify and solve problems alongside one another. Empowering voice is more than sharing opinions; it’s the sharing of thoughts, ideas, and feeling supported throughout the process.
To empower voice, we first need to lay the foundation of a luminous culture; one that shines a light on every individual, their incredible inner potential and encourages thoughtful risk-taking. Once the foundation is laid, we can encourage the use of various platforms to share student voice. Leveraging technology in a way in which students can demonstrate their learning creativity and share their work with an authentic audience, amplifies their voice and contributions for others to consider and appreciate. Providing a lens into the thoughts and insights of others has the potential to foster greater empathy and understanding for who we are.
Children Are Our Future; Voice and Understanding are Essential
Our students are our next generation. They’re watching their parents, teachers, and influencers on social media (perhaps more than some might prefer). Our kids take in how people engage, just as I did with my Opa. As educators and parents, we cannot control everything, but we certainly can create learning opportunities where children receive intentional practice with sharing their voice, and listening to others with genuine empathy and understanding to develop deeper connections. However, I believe that for us to truly foster these kinds of connections (where every individual values the voice of others), students benefit from understanding who they are as unique individuals–– not just who they are based on the influence of social media or even opinions of family and friends.
Weeding that out can be complex for anyone, which is why independent brainstorming in combination with working in teams, and then engaging in learning protocols such as socrative seminars can be incredibly beneficial to engage learners to consider various perspectives. We have many options for how we can foster authentic student voice, and I believe that it’s critical that we support the development of it in the classroom so that our youth can learn to think for themselves beyond the noise that exists.
Create a Lasting Impact
My Opa taught me countless lessons throughout my time with him; some were explicit while others were subtle and done though modeling. I’m grateful to have had so many positive role models throughout my life, but that’s not always been the case. Like most of us, I have had role models who have taught me exactly what not to do, but I have still embraced the lesson. During a time when our children have more influence on them than ever before, it’s essential that we create safe places where everyone is valued and all voices are embraced. We need to help them take negative situations and turn them into learning experiences, too.
We can create a long lasting impact on learners that extends beyond our classroom and school–– even beyond our local communities. The world can be a noisy place and deciphering who to listen to or what to believe has become even more complex. In our classrooms, we can strive to create communities that value thoughts, ideas and opinions, while also supporting learners to remain open and leverage credible sources to support their thinking.
As a mom, I am in awe of what my children have at their fingertips (our 15 year old has self-taught himself incredible editing skills via Youtube and trial and error), but I also recognize how their thinking can be easily swayed by the latest YouTube influencer. In some ways, our jobs are much more complex. It doesn’t mean that it’s bad, but we need to consider that our children are acquiring information from more sources than ever–– and help them to grasp how they can navigate through some of the confusion and gain confidence in developing who they are as individuals. It means that as educators and parents, we need to look at how we support our kids differently because influence is coming from more avenues than simply school, traditional news, readings, and family and friends. Their circle of influence is wider than ever, which is why engaging in conversations at school and home is essential.
What’s wonderful though is that in today’s modern world, we have the ability to amplify even the quietest voice–– empowering every individual to honor their impact, draw on learning and understanding of others, and embrace their strengths. Together, let’s contribute to a world where every individual is embraced and leave a legacy that inspires learners to awaken their incredible inner potential; contributing to the betterment of our world with empathy and understanding for one another.
