Spring Literacy Challenge #3: Develop Agency
Agency.
In a discussion with several professionals recently, we all had different ideas about what this idea really means. However, we could all agree it was something we needed students to embody in order for lasting learning to take place.
In her new book What’s the Best That Could Happen?, Debbie Miller unpacks the idea of agency like this:
“When we believe we have what it takes to figure something out that’s within our reach, we set to work and engage, using what we know and doing what we can.” (p. 4)
She goes on to give examples and points out that the idea of agency transfers. If we are able to take purposeful initiative in one dimension, then we can do it in others.
This is a key idea in our schools because this can be the bridge for our most challenging students. If we can help them have agency in one part of their day – just ONE to begin with – then we can also help them have agency in other parts of their day. The idea flowers out infinitely.
So, how exactly do we do this?
If you want to skip all the research reading and professional collaborating and want a (sort of) quick fix:
Start with choice.
Daniel Pink writes about the motivation drivers of mastery, autonomy, and purpose for all people, not just students. Choice will increase autonomy. (Yes, even the student who consistently makes the wrong choice. It is one of those things that if you never get to practice, you can’t possibly get better.)
We challenge you to begin developing agency by reflecting on the following questions:
- What is one part of the day I can choose to offer more choice? Is it the morning routine, a literacy lesson, during workstations, or some other place in my schedule?
- What is holding me back? Am I working from a place of fear? Am I able to think through the logistics so I am more comfortable with built in choice? Am I able to consider logical choices for the range of learners? Can I find a way to include more choice with text, tasks, content, or some other dimension of my class?
- What is my logical next step to get started? (For now, focus on one small step forward. You don’t have to reinvent your day or your entire lesson, just think about a place to start and then start there.)
The same group of colleagues who discussed the idea of agency took this idea of choice on as a challenge. And do you know what happened?
Good things.
Really good things.
One teacher increased workstation choices instead of just assigning them.
One teacher let students use sticky notes as needed instead of rationing how many they could use.
One teacher increased text options for independent reading.
One teacher gave students options for topics to investigate and research.
Students took ownership of the learning.
The workstations were more purposeful.
The sticky notes encouraged students to write more of their thinking.
The independent readers were highly engaged.
And the research became more meaningful since the topic was personally chosen.
Each of these are examples of “purposeful initiative” – the opposite of helplessness, according to Debbie.
Was it perfect? No.
Was it helping develop agency one tiny bit at a time? Absolutely.
And, wouldn’t it be wonderful if each student, each day, believed they could be “that” kid? The one that can succeed not only because of you, but also because of themselves.
If you are interested in learning more about how to develop agency in your students, consider attending our workshop with Debbie Miller this September. You can find more information here.