PLF Reflections

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Three Tips: Student Voice & Agency

We say we want students to have voice. But too often, what we’re really offering is a carefully controlled version of it—a quick check-in here, a choice between two pre-set options there. Real voice and agency aren’t about a moment or a task. They’re about creating a culture where students trust that what they think, feel, and say has influence.

Because when students don’t believe their voice matters, they stop using it. And when they stop using it, we lose not only their engagement, but their sense of purpose in the learning process.

Here are three ways to help students step into their voice and learn to use it with confidence.

Tip One: Ask questions that don’t have an answer key.
One of the quickest ways to show students we value their voice is to ask questions we don’t already know the answer to.

“What’s something in school that doesn’t make sense to you?”
“What’s something you’d change about how we do things in here?”
“What’s a strength you have that we haven’t seen yet?”

These aren’t questions for compliance. They’re invitations. Not every student will jump in right away, but over time, the message becomes clear: your insight isn’t just welcome, it’s needed.

Resource: This Student Voice Toolkit by SoundOut includes strategies to gather and actually use student feedback in meaningful ways.

Tip Two: Let students be the architects sometimes.
Agency isn’t about giving up structure. It’s about giving students the chance to shape how learning happens.

Ask them:
“How would you show what you’ve learned?”
“What do you need more time with?”
“Could we design this assignment together?”

These small shifts lead to powerful changes. When students help design their learning, they begin to take ownership of it.

Resource: The Agency by Design framework is full of ideas for cultivating student agency through inquiry, reflection, and creative exploration.

Tip Three: Make reflection a habit, not a one-time thing
Reflection isn’t just about looking back. It’s a way to help students recognize how they learn, what they care about, and where they want to grow.

Try ending the week with prompts like:

• “What felt meaningful this week?”

• “Where did you feel most curious?”

• “What’s something you want to explore next?”

The more we make space for reflection, the more students trust their own learning process. And that trust is the foundation of agency.

Resource: Download this Learner-Centered Reflection Tool to help students make sense of their growth and goals. Read the entire post about the reflection tool here.

Student voice isn’t a classroom strategy. It’s a shift in how we see learners. It’s the difference between asking students to participate and inviting them to shape what participation looks like. When we nurture agency, we stop asking students to adapt to learning. We start asking learning to adapt to them.

Want more tools for fostering student voice? EduMatch is here with resources, trainings, and a community of educators walking the same path.

Two Resources to Support You!

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We are proud to be one of only 42 organizations worldwide to meet the rigorous criteria for this specialization.

If you're searching for trusted experts in Google for Education, you’ll find us listed in the official Google for Education Partner Directory. We’re actively scheduling professional learning opportunities, and we’d love to support your district. Let us know how we can partner with you!