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The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning
The Shift to Student-Led by Catlin R. Tucker & Katie Novak Your Guide to Student-Led Learning Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak have worked with too many educators who are frustrated and disillusioned with the teaching profession. They know that teachers are drowning in work and unrealistic demands. Many are mentally and emotionally exhausted by the uncertainty and constant change created by the pandemic. In this follow-up to UDL and Blended Learning, the authors have set out to help teachers reimagine their approach to this work so that it is sustainable and rewarding. Each chapter in The Shift to Student-Led takes apart one traditional teacher-led workflow, examining the problems it presents teachers and students, what the research says versus what the reality in the classroom is, and how UDL and blended learning can free teachers from the “sage on the stage� role and place students at the center of their learning. These reimagined student-led workflows help students develop self-awareness, internal motivation, and self-regulation skills, which are critical to becoming expert learners. Intended for K�12 educators, instructional coaches, and school leaders who want to create academically robust, inclusive learning communities, this book is full of principles, strategies, and resources that can be put into practice right away and at any level.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2022
111 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 6, 2023
Easy to read with specific ideas, examples, and templates. Collects many things teachers already know about empowering students into one usable resource that makes implementation easier.
April 10, 2024
One of my professional goals is to incorporate more personalized learning into my teaching practice. More facilitator of student choice and voice, less "sage from the stage." But how do I actually DO That? Buzzwords aside, this book has practical templates and examples of what personalized learning could look like in my classroom. Over the summer I will be using this book as a tool to reshape some of my lessons and units with student agency in the forefront. It is the rare teaching book that actually has concrete ideas and tools.
On the other hand, there are some things in this book that I disagree with. The author makes a long analogy where she compares the classroom to a Starbucks, and says the student is the "consumer." I don't fully agree with that. If I thought of my students as customers I would be in the wrong industry. Still, overall this is a helpful book.
On the other hand, there are some things in this book that I disagree with. The author makes a long analogy where she compares the classroom to a Starbucks, and says the student is the "consumer." I don't fully agree with that. If I thought of my students as customers I would be in the wrong industry. Still, overall this is a helpful book.
January 10, 2024
Honestly, for the most part this was an extremely useful and interesting book. Thinking carefully about the diversity of students in any given educational context and the best practices for thinking about uses of media and online/offline situations is an absolute necessity for effective teaching and learning. And the book’s goal of helping you implement strategies to take work off of your own plate and invite participation and buy-in from students is awesome. The ideas suggested and templates provided are great resources, too, even if some of them probably need a lot of adaptation for some uses. Really interesting book and approach, and very inspiring in its pretty simple premise but deep examples and execution.
January 5, 2023
I picked this up after seeing an email & I feel validated in my practice using some of the student-led engagement strategies including choice boards, student led discussion strategies & authentic assessment options. My thinking has grown around more concrete peer feedback methods, a new take on preparing for standardized assessments and building communication between learners and parents by having students take the lead. I love the organization of the content, chapter layouts and additional resources to implement strategies right away. Overall, a good addition to my teacher toolbox!
July 13, 2023
The Shift to Student Led is the perfect summer read for teacher professional growth and reset. I found the book relatable and practical with each chapter related to a specific workflow that benefits teacher and student alike and promotes growth of those vital soft skills, such as reflection, communication and self-management. Each work-flow has 5 or so useful routines and/or resources that are usable as is or easily adaptable Strongly recommended for teachers.
March 2, 2025
Overall, I appreciated the concept of the book and it helped me learn more about how UDL can be used to offer more choice to students in ways that are sustainable to teachers. The accompanying book club resources were super helpful to our staff working group. Ultimately, though, I didn’t think all strategies would work with younger students so felt I needed to pick and choose what strategies I would recommend.
June 22, 2023
While pretty much everything is something I've done before or common sense, this book teaches you how to be deliberate in creating new workflows to consistently reach more students. I'm going to come back and use this as a reference as I am starting a new position in the fall where I'll have the opportunity to get creative with the workflow.
July 20, 2023
This co-authored book by Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak is a must read for secondary teachers who are looking to bring joy, choice, and better student engagement into their classrooms. They have a ton of pre-made editable resources that anyone can adapt. I'm inspired to make some important changes to my classroom this year.
November 5, 2023
This was a great book to learn more about student accountability. The importance of students having choice and autonomy of their learning and how it helps the teacher as well. I loved the examples and templates throughout the book and I can't wait to try them. I highly recommend this to any teachers trying to become a facilitator of learning instead of the giver of content!
March 20, 2024
I have mixed feelings about the book. I think some parts of it, most experienced teachers already know, other aspects seem highly unrealistic if you work in a public school that restricts to even some degree how to plan curricula. There were some good parts. I particularly like the concept of the playlist idea, but ultimately it did not live up to my expectations.
December 22, 2022
Fabulous read, grounded in research and practicality for the classroom!
Great resources, templates, prompts.
Reader friendly, not at all preachy.
Actionable steps with many starting points for a variety of teachers and grade levels.
Great resources, templates, prompts.
Reader friendly, not at all preachy.
Actionable steps with many starting points for a variety of teachers and grade levels.
May 11, 2023
This book provided me with many ideas of how to transition from “the sage on the stage� teaching methodology to a more student-led approach. I love how this book provided many ready-to-use ideas for the classroom!
December 23, 2022
Accessible, practical, and engaging. I love the examples from their own lives at the beginning of chapters that relate to the content. The examples are helpful and spark lots of ideas.
February 15, 2023
Good ideas, patient and encouraging writing, targeted more at upper school than elementary age. I would have like more example of UDL applied with 1-3rd grade students.
Want to read
March 29, 2023Devyn
April 11, 2023
Actually really helpful & useful classroom practices!
May 2, 2023
Quite possibly the most perfect PD book and it could not have come at a more important time. I cannot wait to share with every teacher and leader I know.
May 9, 2023
This book will help educators re-imagine their classroom. It offers strategies and ideas to engage students and help them take the lead in their own education.
June 27, 2023
I cannot wait to put this into practice as I prepare for the 2023-2024 school year. This was so empowering to read and reflect on.
August 8, 2023
Super practical, and thoughtful without having too much fluff. Ideal summer book for experienced teacher.
November 1, 2023
Practical strategies to shift accountability and responsibility of learning so it’s more balanced between teacher and students. Loved it!
January 3, 2024
Practical. Doable. Love the templates
April 15, 2024
I appreciate the focus on practicality, but Tucker's view of a traditional classroom which is the strawman this book fights against is rooted in 1985. Many good ideas nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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