Intentional, deliberate acts of teaching

I was able to reflect and get to the final problem I will be looking into for this year as part of my inquiry and I hope it will transfer into other areas of learning too. 

So as part of my inquiry I have been reflecting on how I set up my lessons to engage with the idea of 'changing the script'. What do teachers do in lessons? What do the learners do? Like I mentioned in my last post, a common misconception that I hear when talking about empowering learners to drive their own learning is the thought that 'teachers just stand back and don't do anything or watch what the learners do.' From my experience this could not be further away from the truth! It takes much more preparation as I am reflecting on what resources I can create to set the learners up for success. What intentional questions can I ask to engage the learners and make them think about their next steps instead of relying on me to tell them what to do next? 

So I have been introducing workshops again this year, and intentionally planning for the learners to reflect on how and where they learn best. Learners have been doing mini tests to assess themselves and see where they think their next steps are and then sign up to workshops. So my lessons range from me standing at the front (very little) to me giving instructions and working with smaller groups of learners while others are using the resources (online and practical) to drive their own learning. All the while recording and reflecting against their progressions. This can be tricky to begin with as we need to empower the learners with the tools to learn independently especially if they are not use to this way. 
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I believe building that shared language and 'gifting' with vocabulary is the first stage as then they will have a bank to go from working through the learning process, knowing what to do next or what to go back to when they are stuck in the pit. We are definitely still at the building knowledge stage of their process for many. However, I am already seeing a shift in mindsets for some learners, taking on board their independence and this has stemmed from the intentional acts of creating resources physically and digitally to support the learners. Let's see how they grow!!