How do you develop your own leadership skills and mindset to model and facilitate student voice and agency?

1 Reflect on your beliefs and assumptions

The first step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to reflect on your own beliefs and assumptions about education, learning, and students. What are your goals and values as an educator? How do you view your role and relationship with students? How do you approach decision-making, feedback, and collaboration? How do you deal with challenges, conflicts, and diversity? Reflecting on these questions can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, as well as any biases or barriers that might limit your ability to model and facilitate student voice and agency.

2 Learn from others

The second step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to learn from others who share your vision and values. You can seek out mentors, peers, and experts who have experience and expertise in empowering student voice and agency. You can also join professional networks, communities, and organizations that promote and support learner-centered education. You can read books, articles, blogs, and podcasts that offer insights and examples of best practices and innovative approaches. Learning from others can help you expand your knowledge, skills, and perspectives, as well as inspire you to try new things and challenge yourself.

3 Listen to students

The third step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to listen to students. Listening to students means not only hearing what they say, but also understanding what they mean, feel, and need. Listening to students means respecting their opinions, ideas, and experiences, as well as acknowledging their diversity, identity, and culture. Listening to students means inviting them to share their feedback, suggestions, and concerns, as well as involving them in decision-making, planning, and evaluation. Listening to students can help you build trust, rapport, and engagement, as well as foster their confidence, autonomy, and ownership.

4 Empower students

The fourth step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to empower students. Empowering students means not only giving them voice, but also giving them choice, agency, and influence. Empowering students means providing them with opportunities, resources, and support to explore their interests, passions, and goals, as well as to express their creativity, innovation, and leadership. Empowering students means challenging them with high expectations, rigorous standards, and authentic tasks, as well as to demonstrate their learning, growth, and impact. Empowering students can help you enhance their motivation, achievement, and satisfaction, as well as prepare them for the future.

5 Collaborate with others

The fifth step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to collaborate with others. Collaborating with others means not only working with them, but also learning from them, supporting them, and celebrating them. Collaborating with others means engaging with other educators, students, parents, and stakeholders who have a stake and interest in student voice and agency. Collaborating with others means sharing your vision, values, and practices, as well as seeking their input, feedback, and partnership. Collaborating with others can help you create a culture of trust, respect, and diversity, as well as leverage the collective wisdom, strength, and potential of the community.

6 Model the way

The sixth and final step to developing your leadership skills and mindset is to model the way. Modeling the way means not only telling others what to do, but also showing them how to do it. Modeling the way means embodying the principles and practices of student voice and agency in your own actions, interactions, and decisions. Modeling the way means demonstrating your commitment, passion, and integrity, as well as your openness, flexibility, and humility. Modeling the way can help you influence others, inspire others, and lead by example.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?