Action and Expression

Learning environments can make or break a students education. Providing multiple means of action and expression create a classroom that is welcoming and enriching for all students. Some students may prefer certain ways of submitting work, have preferred seating arrangements, or ways to communicate their thoughts. Another important aspect of action and expression is creating individual plans and guiding students on following through with them. 

One of my favorite ways to provide multiple means of action and expression is to provide alternative seating for students. In my classroom, students are on a rotation of using yoga balls and wobble stools. Unfortunately, there is a limited number of yoga balls and wobble stools so students must take turns. There are also seat cushions that students can choose to use. Another thing is to provide fidgets for students feet. There are wiggle bands that can be added to desks or a wobble board. Providing quiet fidget toys will also give students an outlet for their energy. 

Giving students flexibility on how they share their ideas and work will boost their investment into their work. If you assign your whole class a 10 page essay to write, some students will excell in demonstrating their understanding and some will fail. Some students see the assignment to write an essay and get overwhelmed and focus more on the essay rather than what they are learning. Some other means of turning in assignments could be recording a video, recording an audio clip, creating a visual piece of art, doing a presentation, or even just having a one on one discussion between student and teacher. 

The final aspect of action and expression is strategy development. Students should be able to set challenging and authentic goals that represent their own ability. They should also have the opportunity to make plans for reaching their goals and have a way to monitor these goals.