As PYP Coordinator, I am honoured to be considered a resource for teachers when they have questions about teaching, learning and everything in between. The questions I am asked cover a wide range of curiosities:
“How should I set up my classroom?”
“How can I welcome a new student coming part way through the year?”
“How can I have my students show what they’ve learned about ______ ?”
“How can I get my students attention?”
“What should the timeline be for this project?”
“How can I be a better teacher?”
Even though I get asked a wide range of questions, I noticed something interesting. Something very interesting! I can answer all of the questions above – and most of the questions I get asked throughout the day – with the same answer:
“Ask your students.”
Go ahead, try it. Go back through the list and see if that answer doesn’t work for any of those questions…
Teacher: “How should I set up my classroom?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I welcome a new student coming part way through the year?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I have my students show what they’ve learned about ______ ?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I get my students attention?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “What should the timeline be for this project?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I be a better teacher?”
Me: “Ask your students.”
See! It is magic! It works for every question! Let’s try some more…
Teacher: “How can I build a classroom community?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I use Twitter in the classroom?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “What should I put up on my inquiry cycle?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I have my students reflect on their learning?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “What resources will help my students inquire into ________ ?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher: “How can I tune in to what my students already know about ________ ?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Teacher:“Why are my students not engaged?”
Magic Answer: “Ask your students.”
Oftentimes teachers are so busy and bogged down… now I know why! They are doing the thinking on behalf of all of their students. Why not share the load? They say two heads are better than one, so surely 20+ heads are way better than one!
Why not invite student voice into your decision making?
Why not share problems of teaching, learning and everything in between with your students?
Why not turn the questions we have as teachers into collaborative inquiries with your class?
Why not trust your students to have creative, brilliant solutions that you maybe haven’t thought of?
Why not get rid of “secret teacher business” altogether?
Why not trust students to tackle the problems we grapple with as adults?
So next time you have a question why not try turning it over to your class first, because you know what my (magic) answer will be anyway…
Ask your students.
Making Good Humans 
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