I really am all for collaborating with kids on so many classroom things. They have amazing insights and perspectives on so many things and of course need to be heard.

I do however believe we need to remember that ‘collaboration’ is in part an open discussion, and then as the discussion ends the classroom leader (the teacher) gathers all these lovely DISCUSSION POINTS  up goes off to makes the informed DECISIONS.

He or she is the one trained in all things education. The amazing kids and all their ideas will helpfully contribute as teacher weights everything up. 

THEN in an age and stage appropriate way he/she shares his/her adult decisions that have come from the discussions, thus allowing the kids to know they have been very much part of the collaboration process, but their safe, strong, leader that knows about such things, has added value and is ready to share and implement.

Amazing teachable moments throughout the whole process.

And THIS is where we can really move on our kids thinking on from one level to the next.

Sharing why some ideas were rejected, why some were selected, some combined, and also teacher knowledge shared around the final decisions.

The next time the kids are consulted on something in a similar way they know how consultation works and if it is the same topic they have a new level of understanding to bring to any rich discussions.

In the nicest possible way ‘the lunatics are not running the asylum’!

Similarly ‘the kids are not running school’, neither have they been to university, covered hours of CPD to be a teacher, or have years of adult experience under their belts.

This is how we create change and growth, and avoid being stuck in a time warp and have those repeated discussions every year in our classrooms.

Classroom examples ~ 

We ask the kids to come up with their own consequences for some reward or token economy, class rules, timetabling, or seating. 

Some of these areas the children will simply base on their own frame of reference from their recent past and present knowledge base of punishments and consequences, either from classroom or home.

Children can often say what they think we want to hear as they like to get things right.

Children are developmentally be pretty egocentric at certain ages and stages and only give their perspective as that is all they currently have to give.

All of this brings limits to any discussion and consultations and therefore limits growth.

Let’s lift any limits and bring growth to our classroom system through quality collaboration. 

Bring all those teacher skills to the collaboration process too!