Today I was on Day 2 of the Create Library Displays activity with second graders. This was the second class to work on this project and again it seemed the value of personal choice was far from their minds.
Both classes who have worked on this project suggested letting everyone offer ideas for display themes and to use voting to narrow the list to the top three. This fit what I had expected but, when we got to deciding who should work on each theme, both classes immediately assumed I would assign groups. Students suggested alphabetical order, random assignment, and counting off numbers. They had picked themes based on personal interest but it was not obvious to them that they could work on the theme they were most interested in. In the first class, someone suggested that because some people may not get their first choice it was better if no one got to choose. The fourth suggestion was personal choice. Today we were six suggestions deep, all involving me purposely or randomly assigning them to a theme. I asked why they were putting this all on me and said, “How many of you are thinking, ‘I really hope I don’t get that one’ about at least one of these themes?” Most hands went up. I asked, “Do you think you’ll do a better job on a topic you like?” They tentatively agreed they’d be more invested in working on a theme they liked. So then why hadn’t they thought to suggest it? Clearly there is a culture shift that needs to happen. I hope that with more projects like this, I will help students see that I value their best work and I understand that I will see more of it when they are more deeply invested in the activity.
At second grade they already know how to play the game of school so well. They know the drill. Good for you for making some shifts and letting them tap into their passions. I love it.