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Agile for a Future-Ready Education System

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 3 minutes read

In a rapidly evolving world, the need for an adaptive and future-ready educational system has become more crucial than ever. Enter Agile, a dynamic framework that has gained significant traction across various industries for its ability to foster collaboration, innovation, and flexibility. As educators, it’s essential to understand that Agile is not a full curriculum or set of provided lessons but rather a transformative way of working that empowers students and reduces stress on teachers.

It is essential to clarify what Agile means in education and how it can revolutionize the learning experience for students and teachers alike.

Agile: A New Way of Working

Agile was created in the field of software development. Work was not efficient, did not meet its purpose and was ignoring the needs of the customers. Instead of  developing a heavy rigid way of working by standardizing and boxing in creativity, Agile was adopted as a lean adaptive framework based on the needs of the developers and the customers. 

Agile is a flexible framework based on how humans work together. The values and principles highlight the need for clear communication, open collaboration, high levels of reflection and completing work in small increments to be able to adjust easily. But Agile’s impact is not limited to the tech industry. The same principles that have revolutionized software development can be effectively applied to education, fostering an environment where students and educators can thrive.

The Agile Way of Working in Education

At its heart, Agile in education emphasizes student engagement, collaboration, and self-directed learning. Rather than relying solely on traditional teaching methods, Agile encourages teachers to facilitate a more dynamic learning environment where students take an active role in their education. Agile is not a set of strict rules, or a complete curriculum. It is a framework that builds a culture of learning and adapting. The teachers gain the autonomy they deserve and the students are empowered to personalize their learning. 

Agile classrooms are highly adaptive to the needs of the school, teacher and most importantly the students. Some teachers slowly introduce elements of Agile, while others jump in head first. There is not a one size fits all approach to Agile, which is what makes it unique. The Agile framework is based on the needs of humans working and learning together.

It’s important to clarify that Agile does not replace the teacher’s expertise or their responsibility to provide the curriculum and resources. Instead, Agile enhances the teacher’s role as a guide, mentor, and facilitator of learning. By adopting Agile practices, teachers can better tailor their approach to suit the diverse needs of their students, ensuring a more inclusive and effective educational experience.

Embracing Agile for a Future-Ready Education System

The world is evolving rapidly, and the skills required to thrive in the 21st century are changing with it. Agile offers a forward-looking approach that equips students with essential skills, including adaptability, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving – skills that will be invaluable in their future careers.

As educators, it is crucial that we embrace this transformative way of working to create an education system that fosters innovation, creativity, and resilience. Agile provides a roadmap for building an engaging and empowering learning environment that prepares students for the challenges of the future. It is not a rigid curriculum or way to work, but a lightweight system that encourages personalization and flexibility. Agile embraces that way human beings work and learn together, which is never in a one size fits all box. 

Agile is not just a buzzword; it is a powerful approach to learning that encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and self-directed growth. By adopting Agile principles, educators can reduce stress, create a more student-centric learning environment, and prepare their students for a successful future.

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Bringing Agility Into Our Classrooms

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 8 minutes read

There is a teacher energy crisis happening in education now. The crisis is impacting millions of young learners each day in schools across the country and much of the world. The crisis sees empty classrooms across the US, and it sees thousands of highly skilled educators seeking refuge outside the profession.  Agility may help solve these issues. 

Unlike other energy crises, this one is not reliant on anything other than how we teachers walk into a classroom and structure our classroom time. This energy crisis isn’t expensive to fix, nor does it take a long time to address. It does take a shift in practice and perspective, one that is decades overdue.

Teachers whose energy is being drained by the chaos of recent years are finding deep wells of energy and student engagement when they begin to pull new ways of learning that are profoundly student-centered and fundamentally adaptive in the sorts of ways all parents want their kids to be adaptive. 

The Burnout Problem

A teacher’s role is vital to the success of happy and healthy students, but in recent times we have witnessed teachers expressing that the amount of work that they are asked to complete by their supervisors is beyond what they can handle. Teachers fleeing the field of education is not a new phenomenon but one that has exploded in the past few years. Teachers feel that there is not enough time in the day to complete all of the work that has landed on their shoulders, often arriving before the first bell and staying far after the last buses have pulled away. 

