Honoring Teacher Agency
In light of the new, enhanced PYP, there has been a great deal of recent discussion regarding learner agency. And that's a good thing. After all, if we seek to do what's best for kids, then it's essential we foster environments which honor students' agency.
But: what about teacher agency?
If we want students to be risk-takers, we must allow teachers to be risk-takers. If we want students to be empowered with voice, choice, and ownership, then teachers must have voice, choice, and ownership, too. You can't have one without the other.
And yet.
There are still far too many ways in which teacher agency is squelched at far too many schools.
Be creative! But only if your lesson plan still follows this precise format.
Be innovative! But only if it aligns with our observation rubric.
Speak up! But only if what you say agrees with our expectations.
If we want our students to embrace the IB Learner Profile, we have to entrust teachers to embrace it, too. Are we providing environments that foster opportunities for teachers to be inquirers, open-minded, and risk-takers?
Consider the IB recommendations for examining learner agency below.
If we change "learner" to "teacher" and "adult/facilitator" to "administrator/leader," what do we notice? Can we genuinely say that we honor teacher agency? Are teachers given opportunities to be actively involved in discussions and self-directed in their creating? What's more: are they even given any opportunities to create at all? Are their theories honored? Are they allowed to self-regulate? Are they entrusted to be authors of their own teaching?
We do not seek to develop compliant robots; we seek to empower compassionate, critical thinkers and innovators. How can teachers empower learners with a spirit of purposeful risk-taking when they themselves are asked to comply, comply, comply?
Learning leaders, what are you already doing at your schools to respect teacher agency? Is there even more you can do? I would love to read your insights and ideas in the comments. Let's inspire one another to cultivate environments which honor the agency of all.