The BC Education Plan with its emphasis on meta-cognitive learning has resulted in many districts investing in self-regulated learning (SRL). Our district is no exception and as such, I have spent much of last year inquiring and learning how to implement SRL strategies into my practice. As a teacher, I know that I can have a huge impact on how students regulate and am responsible for co-regulating my students. The goal being a gradual release of responsibility from co-regulating to students self-regulating using their own strategies.
So, how has this learning impacted my practice? For one, I am now much more aware of neuro-diversity and how physical, emotional, social and academic environment can affect SRL. Transforming my practice to promote SRL has been a challenge. I try talk less and allow more frequent movement breaks into my lessons. I am more thoughtful of my voice and its volume and how my body and facial expressions can help (dis-) regulate. I am more organized and aware of the type of transitions my students must endure prior to my lessons. Despite all this planning and awareness, schools are busy and sometimes unpredictable places. Lessons do go awry in positive and negative ways. An insightful question lengthens a discussion, a check for understanding reveals a misstep that requires reinforcement and my best laid plans for a lesson with the brain in mind regresses to what has always been done. I am regularly aware of the self-regulation my students need, but the needs others dis-regulate myself out of the "sweet spot" or dis-regulated trying to incorporate SRL strategies into my daily practice.
As I move in and out of 'zones of regulation' and feel out of sync with my teaching, I am curious about what other educators are experiencing while co-regulating students and trying to maintain regulation themselves.
So, how has this learning impacted my practice? For one, I am now much more aware of neuro-diversity and how physical, emotional, social and academic environment can affect SRL. Transforming my practice to promote SRL has been a challenge. I try talk less and allow more frequent movement breaks into my lessons. I am more thoughtful of my voice and its volume and how my body and facial expressions can help (dis-) regulate. I am more organized and aware of the type of transitions my students must endure prior to my lessons. Despite all this planning and awareness, schools are busy and sometimes unpredictable places. Lessons do go awry in positive and negative ways. An insightful question lengthens a discussion, a check for understanding reveals a misstep that requires reinforcement and my best laid plans for a lesson with the brain in mind regresses to what has always been done. I am regularly aware of the self-regulation my students need, but the needs others dis-regulate myself out of the "sweet spot" or dis-regulated trying to incorporate SRL strategies into my daily practice.
As I move in and out of 'zones of regulation' and feel out of sync with my teaching, I am curious about what other educators are experiencing while co-regulating students and trying to maintain regulation themselves.