This overwhelming feeling of work causes the kinds of burnout that are prevalent in education. The traditional systems of learning, built around antiquated ideas from the late 19th century by manufacturing consultants like Frederick Taylor,  have set the culture and mindset of PUSH. In a push system, almost all of the responsibility lies squarely on the teachers. They have to read the learning standards, interpret them for their students, create and modify content, plan the pacing of content for 30 different minds, find ways to deliver content to all students at the same time, and finally assess the content.

This is all before they deal with classroom management, meetings, differentiation, paperwork, guidance, advisory, and administration. The roots of this system and the problems wrapped around those roots are described in detail by Todd Rose’ excellent book, The End of Average.

Push and Pull-Based Models and Agility

Push-based education models are based on an adult-centric culture. Historically, this model worked well in education because the teachers specialized in content areas and helped their students memorize and learn the information that they would need to carry with them throughout their lives. Outside of school, students and adults could read to access new information, but new knowledge was hard to access, and work was based on the production of mass-produced goods. A teacher’s job was, like a foreman in a factory, to push as much information as they could into their students, the ‘workers,’ before they left the classroom because knowledge was scarce and time in school was limited. 

With the existential crisis of teacher shortages looming in every state, thought leaders and policymakers in education need to re-evaluate the culture and models that are being implemented in classrooms around the country. Instead of relying on traditional PUSH-based systems, we must listen to what the stakeholders in education need. 

What are the needs of our current teachers and students?

The most efficient, effective, and empathic way to move forward in all educational spaces is to transition our mental models and our instructional models from PUSH based to PULL-based. This means removing the responsibility of all learning from the teacher and placing it on the main stakeholder, the student. In Agile PULL-based systems, teachers are respected with the autonomy to create their own units that reflect the standards they work with.

Teachers begin with developing Wide-Open Questions which captures students attention through the use of compelling and complex issues tied to real life situations. Teachers then create a backlog, or list of assignments, resources, and opportunities for hands-on learning that students can PULL from. This means that teachers can mandate the use of content and skills, but students have real choice and autonomy in their daily learning.

Finally, teachers work as learning guides instead of “sage on the stage” style leaders. In  Agile PULL-based classrooms, students must use the knowledge they learned from completing the teacher’s learning backlog to find a solution to the Wide-Open Question. The students are responsible for building connections, researching and finding new information, and working together to solve complex real life problems while the teacher is free to move between small groups asking questions and having the opportunity to personalize the learning experience.

How Agility Addresses the Issues of Teachers

This solves two critical issues education is facing.

  1. Teacher burnout due to overwork and lack of autonomy. 
  2. Student apathy due to lack of purpose and the passive role in PUSH-based classrooms. 

An Agile PULL-based classroom is different from a PUSH-based traditional classroom in several critically important and consequential ways. In PUSH-based classrooms, students are often seated at desks, facing forward with the teacher in leading a lesson from the front of the room. The conversation is often in one direction, with the teacher responsible for over 80% of the speaking while students sit quietly, taking notes. We can visualize this by thinking of the teacher pushing content like water flowing from a hose into a bucket. The hose is doing all of the work while the bucket sits, retaining whatever water does not splash out the sides but is not active in helping collect more water. 

Making Teaching Easier

PUSH-based classrooms are hard for teachers to manage. In modern classrooms, teachers often work with at least 30 students at a time, all with different needs, levels of maturity, interests, and hobbies. For the teacher, this turns a simple lecture into a performance. They must keep the attention of 30 different brains that all function in different ways while continuously pouring new knowledge out.

It is a full-out exercise of stamina and showmanship if the teacher is able and willing to put out that much energy every day for months on end. Teachers not only need to know their content but put on a show that keeps students engaged. Otherwise, behavioral problems arise from all sides of the room. At the end of the day, teachers are exhausted from repeating the same lesson 5 times, performing, pivoting, and in their free time planning and assessing. 

