A Small Guide to Creating a Democratic Classroom
The most efficient way to gain an understanding a concept is by experiencing the concept firsthand, whether that experience is by choice or by mere coincidence. Coming in contact with anything offers the opportunity to gain knowledge about that object or idea, so it is assured that experiencing something firsthand will cause somebody to become better suited to deal with it in a dignified manner.
American public schools are pretty keen on avoiding one-on-one experience with real concepts and ideas; teaching and instruction is centered more in the passing of knowledge instead of assuring that it is comprehended. This same teaching process is used to demonstrate our socially sanctioned view of democracy; students learn about it and know about it, but they're not really sure how it actually works in the real world because they're denied the opportunity to apply democratic action in real life.
Schooling should provide ample opportunities for students to experience a democratic society in action. It would be very beneficial to our students if we showed them how a democracy can be played out in real life, and this can be achieved by centering our classrooms around democratic action.
What is Democratic Action?
Democratic Action is any action that revolves around the values and principles of our democracy. A good model for the values and principles of a democracy include the values outlined by Apple & Beane (2007):
- Concern for the dignity and rights of individuals and minorities
- Concern for the welfare of others and ‘the common good’
- Faith in the individual and collective capacity of people to create possibilities for resolving problems
- The open flow of ideas, regardless of their popularity, that enables people to be as fully informed as possible
- The use of critical reflection and analysis to evaluate ideas, problems, and policies
- An understanding that democracy is not so much an “ideal” to be pursued as an “idealized” set of values that we must live and that must guide our life as a people
- The organization of social institutions to promote and extend the democratic way of life
Creating A Democratic Classroom
1. Notification – Inform your principle and other faculty members of your intention to create a democratic learning environment. Authority approval is crucial to real-world development.
2. Planning – Develop a game plan for how you will adhere to state/national curriculum standards. Outline the ways in which class time can be used more effectively. Reflect on the biases and behavioral habits that prevent you from fully participating in the democratic classroom that you are maintaining.
3. Student Engagement – The primary point of a democratic classroom is in exposing students to democratic practices. Have them create their own class rules, formulate their own educational standards, and encourage them to speak on any and everything in a conscious manner.
4. Integrated Curriculum – Integrate the curriculum by centering similar content and concepts within common and accessible themes. Integrate the interests and concerns of your students into the curriculum.
5. “Instigator of Knowledge” – Have students pursue the curriculum in a manner free from unnecessary obstruction. Guide your students to knowledge instead of delivering the knowledge to them; inspire your students to become self-motivated learners.
6. New Ways of Learning – Utilize student projects and classroom discussions in order to encourage intellectual integrity; assess students through qualitative evaluation methods (e.g. essays, projects, performances, presentations)
7. Communication – Have clear lines of communication in order to ensure understanding and willful student involvement
8. Skill Development – Ensure that students develop clearly defined skill-sets necessary for their intellectual involvement (Pate et al, 1997)
2. Planning – Develop a game plan for how you will adhere to state/national curriculum standards. Outline the ways in which class time can be used more effectively. Reflect on the biases and behavioral habits that prevent you from fully participating in the democratic classroom that you are maintaining.
3. Student Engagement – The primary point of a democratic classroom is in exposing students to democratic practices. Have them create their own class rules, formulate their own educational standards, and encourage them to speak on any and everything in a conscious manner.
4. Integrated Curriculum – Integrate the curriculum by centering similar content and concepts within common and accessible themes. Integrate the interests and concerns of your students into the curriculum.
5. “Instigator of Knowledge” – Have students pursue the curriculum in a manner free from unnecessary obstruction. Guide your students to knowledge instead of delivering the knowledge to them; inspire your students to become self-motivated learners.
6. New Ways of Learning – Utilize student projects and classroom discussions in order to encourage intellectual integrity; assess students through qualitative evaluation methods (e.g. essays, projects, performances, presentations)
7. Communication – Have clear lines of communication in order to ensure understanding and willful student involvement
8. Skill Development – Ensure that students develop clearly defined skill-sets necessary for their intellectual involvement (Pate et al, 1997)
Extra Concerns
Take every experience in stride, but remember to aim for the ideal of democracy. This includes maintaining a democratic spirit that features fairness, communication, and collaboration between yourself and your students.
Sources
Apple, Michael W., & Beane, James A. “The Case for Democratic Schools”. Democratic Schools, Second Edition: Lessons in Powerful Education. Eds. Michael W. Apple, & James A. Beane. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2007. 1-12. Print.
Pate, Elizabeth P., Elaine R. Homestead, & Karen L. McGinnis. Making Integrated Curriculum Work: Teachers, Students, and The Quest for Coherent Curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press, 1997. Print.
Ravitch, Diane. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education. Philadelphia: Basic Books, 2010. Print.
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