As the new school year gets underway, teachers sometimes talk about “laying down the law” or “making it clear who is the boss” during the first days and weeks of school. In contrast to that typical focus on teachers’ rights and students’ responsibilities, I hereby propose the following Bill of Rights for all of our students:
1. All students have the right to learn from a teacher who deeply understands her subject matter and who deeply cares about each individual student in her classroom.
2. All students have the right to be safe throughout each school day.
3. All students have the right to meet their own physical needs during school hours (e.g. bringing a snack, getting a drink, being allowed to use the restroom, etc.).
4. All students have the right to enjoy an unstructured recess time at least once a day.
5. All students have the right to be taught by someone who is not reading from a script.
6. All students have the right to be assessed based on improvement, not just raw performance.
7. All students have the right to be appropriately challenged across all subjects.
8. All students have the right to have some measure of choice with regard to at least some of the topics they will study and the assignments they will complete.
9. All students have the right to receive cutting-edge instruction and to spend significant in-class time focusing on current technologies.
10. All students have the right to maintain a vibrant life outside school without being burdened with large quantities of homework.
August 29, 2008 at 12:26 pm |
These are great, Mark!
August 29, 2008 at 4:17 pm |
[...] Pullen over at The Elementary Educator has pulled together a Student Bill of Rights that he says is in response to many teachers’ beginning of the year laying-down-of-the-law. [...]
August 30, 2008 at 7:42 am |
This is a wonderful list- a long overdue one- I prefer a pro-student stance instead of a punitive one!
August 30, 2008 at 9:15 am |
[...] check out The Student Bill of Rights over at The Elementary Educator. Mark Pullen hit the nail on the head with this one, [...]
August 30, 2008 at 6:33 pm |
How about “All students have the right to be treated respectfully as individuals.”
I think that #8 is crucial and could be worded much more strongly.
August 30, 2008 at 6:41 pm |
[...] 30, 2008 · No Comments Look at the Student Bill of Rights over at Mark Pullen’s The Elementary Educator. I find it interesting how some things are worded, particularly the one on student choice. I [...]
August 30, 2008 at 8:39 pm |
I really like your blog! Keep up the good work.
Check this out:
http://theinfluentialteacher.com
August 31, 2008 at 7:56 am |
[...] at the Student Bill of Rights over at Mark Pullen’s The Elementary Educator. I find it interesting how some things are worded, particularly the one on student choice. I [...]
September 2, 2008 at 3:41 am |
Regarding #10, The Prince of Wales Public School in Barrie Ontario, Canada has banned homework and encourages alternatives like playing monopoly, Scrabble, visit library, cook togthe, watch TV together in French. Wow!
September 2, 2008 at 6:01 am |
[...] “All students have the right to maintain a vibrant life outside school without being burdened with large quantities of homework.”- Mark Pullen [...]
September 28, 2008 at 5:18 pm |
What an awesome blog. I love the positive message it gives kids and teachers.