Active Learning and Independence 

Any teacher’s main goal should be to foster independence in the classroom to create active, independent learners. One way I did this in my classroom was by asking students to reflect on their learning and identify areas of growth for themselves. As students worked on their final summative assessment in which they wrote an original narrative, I asked them to self-assess their work using the summative assessment rubric I would use to grade their writing. After highlighting different parts of the rubric, students wrote a short paragraph in which they had to explain where they were in the writing process, what they were doing well, an area in which they needed to grow, and set a goal for themselves. This reflection guided their work for the following day. When students know how to monitor their learning by actively engaging in such activities, they become independent learners, which is essential in all disciplines. 

I also included opportunities for peer feedback. This fostered active learning in my classroom as students were pushed to learn from each other. I included opportunities for peer feedback because it forces students to look at their work through new perspectives and be open to integrating new ideas. This routine of self-assessment becomes internalized, allowing students to grow into independent learners.