Stephanie Wilson had been educated in “old school methods.” Her teachers insisted on straight rows of seated students who did not talk during lectures or complain about assignments. While Stephanie...

Stephanie Wilson had been educated in “old school methods.” Her teachers insisted on straight rows of seated students who did not talk during lectures or complain about assignments. While Stephanie had been successful in this model, not all of her past classmates flourished in such a rigid environment. As a new teacher she wanted a more student-friendly environment. She envisioned a classroom where students were stimulated by the activities and worked collaboratively. “I want my students to look forward to coming to school. I want them to be agents in the learning process, not just passive recipients of my curriculum.” She imagined designing learning situations in which her students could all achieve. Step by step, they could all learn! As her students would progress, she would see when they got off the track and manage to remediate before they started to do poorly. In this way, Stephanie thought, none of her students would be failures.

5. Explain why Stephanie’s plan to provide early remediation when students are struggling is a good idea.

6. How can Stephanie Wilson support self-determination and autonomy in her classroom?