A Different Kind of Energy in the Classroom

In Agile PULL-based classrooms, there is an entirely different type of energy. Students are arranged in self-selected groups, where the diversity of learning styles and interests is highlighted and celebrated.

Student teams are largely independent, all working to solve the same Wide-Open Question but provided the autonomy to navigate their own learning path. Students sit where they can work, focused on each other instead of where the teacher is in the room. The teams talk, share, and brainstorm. Often an Agile PULL-based room is buzzing with hive-like energy. 

Work is being PULLed from the teacher-created backlog by each team at their own pace. The responsibility of learning has shifted to the students. They are now active in their learning, having to engage with each new piece of knowledge and find ways to apply it. Through trial, failure, and reflection, they are held responsible for their own outcomes. 

Transforming the Role of Teacher Using Agility Models

The role of the teacher is transformed as well. They are no longer responsible for putting on a three-ring circus, forcing content delivery, and desperately trying to reach all children at the same time. Teaching becomes fun again. The passion returns. Teachers have put in the work creating the unit, crafting the right Wide-Open Question, and curating sources of information that opportunities for hands-on application.

When the students begin working, teachers get to do the part of the job they truly enjoy; building authentic relationships with each student, having genuine conversations, and helping kids push and grow their curiosity. 

Teachers shift from the role of PUSHER of content to a facilitator of learning. In Agile PULL-based classrooms, teachers are free to meet with each student group, discuss what they are learning and prompt them with questions that will challenge their understanding of content. Students that are struggling will get one-to-one time with a learning professional, while those that need a challenge get personalized attention.

Individualizing Teaching Using Agility

Instead of running through a script of lecture accompanied by slides, teachers get to engage with students, helping students learn how to communicate with each other, scaffolding learning experiences unique to each group, and truly getting to know each student.

At the end of the day, instead of dragging themselves home with an empty battery, Agile PULL-based teachers are recharged and energized. This is a result of the fundamental rebalancing of responsibility in the classroom. Teachers are treated like the professionals they are, given the autonomy and creativity to work with students while truly participating in their learning journeys. 

The people most vulnerable to our current energy crisis in education are those least able to defend or insulate themselves from it: our students. Luckily human ingenuity and imagination are more than sufficient to change this situation and address this crisis. It’s time for folks in education who want to improve how it works for all involved to consider a change in direction: less push, more pull. 

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The Agile Classroom

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 5 minutes read

Throughout the year, I answered this question from educators worldwide. While I do not have a definitive answer, some qualities distinguish an Agile classroom from a traditional classroom: student agency, the teacher as a guide, and skills.

Student Agency & Agile Strategies

In an agile classroom, students drive their education. This does not mean that the classroom is a free-for-all with no standards or organized curriculum. It is quite the opposite. 

For a moment, think about where agile originates. It developed to lean out (to make more efficient) systems of software development. The technology industry has clear deadlines, objectives, and functions, and no one hires software developers to create anything the developers like. Agile was conceived for businesses to be more efficient and flexible. 

The same need is true for a classroom. A scope and sequence must be adhered to, standards to uphold, and a curriculum to be met. When students are given agency, they still have constraints, just like in the workplace. In an agile classroom, the students can choose freely within those constraints. 

In an agile classroom, the teacher poses a wide-open question. The question helps set the learning goals of the unit. Students understand what questions must be answered by the given deadline. There is also content that must be taught. For me, that means students must analyze primary documents, evaluate historical events, and understand the causes and effects of these events. Students must understand these skills and content: it is a non-negotiable of the class. 

Let Students Make Their Own Choices in the Agile Classroom

The choice comes from students applying skills and content knowledge. For my students, I teach mini-lessons that model important skills and scaffold activities for learning history. Instead of treating my classroom as a stage where I dispense information, I make these lessons as autonomous as possible. I create videos to teach new skills, so students can watch them repeatedly and stop when necessary for maximum understanding. Activities are self-paced and scaffolded to develop mastery of knowledge. Therefore, student teams decide what gets done, when, and where. There are MUST lessons and activities that are turned in for a grade, but students can choose when they do them and how they apply their knowledge to answer the essential question. 

