Active Learning Inside The Classroom

What is active learning? Active learning is a popular term among educators in 2023. It is a common phrase a candidate might hear when they are interviewing with a new school district. It is a term that captures a lot, but ultimately means one thing- students first. 

Active learning can only happen in a student-centered classroom. Students need to take ownership over their learning. They need to make decisions, connections, etc. all on their own. If the students are not accountable for their learning, that is a personal choice the student is making. The teacher is not meant to hold their hand in this type of environment. 

However, that is not to say that the teacher is not involved in the learning process. The teacher is still facilitating the classroom, ensuring students are on the right track, answering questions, etc. The teacher is able to give more individualized attention and instruction where it needs to be and at the student’s level because students are not in a whole-class lecture. They are working at their own pace. 

Integrating active learning into the classroom does not need to be an overnight, flipped approach. This is something to gradually get students on board with because it does take endurance and focus from them. Active learning can begin as intensely or gradually as the class needs. In one example of active learning, students learned about the different forms of feedback. Below is a Google Jamboard that summarizes my thoughts on the activity and its active learning components. 

(Image Source: Author’s)

When looking at the active learning components, I found value in the ones that were present, which includes self-pacing, self-reflection, relevance to communication needs of people, and utilization of the teacher as a facilitator. I enjoyed the concept behind this lesson because it takes a skill (giving feedback), which we constantly overlook, and isolates the types of feedback so students understand the differences. We need students to use their words! We need students to share what they are thinking beyond the trivial “it’s fine” responses. This helps students to see those gaps and allows them to do so in a student-centered approach. 

I believe in active learning. I believe in its effectiveness in student engagement, understanding, and retention. After all, the opportunities to integrate active learning into the classroom are endless. The benefits go beyond the classroom walls as well. I think that we need all our students to become more self-sufficient in order to learn those key life skills. We need students to practice working at their own pace, but still making the deadline. 

(Image Source: Clockwise)

I find that many of my students have no sense of time management. I think that active learning would help with this because it, over time, would show kids that they are responsible for their own choices and learning. They, ultimately, decide whether they give it their all or if they don’t. 

When a student is struggling to bring the same notebook to class every day, how can we expect them to analyze texts at a deeper and more critical level? If students do not have the intrinsic motivation or the self-discipline to work on themselves, what will they accomplish? Active learning, which keeps students at the center, will help build those foundational skills where students are accountable and successful both inside and outside of the classroom.