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How to Teach Language Arts in a Student-and-Response-Centered Classroom

In the traditional language arts classroom, the teacher is in charge of all learning, and students are graded on how well they match the teacher's opinions about literature and writing. In a student-and-response-centered classroom, however, students are in charge of their own learning. That is not to say that they can do whatever they want. The teacher is there as a facilitator for learning. According to Leo Jones with Cambridge University Press, a student-centered classroom allows students to become active participants in their learning. Teaching language arts in a student-and-response-centered classroom, then, will give students more independence and control in developing the language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Instructions

- 1
  Take the time at the beginning of the school year to set a rapport of respect among the students and yourself. Without this safe atmosphere, students will not reap the benefits that a student-and-response-centered language arts classroom has to offer.
- 2
  Implement small group literature circles for instructing reading. Whether you ask all students to read the same book or assign different material to each group, working in these circles enables students to take on various roles, such as discussion director and summarizer, and extract meaning from the reading based on their personal opinions and group discussions, not on your interpretation.
- 3
  Place students in small groups for writing assignments. They can work together to brainstorm, but ask them to complete the actual writing for homework. This gives them more time to spend on writing, and knowing who they will be working with allows students to write for their intended audience. Writing becomes a true form of communication then, instead of simply an assignment read only by you for a grade. Students should read each other's assignments and respond by giving both positive and constructive feedback.
- 4
  Encourage student-to-student and student-to-teacher communication. Students should be comfortable discussing their thoughts on a piece of literature or sharing an original poem with other students, but that comfort is important between students and teacher, as well. Challenge students to become more vocal throughout the year. For example, if they take a novel test and do not agree with an answer you marked wrong, allow the students to discuss or debate their choice compared to yours. Even if they lose the debate, students will improve speaking technique and quality through thinking aloud.
- 5
  Promote listening skills by reading aloud to students. After the passage is complete, ask students to work in pairs to answer questions about the reading. They should not be given a copy of the passage to review, so to ensure that they are responding based on listening only. Allow time for discussion and listening to one another, as that is a key component in the student and response centered language arts classroom.

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