Teacher As a Guide

As students gain choice and agency in their learning, the role of the teacher shifts as well. When I often introduce agile to new teachers, they are weary about adding a new “thing” to their already exhaustive list of tasks to complete. 

Agile is different. Instead of leading the learning and dosing it out as necessary to a classroom of students, the teacher transforms into a guide. Teachers step back from the front of the room, delegate the work to the students, and help students troubleshoot. 

 Students are now expected to plan their units, pace their learning, and problem-solve the solutions. A teacher cannot do all that for a classroom of students. Now teachers get to do what they really love: working with students. 

Let Students Take Their Time On Agile Classroom Tasks

There is no more large group instruction since each team works independently. There is no classroom management because every team employs a different strategy. The teacher is finally free to work in small groups or with individuals. Learning is personalized, and differentiation is easy. 

The advanced students can take off immediately because they know what needs to be done. As the teacher moves through the room, they can prompt these students with personalized questions to further push and continuously challenge them. Students who struggle can ask clarifying questions and receive the teacher’s undivided attention. Teachers get the time to build strong relationships with all their students and the space to assess mastery and understanding that otherwise would never be possible. 

Agile Classroom Focused Skills

Our students are growing up in a knowledge-rich environment. They can google any question, easily access ancient philosophers, or tweet political figures. They are connected and can access depths of knowledge never considered possible by our ancestors. The real value in today’s education is no longer “recall.”

Education is now how to apply the knowledge that you can access. It is the ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated topics, be creative, problem-solve, make decisions, and prioritize information. This is only achieved through active learning. 

Students need time to learn these skills, develop them, and become comfortable practicing them in their lives. There is a difference between being told something is important and learning it for yourself, which is also true for skill transference. Students must be granted the space to be creative, practice collaboration, and solve real-world problems using critical thinking skills. An agile classroom is designed to give students these opportunities. 

Making Your Classroom Agile

An agile classroom sets up students with the necessary knowledge and a goal. Skills can be modeled and scaffolded, but most importantly, students can practice, reflect, learn, and try again. This is character-building, the foundational development of social-emotional learning and executive functioning skills. 

An agile classroom addresses the student’s needs. It begins with a standard traditional curriculum and advances it to address the needs of today’s evolving world. Students can still learn classic literature, world history, and physics; the difference is they have a choice. The teachers are free to truly teach, and the classroom transforms from a passive learning environment to a room buzzing with activity. 

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Agile in the Civics Classroom

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 6 minutes read

Over the past 20 years, social studies have diminished in traditional K-12 education. Initially, the priority was only math and reading. As STEM gained importance, the need for engineers to work with new emerging technology rocketed through schools. This neglect of social studies left a generation of people with no knowledge of their past, their government systems, and the incredibly diverse cultures around them. So lets talk about using Agile in the Civics Classroom.

In teaching about the past, teachers help students find the application to their lives when they struggle with the content: Why learn about the Mayflower Compact when there’s so much going on right now? And to their credit, they’re right to a degree. How will students get the knowledge they need as participating citizens who can recognize and understand the systems of power around them and navigate these systems in the future to advocate for themselves?

This is the value of Agile for a social studies classroom. Instead of teaching lessons by lecture and constructing isolated lessons on past eras, my curriculum shifted to answering: “How can the past help us navigate now?” 

Why is Agile important for Civics Classroom?

Civic engagement is essential for a functioning society, especially one that is based on the people wielding power. When civics is poorly understood, or people do not see its value, people lose their power to advocate for themselves. It is of utmost importance that civics and history are engaging, empowering, and rich in the skills necessary for people to apply to their lives.

Agile is a way for people to collaborate on diverse teams instead of shuttering in silos, share information, adapt to new challenges, communicate in real time, and creatively problem-solve to achieve a shared goal. Agile teams typically use Kanban boards to visually organize their workflow, be transparent, and keep communication open. To bring Agile into educational spaces means embedding these soft skills into a content-rich curriculum. 

