Volume: XIIIIssue: 24February 9, 2026
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about student agency and independence. As I walk through classrooms and observe learning in action, I often find myself asking a simple but important question: How can we put more of the learning process into the hands of our children while still providing the structure and support they need to succeed?
Student agency is about more than choice for choice’s sake. It’s about helping students see themselves as active participants in their learning - learners who understand what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they can take responsibility for moving themselves forward. When students have opportunities to make decisions, reflect on their progress, and problem-solve independently, they begin to develop confidence, ownership, and a stronger sense of purpose.
Independence grows when students are trusted with responsibility and supported with clear structures. This might look like students setting learning goals, choosing strategies or pathways to demonstrate understanding, monitoring their own progress, or engaging in meaningful reflection. These practices don’t remove the teacher’s role; rather, they shift it. Our role becomes one of intentional design, guidance, and feedback, creating the conditions where students can think, act, and learn more independently.
As we reflect on our practice, it’s worth considering small, deliberate ways we can continue to strengthen agency in our classrooms. Where can students have more voice? Where can they make decisions about their learning? Where can we step back slightly to allow them to grapple, reflect, and grow?
This might look like:
Making learning intentions and success criteria clear, and regularly asking students to explain what they are learning and why
Offering choice in how students engage with tasks or demonstrate their understanding
Involving students in goal-setting and encouraging them to monitor their own progress
Using reflection and self-assessment so students can identify what they are doing well and what they need to work on next
Gradually releasing responsibility by allowing students time to struggle productively before stepping in with support
Developing independence doesn’t mean removing structure or support. In fact, strong routines, clear expectations, and timely feedback are what allow students to take greater ownership with confidence. Our role remains essential. We design the learning, ask the questions that prompt thinking, and provide guidance - but we are also intentional about when to step back.
As we reflect on our practice, it’s worth asking:
Where are students making decisions about their learning?
Where could responsibility be shifted from teacher to learner?
How are students being supported to reflect, adjust, and persist independently?
Thank you for the thoughtful and purposeful work you do each day. Small, consistent moves toward student agency will make a meaningful difference in helping our students become confident, capable, and independent learners.
UPCOMING DATES
- FEB11: Virtual Hiring Fair
- FEB12: PTA Dinner
- FEB13: Early Dismissal 2:20pm
- FEB16-20: Midwinter Recess
- FEB26: Black History Month Extravaganza
UPCOMING TRIPS
- Step 1: Read the DOE FAQ on Field Trips
https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/faqs-regarding-school-trips.pdf - Step 2: Get Pre-Approval from Kiri
- Step 3: Complete the Trip Form (ALL TABS)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3i3fgENVCpX6MA51r_1jsmxVavRm12-oaB9ieiNA8Q/edit?usp=sharing - Step 4: Share form (anyone with link can view) with Kiri
- Black History Month book giveaway - postponed until books come in
- Quilting project - will be hung outside the cafeteria and unveiled at the Extravaganza.
- Feb 10: 4th period in 511 (8th) + 303 (11th) + 509 (12th)
- Movies - each Friday in 509
- February 26th in the cafeteria
- Performances by Girl's Inc & Cheer & ELA poetry contest kids with galleries of student work from African History, AP African American Studies, & Art classes (maybe more - working with other staff still)
- Unveiling of UAI student quilt
- Friday, February 27th at 2pm
