Letting Them Speak...A Conversation With Students About Curriculum

Last spring, I participated in a book study with #2menandabook on Rebecca Coda and Rick Jetter's book, Let Them Speak. I am a strong advocate for student voice and choice in the classroom, and the book sparked me to carry this conversation with students beyond the walls of the classroom to the curriculum level.

Inspired by the book and the conversations in the book study, I set out to interview the students in my district about my curriculum...the elementary language arts curriculum.

I kept the interviews short and sweet, just five questions:
1. What is your favorite subject in school?
2. What do you like best about reading in school?
3. What do you like best about writing in school?

4. If you were in charge of reading and writing in your classroom, what would you do different from your teacher?

5. Aside from lunch and recess, what do you wish you had more time for during the school day?

Next I spent a few weeks visiting every 1st through 6th grade classroom in my district, interviewing two random students (a boy and a girl) in each classroom. I opted not to interview Kindergarten students at this time due to the developmental appropriateness of the questions. In all 161 students were interviewed.

So what did I learn from this process? What were my takeaways?

First and foremost was the affirmation of the importance of student voice and choice in their learning.

The answers to the first question broke my heart as the language arts supervisor. 46.6% of the students I interviewed, 75 total, shared that math is their favorite subject. Reading was the second highest subject selected at 17.4% followed by writing at 9.9%. This is one I'm going to need to take a closer look at and find why students enjoy math so much. Since this process had a focus on our ELA curriculum, I pushed forward.

Next it was time to sort and analyze the rest of the data. The data was full of answers that connected to student voice and choice. 59 out of the 161 students interviewed (37%), stated in some form that their favorite part of reading is independent reading. This is the time each day when students self-select books from their classroom or school library and time is provided by the teacher for quiet reading time. 

More revealing was the answer to students' favorite part about writing. 90 students (56%) stated that they liked writing stories or when they get to make up their own stories or guide their own ideas for writing. Students definitely like having choice in their writing. 

Nowhere in student responses did anyone talk about tests, worksheets, or packets, and very few answers spoke to teacher-led learning.

This student interview process provided me with a lot of data to sort through, analyze, share with staff, and use to reflect on my role as a curriculum supervisor. Some of the more poignant moments came in the heartfelt answers from students. When asked what she wished there was more time for in school each day, one sixth grade girl responded, "Fun. School used to be fun." Wow! Several other students commented on their wish for more choice time, free time, centers, technology and even independent reading. One of the more humorous answers to this question came from a second grader who wished there was more time for lockdown drills because they are fun. 

This is actually the second year I have interviewed students about school, and I thoroughly enjoy the process. Not only do I enjoy the conversations with kids, but they speak the truth...I can learn a lot from listening to them. Students continually affirm my belief in the importance of voice and choice in guiding their own learning.

This goes beyond the interviews. It's what I do with this information and how I will let it guide me as a curriculum supervisor that will make the difference for our students.