Wide-Open Agile Questions

Great units always begin with a wide-open question. Open-ended questions open up a world of possibilities for students: They must explore all avenues of a question and settle on an answer that matters. Ideally, the question and the use of content mastery should intrigue students. Wide – Open Questions serve several purposes:

  • Open-ended questions create student choice. Students feel like they are answering a question, not regurgitating their desired answer. 
  • Critical thinking skills are developed because there is no right answer — only the answer that can be supported by evidence. 
  • Students build connections from the mandated content to their world. It allows ownership of learning and answers the nagging question from middle school: “When will I ever use this information?” 
  • They allow real-world applications in which students connect the content to their lives. Each student learns the same content and may have the same question but will apply that question differently. When you ask a group of students: “How should power be distributed in a stable society?” and you get drastically different answers, the content has been personalized. 

Content is Non-Negotiable, but Delivery Can Have Choice

Content should be delivered through different modalities to allow students more choices in their learning. Of course, there are certain documents that students must read and analyze, which are the non-negotiables in a given unit. For instance, students must read all of Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution and be able to discuss the powers of the legislative branch. Choice does not mean a free-for-all. Standards and skills must still be mastered, but there could be choices with other material: Can students choose which articles to annotate and what videos they take notes from?

Differentiation and choice are essential when teaching abstract ideas, such as the systems involved in government, like checks and balances. Not all students can “see” how the branches of government interact, so let them choose the means that make it clear to them. We know our students learn in different ways. Why not teach them to search for the best option for themselves, developing critical thinking skills and understanding the content rather than struggling through materials? There must be a way to reach kids where they are and present content in an appealing way. 

Student choice helps students develop metacognitive and executive functioning skills. They have to evaluate what piece they will read, if the video will hold their attention, or if they understand concepts better with graphics. In many ways, isn’t this how adults learn? Do you read long passages to see a new concept visually? Do you learn better with hands-on activities? These are incredibly important lessons that students can learn while mastering content. 

Collaborative Learning

Students are given their wide-open questions; then, they are provided with the non-negotiables. Students are also provided with rubrics and a timeframe. All measures of success are provided and discussed upfront. Students must achieve content, skill, and time goals like in a job. 

Now it is time to step back as the leader and become the guide. In an Agile classroom, students must use metacognitive skills to plan their projects. My students do this on their Kanban board: they take large tasks and break them into smaller steps.

They then have to negotiate who completes what and communicate the time frame based on the due date. When students begin the work, even more choices open up: How will this group choose to answer the open-ended essential questions? Can the group decide if a single government can represent the needs of all people? What ideals make revolutions successful? Students are stretched beyond the mandated content to draw connections to the real world. More choices open up: How will they justify their answer? Is everyone on the same page? This is where an Agile mindset is developed.

Agile For Content Mastery 

Students collaborate, build connections, and synthesize information. Solutions that groups initially thought would be a slam dunk may hit major roadblocks, and students must be flexible enough to creatively problem-solve a new solution. 

While all of this is happening, one may wonder what students are learning. They are mastering the content because they build connections and apply their knowledge to areas they care about. 

Civics must be taught engagingly, focusing on how people can get involved in the system. An overarching curriculum pushed from the front of the room is lost on middle and high school kids. Students must have an interactive space to explore what civics means to them and how it affects their daily lives. By introducing the fundamentals of an agile classroom, we can empower kids to have choices and bring the lessons of government into their lives. The lessons must be open-ended, purposeful, and collaborative. Students deserve to learn marketable skills embedded in the curriculum and develop a passion for learning.

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Embracing Vigor over Rigor: Cultivating Agile Classrooms for Inspired Learning

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 5 minutes read

 In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, the pursuit of academic excellence often leads to the adoption of rigid and repetitive teaching methods. These traditional approaches emphasize rigor, characterized by a heavy focus on academic content and the relentless completion of repetitive tasks. While rigor aims to prepare students for academic success, it often comes at the cost of their enthusiasm and curiosity. In contrast, a classroom environment that emphasizes vigor fosters a “learning energy” that is infectious, deepening students’ understanding and fueling their passion for learning.

