The Shift to Student-Led: Reimagining Classroom Workflows with UDL and Blended Learning

by Catlin R. Tucker, Katie Novak

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.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Nonfiction, Professional Development

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2022

Reviews

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Marie Grenon]

all about UDL!
•What is it that learners need to learn?
•What are some options/choices to get there.

Firm goals, flexible means.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Liz Lob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and found the techniques and tips to be practical and easy to apply. The authors do a great job showing how even small changes can make a big impact. I especially appreciated how the strategies help create a more student-centered classroom where kids are given real voice and ownership in their learning. It made me think differently about how I structure my lessons and the ways I can let students take the lead. Overall, it's a valuable resource that makes the idea of student-led learning feel both realistic and exciting.

[Neil Krasnoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mrs. McCormick Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sara Tripp · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Ayn Nys · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I think the format would make for a great year-long PD Experience for teachers. The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that I felt that I wasn’t compelled to keep reading. I think that’s simply because reading about the specific workflow shifts read more like an instruction manual. However, the first half of each chapter was a powerful read that I highlighted a lot of.

[Rita Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m excited to share this book with our leadership teams - it directly supports the learning we are doing with our full school read - Lets Stop Teaching and Start Designing Learning by Jason Kennedy.

Thank you Dr. Tucker and Dr. Novak for providing hands-on try now ideas to support the shifts in thinking.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[MaryAlice · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great "beach read" for me back in July.

It offers practical tips to engaging students with learning and saving teachers time "creating it all." It's a great book that should be referred to again and again!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Monica S · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jessica Gebauer]

Devyn

[Morgan Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually really helpful & useful classroom practices!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Dave Stagnitta · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Krysta Zadroga · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super practical, and thoughtful without having too much fluff. Ideal summer book for experienced teacher.

[Jade Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical strategies to shift accountability and responsibility of learning so it’s more balanced between teacher and students. Loved it!

[Amy Vargus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical. Doable. Love the templates

[Jon McClintick · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Reader]

This book gave great ideas on how to give students more choice and reflection in their learning. I am definitely planning on incorporating some of the ideas into my lessons.

[Mackenzie Turrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shift To Student-Led

It was a no brainer for me to pick up Catlin Tucker and Katie Novak’s book, The Shift To Student-Led. I just finished their book about utilizing A.I. in the classroom so this felt like a natural choice.
“What do you think?” “Where can you find the answer?” “Ask three before me!” These are statements I put in my toolbox as a young kindergarten teacher. I’m not sure how or where I learned them, but I absorbed the idea of wanting to empower my students in the very beginning of my career. However, the way that our profession is set up in the very essence of what we see and do doesn’t foster student choice, agency or questions. We can very easily slip into “I do, I do, I do, here’s your learning, ME!” So, the call to hand the responsibility of learning back to students in this book was a welcome reminder. Novak and Tucker take their readers by their hand and empathize with them and then gently show them all of the things they can and should take off of their shoulders. Depending on how long you’ve been a teacher, these changes feel risky (as change normally does when your comfort zone is so cozy). But, by the end of the book, even the most traditional person can be enticed to see what can be possible if we hand the cognitive load over to our students, no matter what age they are.
As a loyal Starbucks fan, the most convincing argument of why we MUST change our delivery method of teaching came when the authors reminded us of how much agency and choice we have in the modern world, more specifically, the coffee game. Our students can order a drink to their specifications down to the amount of sprinkles and then they come in to our class and we hand them each black coffee. By even just changing the way they can consume the information and then produce how they show their learning, we can make a big change. And in this change, we gain so much buy in from our learners. I myself feel my anxiety go down in a PD when I can choose if I want to read an article or listen to a podcast. It communicates that we are all different and our learning can be a menu of options. Even today in this course I made an infographic/doodle and I couldn’t wait to do it.
After Novak and Tucker convince their readers of the need to give more agency and empowerment to students, there are chapters of very real ways to implement small and big changes in the classroom. As a person who struggles with structure and details this is where I am stuck. But every word in here reminds me that I can do it. And any small change will produce the most positive results.
The biggest takeaway from this book is that students need to see that learning (and learning how to be a learner) is their responsibility. We are not here to spoon-feed but to rather build the buffet with many different items and lead students to the table. I look forward to the times where I am sitting down for once, watching the hardest work in my classroom being done by students