Facilitators Are the Keys to Changing Education from the Bottom Up!

by Luis G. Sanchez, MEDL

If children are apparently unable to learn, we should assume that we have not as yet found the right way to teach them. ~ Marie Clay

Long ago I directed the school’s performing arts team. That in and of itself is not anything surprising, except that I knew nothing about performance, dance, or singing. What I did have was a passion for musical productions. Yet, a series of students believed enough in the vision of creating a team of performers that would create outstanding productions, in spite of my lack of knowledge and ability.

I am certain the students suffered unnecessarily because I really did not know what I was doing. However, we plugged on, hoping that hard work and effort would make up for what I lacked in experience. We worked long hours, weekends, school breaks, and lunch period. With each passing year we gained more experience. We started attending competitions and we would garner third place finishes. Eventually we won a second place and later a First-Place finish against polished performing arts schools. At one competition, we walked away with the first, second, third and Grand Prize. It had been an amazing ride.

If logic had played a role in this experience, I would not have even begun. If I had listened to the naysayers (many of whom were my own companions who told me that I was a “fool” to sacrifice so much without pay), I would have not done a thing and would missed out on one of the most incredible experiences of my life and of my students’ lives. Logic was my enemy.

Today, logic says that change should be initiated by administrators, that the teachers have little say in what superiors determine. Today, educational guidelines are often determined by politicians who have little to no experience in the realm of education. Yet, the reality is that if any change is to occur in education, it must begin from the bottom up. Teachers must become facilitators.

Understanding the role of a facilitator is essential to encourage this major educational paradigm shift. A "facilitator" is not just a fancy name for a teacher. It is a completely different creature.

The roles of a facilitator are only four, and teaching is not one of these roles. The emphasis is on the process, with student achievement the result of this process. What are these roles? First, the facilitator must create the environment for learning to occur, not teach. These are two different things. Second, the facilitator observes the students as they work to identify each student’s particular learning preference or style. Third, the facilitator must promote higher order thinking skills, and fourth, the facilitator must promote independent student discovery.

The first role, that of creating the environment for learning to occur, is one that requires the facilitator to have a deep understanding of how learning occurs. The world of neuroscience is opening up new perspectives on how the learning process occurs. A teacher desires to give information to students. A facilitator focuses on creating an environment that is conducive to learning. He takes into account all aspects of the environment, both physical and emotional. The room should be an inviting place and the students should feel welcome in it. The student should also feel comfortable in discussing issues without the fear of being ridiculed or mocked by the “teacher” or other students.

The second role requires the teacher to become an excellent observer as he identifies each student’s learning style or preference. He or she should recognize that the capacity to memorize information is not the only type of intelligence (nor is it necessarily the best). Therefore, facilitators should be trained in Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory and the characteristics of each of these. The purpose behind this is to adapt activities and projects to the learning preferences of their charges in order to increase student achievement.

The third role of a true facilitator is to promote higher order thinking skills. Again, the facilitator should understand Bloom’s Taxonomy (and several of the other taxonomies). By so doing, the facilitator will provide the type of education that goes beyond rote memorization. Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication are elements to be prized and promoted within this class atmosphere. Discussion, Analysis, Evaluation and Creativity are emphasized, and rote memorization de-emphasized.

Finally, students need to discover their own knowledge so that they become owners of their knowledge in a deeper sense. The true facilitator refuses the urge to give answers to the students. When they give information freely in this manner, they are robbing the student of the opportunity for discovery. Discovery must be celebrated daily, and curiosity encouraged.

There is a growing sense within the educational community in general, and teachers in particular, that the teacher-student relationship needs to evolve into the facilitator-learner model. This is a very good thing for this growing uneasiness about the state of education today promotes further research, and eventually change. Let’s all be a part of that change for the sake of our students, our society, and this world.

About the author: Luis G. Sanchez is currently a Headmaster at Radians School of Math, Science, and Technology in Cayey, Puerto Rico where he lives with his family. Promoting the training of facilitators and the expansion of non-traditional educational methods is his passion. He is also the author of the "Super Teacher Handbook: A Step-by-Step Handbook for Increasing Student Engagement and Improving Student Achievement" He welcomes comments and communication with like-minded educators across America. You may contact him at [email protected]