Repetitive Work vs. Engaging Exploration

     Rigor is often synonymous with repetitive work that demands adherence to strict schedules, standardized tests, and academic content without room for exploration or creativity. In some educational circles it is the norm to brag about the rigor of their courses and the work required for students to pass. While routine can be useful in developing discipline and organization, excessive repetition can lead to student burnout and diminish the joy of learning. Rigor tends to refer to a more “drill and kill” philosophy of education that is not meeting our current students where they are. 

     On the other hand, vigor embraces engaging exploration and inquiry-based learning. Vigor means that students are provided opportunities to “play” with their knowledge, apply it in unique ways and deepen their understanding of facts in different contexts. Agile classrooms focus on encouraging students to question, explore, and discover knowledge independently. This approach kindles curiosity and allows students to connect with their interests, making learning a dynamic and exciting process.

Compliance vs. Critical Thinking

     Rigor often revolves around compliance, with teachers setting rigid rules and guidelines that leave little room for divergent thinking. Students may feel pressured to conform to predefined methods without fully understanding the underlying concepts. These classrooms are often set up where the students are passive in their learning and the teacher controls the flow of information. These classrooms tend to encourage one way of thinking and learning with established “right” answers. 

     Vigor, however, prioritizes critical thinking skills. Agile classrooms emphasize problem-solving and independent thinking, encouraging students to question assumptions, analyze information, and develop innovative solutions. As a result, students become active participants in their education, developing a deeper understanding of the subject matter. One of the main ways Agile classrooms promote vigorous learning is through the use of Wide Open Questions. These are questions that launch a unit, immediately engaging students because there is not one “right” answer and students have an opportunity to find their own solutions. The use of Wide Open Questions grab students attention because they are not “google-able”, but they also allow students to personalize their learning. Students can answer the WOQ however they would like, as long as they use content to support their ideas. This process of searching for and finding unique answers promotes understanding of content and overall vigor in the classroom. 

Constrained Learning vs. Growth Mindset

Rigor tends to create a fixed mindset, where students feel judged solely by their grades and struggle to see the value in making mistakes. The fear of failure can lead to a decline in curiosity and motivation, hindering the development of a growth mindset.

Vigor fosters an agile mindset, encouraging students to view challenges as opportunities for growth. Agile classrooms celebrate effort and perseverance, promoting a positive learning environment that embraces mistakes as essential steps towards progress. This cultivates resilience and a passion for learning, enabling students to explore new subjects fearlessly. In Agile classrooms students are tasked with solving  a complex Wide Open Question. In teams they propose solutions as they work through the content, often having to reflect and change course when new information comes to light. This teaches students, not only the content, but how to pivot when new information comes to light, and adapt to changing circumstances. The vigor of an Agile classroom develops from the students actively working with content and having daily opportunities to apply it. 

Embracing Agility in Education

     To cultivate vigor in the classroom, many educators have embraced Agile methodologies, originally developed in the software development industry. An Agile classroom emphasizes adaptability, flexibility, and student-centered learning. By utilizing Agile principles such as iterative development, continuous feedback, and collaborative teamwork, educators create an environment that supports curiosity, creativity, and exploration.

     Agile methodologies enable educators to tailor the learning experience to the unique needs and interests of each student. By introducing shorter cycles of learning activities and providing regular opportunities for reflection and adjustment, Agile classrooms empower students to take ownership of their education. The iterative nature of Agile learning allows for the discovery of multiple approaches to problem-solving, encouraging students to embrace failure as an essential part of the learning process. This fosters a rigorous learning experience where students develop resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset, vital qualities for success in the 21st-century world.

    The adoption of Agile methodologies and the infusion of vigor into the classroom offer numerous benefits for students. First and foremost, Agile classrooms create an environment where students feel motivated, engaged, and inspired to learn. The emphasis on collaboration and teamwork cultivates essential social and communication skills, preparing students for future challenges in the professional world. Furthermore, the focus on continuous improvement and adaptability ensures that students develop a lifelong love for learning and remain adaptable in an ever-changing society.

