The Power of Voice in Schools // by Barb Aust and Wendy Vine

October 2003

October 2003 | Volume 7 | Number 2
Building Classroom Relationships

The Power of Voice in Schools

by Barb Aust and Wendy Vine

Since the days of Socrates, Schooling has existed to teach children citizenship. But how do we teach students to be active participants in a democracy without allowing them to learn within a democracy? When can students give voice to their ideas? Where is the place for them to be heard?

Fortunately, schools where shared power and shared decision making are the norm rather than the exception are emerging. In these democratic schools (see box), students are provided a chance to learn firsthand what it means to be decision makers and to take responsibility for their decisions.

Giving Students Their Say

Students are more inclined to share their ideas when the classroom promotes trust and respect. An emotionally safe and accepting atmosphere supports compromise, cooperation, and group decision making. Students learn to listen to one another, voice their views, and negotiate and respect differences.

Students need to be given opportunities to share their viewpoints from the very first day. Start by asking students to work together to create classroom guidelines. Then, have each student sign the final agreements. This will help strengthen their commitment to abide by those rules.

Throughout the year, hold class meetings. A student chairperson can direct each meeting and keep the discussion focused on the agreed-upon topics, following guidelines established by the students. Teachers can initially model the discussion facilitator role, but then each student should have the chance to take on the chairperson responsibility. A clearly posted agenda, with spaces to add items, gives all students opportunities to share their ideas and issues.

A New Teacher Role

To give students voice is to also encourage them to be independent and to take an active responsibility in furthering their own learning. Students have to become active thinkers and learners with a sense of some control over their destiny at school. This can be fostered in a number of ways:

Use cooperative learning strategies, with the emphasis on having the group solve problems or complete tasks.
Set up new seating arrangements each week, ensuring that every student in the class has the opportunity to work with and get to know everyone else.
Provide materials that can be shared so students don't have to ask for items such as paper, staplers, paper clips, and tape.

Giving students voice means that it's the students who should be in the driver's seat most of the time. Teachers in this type of classroom still have a key role—to recognize and capitalize on the teachable moment—but the responsibility for learning rests with the students, increasing their sense of ownership and commitment to learning.

Strengths-Based Learning

Encouraging students to become self-directed learners is a task made easier if teachers discover their students' unique strengths and use that knowledge to help them learn. One strategy for honoring the different ways students learn is to give them many options for demonstrating what they know through assessments that allow them to express their understanding visually, linguistically, musically, or physically.

Students also need ample opportunities to share and present to their classmates and to increase their level of confidence and feel like experts on particular topics. “What do you think?” and “What's your opinion?” are phrases that encourage a variety of ideas and possibilities.

Becoming a self–directed learner also occurs when self-assessment, reflection, and goal setting are emphasized. Students can set personal goals for the day and the term. Building in time for students to talk about progress toward those goals and discuss their thinking and learning empowers them to assume more responsibility for their own progress.

Realtors tell us that the most important thing in selling a home is location, location, location. We have found that the most important thing in running a successful school and classroom is relationships, relationships, relationships.

We believe it is our job to provide the fertile ground for growth. Healthy and supportive relationships develop rapport, respect, and trust, creating a culture of dignity. Dignity helps people find their voice and gives them the ownership and commitment needed for true democratic communities in our schools.

Democratic Schools, Defined

To perform their roles as citizens in a democracy, students should receive an education that actively engages them as citizens in their schools and communities, say advocates of democratic schools. In such schools, for example, students would participate in the governance of the school and engage in service-learning activities. Democratic schools, write Barb Aust and Wendy Vine, have

A high degree of trust;
Underpinnings of respect;
Opportunities for all voices to be heard;
Opportunities to share responsibility in appropriate areas;
Ample opportunities for choice;
Opportunities for facilitation skills to be learned and practiced; and
An atmosphere of nonjudgment and neutrality.

In Classroom Leadership Online, read more about the kinds of programs educators can implement to create a schoolwide emphasis on democratic schooling.

Barb Aust (aust@saltspring.com), a former principal and teacher now working as a university instructor and consultant, and Wendy Vine (wvine@telus.net), a teacher, have worked in schools operated to align with democratic ideals. They were partner teachers for five years on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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