The Power of Student Voice

At the end of IP Week, the students each presented their findings in two distinct ways: a Keynote in front of their home group and a visual exhibit for the entire school.  Overall, they experienced a lot of success; walking among the various projects, I was impressed by the multitude of topics and displays.  Most of the students seemed genuinely excited to show me what they had researched.

Perhaps the most important step of the entire process came when we asked the students to reflect on the experience of working independently.  After all, the goal of IP week was not a digression from traditional classes, but rather an opportunity for students and faculty to investigate how we, as a community, learn best.  The questions we posed forced the students to analyze, critique, and reflect upon the week in its entirety.  I truly believe that no piece of this process has been more enlightening than reading what the students had to say.

Delphine wrote:

The one thing that surprised me the most was the excitement I had for school... and the commitment I had.  I never once got bored and I got more work done then I have ever had before. Some people might say I seemed like a crazy person by the way I was running around. But that constant movement that I had made me the happiest I ever had been at school. My mind was racing with ideas and questions that I had to answer on my own and that's what surprised me the most.  

Other students talked about their increased levels of engagement and their excitement over their topics, like Dillon who said, “I didn’t know I could love school this much. Everyday I woke up I didn’t think I was going to school. I didn’t know I could love one certain thing this much.”

Not all the students had an easy time, however.  Some really struggled with the freedom and independence IP week offered.  Nevertheless, their reflections demonstrated an ability to recognize their learning needs.  Patrick wrote, “It was way overwhelming to me. I like the structure of a classroom and the guidance of a teacher's direction.”  In a school where teaching self-advocacy is a legitimate concern, our students’ ability to know their preferences and limitations when it comes to learning is of the highest importance.  In that way, experiencing failure is as beneficial as experiencing success.  For instance, Nicole reflected on how crucial her physical workspace was to her finished product, saying, “My favorite part of IP week was being able to stay in the art barn, an environment in which I work well.”  Tess wrote:

Two things I learned about myself during the duration of IP week are, one, that I can surprise myself. I like getting directions and following them; I wasn't sure how I was going to do when I had the opportunity to go about this as I please. I learned that I did okay. I also learned something about other people. I did not know that some people were interested in the same things that I was until I saw their project. This made me see them in a new light which I enjoyed.

But hearing what students got out of the week was not the only benefit of reading their reflections.  They all had worthwhile and inventive suggestions for improving a number of aspects of the project, from the schedule to the presentation requirements.  Filipa suggested changing “what we need to hand in at the end to a paper.   The student would have to write out their question and answer it and it would be optional to do a power point.”  August suggested having the week twice in a semester, “Instead of just having one week for the semester, you would have two separate IP weeks to become engulfed in a question.”  Nate suggested restructuring the schedule to allow for better focus, “My least favorite part about the IP week was how we had to split up the classes, like when I had IP the first period then right after I had math study hall... pretty much when you’re in the middle of your work and it gets cut off by another class.”

The feedback offered by our students will be pivotal in structuring another IP week in the spring and the full program next year.  After writing so much about what and how the students were learning, it feels great to be part of such a rigorous learning process myself.