The Pareto Principle states that a small amount of some phenomenon causes a disproportionately large effect. It’s sometimes referred to as the 80/20 rule.
From our work and conversations with school leaders on the Shift Your Paradigm podcast, we’ve learned that understanding agency is one of the key leverage points.
One we shift our thinking about agency — and it is a paradigm shift 🧠 — other elements of transformation come into focus.
So here are three resources to help us on that journey to upgrading our mental model of agency.
The Teeter-Totter Effect: How to Avoid a Common Pitfall of Learner-Centered Transformation
Agency is a partnership. ”Decision-making is flexible, with youth sometimes in the lead and, at other times, adults. A trusting and mutually respectful relationship makes this both comfortable and empowering.” Like the give and take on a teeter-totter. The “teeter totter” also applies to adult/adult partnerships in schools, not only youth/adult partnerships. Remember this: Everyone brings some gift, experience, benefit to the partnership. Thinking has to start with that acknowledgement.
“Agency may be the one most important factor in human happiness and well-being.” Stixrud and Johnson suggest a reframing from parent/teacher as “boss and manager” to consultant. Think about where the locus of agency is within each of those terms— boss, manager, consultant. There’s also neuroscience to support transferring more control to young learners, and the authors share that.
A Roadmap for Student Self-Direction: Building Essential Skills for the Future
If the resources above help us understand the what and why of agency, this resource gets to the how. “The BEST Self-Direction Toolkit is a collection of resources for teachers to use in the classroom for instruction and assessment that focuses on self-direction. The toolkit includes the self-direction rubric, self-direction activities and targeted resources for teachers. All tools are designed by teachers and tested in the classroom.”
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❓ Provocations:
How developed is your understanding of agency? How might it’s deeper development (the learning on this topic is bottomless for all of us!) accelerate your efforts to transform schooling?
💎 Resources:
This is what learner agency looks like
🧠 Mindset:
Control; agency
💡 Area:
Learning; leadership
📣 Drop your thoughts in the comments, or in the Facebook group, and feel free to share resources. 🔥🔥🔥
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