     In the pursuit of effective education, it is crucial to shift the paradigm from rigor to vigor. Rigor, with its repetitive tasks and narrow focus on academic achievement, often leaves students exhausted and devoid of curiosity. Embracing vigor, on the other hand, creates an atmosphere of energy, enthusiasm, and deepened understanding. By adopting Agile methodologies, educators can transform their classrooms into vibrant learning ecosystems, fostering curiosity, creativity, and a genuine passion for knowledge. Let us reimagine education with a commitment to vigor, nurturing agile classrooms that empower students to become lifelong learners, capable of navigating the complexities of the world with confidence and happiness.

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Using Student Self-Selected Groups For Classroom Success

by Jessica Cavallaro
written by Jessica Cavallaro 4 minutes read

Adopting an agile mindset in the classroom means trusting teams to organize and complete work in rapid iterations. To truly implement this framework, use student self-selected groups to develop student-led projects. For real learning to occur, there must be student agency, and this is the first step. 

Having students, led by team captains, self-select their team is a tenant of an agile classroom. It is essential that students understand their power of choice, teamwork, and communication. When beginning a unit with choice and trust in student decisions, the impact is immediate. Students are engaged, nervous, and excited by the idea of having agency in their learning. They immediately know this is not the “game” of education but a different dynamic that they are not used to. 

Preparing Students to Choose Their Teams

This task of choosing groups is not to be taken lightly. Successful student groups make or break a learning experience. When given choice with no parameters, students do not have the tools or strategies to choose teams that will excel and resort to working with friends.  The foundation of an agile classroom is to explicitly teach the skills students will need to lead and develop a passion for learning.

There is a foundation that must be taught before students are ready to pick teams that they will work with for 4 – 6 weeks. This usually begins with a discussion or writing prompt about how each individual learns best. It is clear that all people do not learn the same. We are individuals that function in unique ways. For most students, this is the first time they will have this discussion in an educational setting.  This reflective exercise helps students explore their own cognitive practices.  Through probing questions and a lively discussion, their individuality shines as they come to the conclusion that they all have strengths and weaknesses in all aspects of their lives.  This can be cemented in learning journals, where students reflect on how they learned best that week, or weekly retrospectives, where the class discusses their individual successes for impediments and how improvements in the future. This base of meta-cognitive practices enables students to take the next leap into better understanding team dynamics. 

Team Captains and the Qualities and Skills Checklist

At the beginning of a new unit, the teacher chooses team captains. There is no magic formula for the selection process, but a promise to the students that, at some point, each person will serve as a captain. 

 Each student is then given a Qualities and Skills checklist. Students are instructed to select the top five qualities and skills.  The important part of this process is to keep these sheets anonymous, so students are forced to analyze the attributes of each individual over who they are.  Each paper is assigned a number that corresponds to a student on the teacher roster. Only the teacher has access to both.  Students could only see the number on top of each checklist as go through the process of choosing well-rounded groups rather than groups of friends. 

 Prior to the selection, the class should discuss what makes groups successful. Should we all be creative? detail-oriented? a leader? These are all great characteristics, but can so many different skills weaken the overall strength of the group? Should our teams be like-minded or diverse? What outcomes should be anticipated from our groups? 

From years of forced group work, students have strong opinions about how teams should work. They are opinionated and offer perspectives on working with others that are insightful. By giving them space to work through these thoughts together, they are able to gain a deep level of clarity about how to build teams. A skill that will aid them in their futures. 

Forming the Groups

Team captains are given access to the groups of qualities and meet to pick those that they think would build the best group. Since the captains chose solely on qualities and skill, they have no idea who is in their group.  Team Captains return to their teachers only with numbers, anxious to hear who is in their groups. 

Students have described this as nerve-wracking. They are not used to making decisions in the classroom, never mind decisions that will greatly impact the next few weeks of their lives.

When groups are formed, students may try to figure out who listed what skills. Often times you can overhear conversations about dividing work based on who has what qualities. 

In self-selected groups, students are proud to be chosen for their strengths and not reputations or names. Each person is valued because of what they can contribute to the success of the group. 

The practice of self-selected groups teaches students to value diverse teams and look for the strengths in others. It is a practice that goes beyond teaching a traditional curriculum but the real-life skill of working with others to accomplish complex tasks. It builds empathy and communication skills all people need to be successful throughout life. 

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