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The shift from expert disseminating information to eagerly receptive students to a mentor/coach that guides and encourages students through the education process is difficult.

The Cambridge philosophy is that all subjects, at all grade levels, have the same purpose.  That is to develop an educated person.  Your particular subject is a vehicle.  Mastery of the subject is not the destination, but serves as a conduit to the final destination.

  • If a student's learning is bound by the crafting of your lesson, they'll not learn much.  Through questioning, by both teacher and students, a lot of unanticipated learning will occur.
  • The purpose of an education is to develop a well-rounded, thoughtful individual that is a critical thinker, able to adapt their existing knowledge and incorporate new understanding in order to succeed at unanticipated tasks in the future.  An educated person has learned perseverance, knows how to manage themselves in order to fulfill their potential and is articulate and considerate of various points of view.
  • Your role, as a teacher, is to devise experiences relevant to your content area that promote the development of the attributes of an educated person.  Your expertise in the content area is best applied in developing those experiences and guiding students through them, to help the students realize the intended outcome.
  • Consider your subject a vehicle whose destination is an education for the student.
  • A Cambridge student should be Responsible, Innovative, Confident, Engaged and Reflective.  Our lessons should promote the development of these attributes.

In the video below you will be challenged to let go of student learning, to change your role from expert to cheerleader.  Students learn what they want and they learn together.  The more you can entice their "want," encourage them and allow them to explore and self-monitor, the better they'll learn.

While that may sound lofty, exploring some of the information on implementation will help you get some concrete things to try and places to start.