Starting the Year Strong: Student Voice and Choice in the Classroom
The beginning of a new school year is a fresh start for students and for us as educators. It’s a time filled with possibility, curiosity, and the opportunity to set the tone for months to come.
Our students walk in with their own mix of excitement, nerves, and questions:
Will I like this class? Will my teacher like me? Will I fit in?
As teachers, we have the chance to meet that curiosity with connection, helping students feel welcome, valued, and excited to learn. One of the most powerful ways to do that from day one is by weaving student voice and choice into the classroom environment.
Voice and Choice: More Than “Letting Students Run the Show”
Sometimes “voice and choice” gets misunderstood as turning all decisions over to students which can feel risky or even chaotic. But in reality, it’s not about giving away control. It’s about sharing ownership.
When students are invited to help shape the classroom, they’re not just participating in setup — they’re learning how to make decisions, consider the needs of others, and take responsibility for the space they share. And the payoff is big: students who feel heard are more engaged, more respectful, and far less likely to act out.
How I Built Student Ownership from Day One
With school starting, this is the perfect time to give students some choice in shaping their learning environment. Rules and procedures should have student input. When students help create the expectations, they are far more likely to follow them.
Early in the year, I guided my students in conversations about how they learn best, what they need from me as their teacher, and what they need from their classmates. We talked about what kinds of lessons or assignments they enjoyed most and what tended to distract them. I usually began with small roundtable discussions and then had the groups report back to the whole class. From these conversations, students developed the necessary rules, expectations, and procedures, with me guiding the discussion to ensure they were realistic.
Of course, there were always suggestions like “No math on Friday” or “Recess all day.” We would explore how fun those ideas might sound, but also talk through the impact on learning and the logistics such as what the other classes would do if my students stayed in the room all day for recess. When students get to talk about the whole picture and how it affects others, they become more aware of why rules, expectations, and procedures are needed.
Building Responsibility Through Seating Choices
Another key area for voice and choice was seating arrangements. I rarely assigned seats unless a student gave me a reason to. We began by discussing what “accountability for my own learning” really meant. We often hear “Kids just aren’t accountable,” but students have to be taught and practice what accountability means. We talked all year about this topic. I explained that they can’t wait or expect parents and teachers to make decisions about how they learn best.
We explored whether they learned best in the front, middle, or back of the room; whether sitting by a friend helped them focus or distracted them; whether a door or window pulled their attention away; and whether vision, hearing, or even being left-handed affected their learning.
Students could choose their seats, but I retained the right to change them if necessary. Once chosen, that seat was theirs for the grading period. I reminded them that in real life, we can’t just leave a workspace because a colleague hurt our feelings. Learning to work through challenges is part of growing. This is about learning how to interact in society. Students made a choice, and I honored that choice.
Because my students always sat at round tables in groups, they had to be able to collaborate with everyone. Every six weeks, they chose new seats with at least two new group members to build connections. If a group struggled, I met with them privately and gave them a chance to correct the problem themselves and often, they did. This built accountability, responsibility, and problem-solving skills. When I did have to intervene, we discussed how their behavior affected not just their own group but other groups who had to move as well.
This approach was especially helpful for students with IEPs or 504 accommodations, as it taught them to advocate for themselves rather than waiting for an adult to step in—building independence and resilience.
Giving Students Choices in Assignments
Voice and choice also extended to assignments, though not for every assignment. As teachers, we know certain assignments are necessary for students to grasp a specific skill. Students don’t get to pick every type of assignment because I am still the educator responsible for guiding their learning. However, I found that by offering opportunities for choice during each grading period, students were less likely to complain about the ones they didn’t choose, because they still had space to use their own creativity. It’s a balance: in real life, I often have to do what my boss asks—if they request a spreadsheet, I can’t hand them a skit instead. Life is about choices, but we don’t always get to be the one making them.
In discussions, students shared the types of assignments they preferred, and I tried to incorporate those at various points. At the end of a unit, I often let them choose how to show what they had learned — whether through a PowerPoint, skit, report, poster, game, or another format — within the parameters I set.
Every grading period, students completed a “History of…” project, choosing any topic they wanted. They worked within a rubric but had complete freedom in their research and presentation. They could work alone, in pairs, or in groups — but over the course of the year, they had to experience all three formats, because in real life, we don’t always get to choose.
The Bigger Picture
Student voice and choice is about more than where desks go or who sharpens pencils. It’s about cultivating a classroom where students feel they belong and where they learn that their thoughts and contributions matter.
When we start the year with collaboration instead of control, we set the stage for a year of deeper engagement, stronger relationships, and far fewer power struggles.
The truth is simple: when students help create the environment, they work harder to protect it. And that’s a win for everyone.
In the end, it’s not just about being “good” at math or any other subject. It’s about learning how to make decisions, work with others, take responsibility, and become a successful, contributing member of society.
