Art of Stepping In and Out

"I cannot control others. I can only control myself." I have that posted on a post-it note next to my desk.  This is a crucial reminder for me as a teacher trying to educate my students everyday because, in reality, I cannot control them or what they are thinking and valuing in my classroom. The best I can do is to set up the conditions, environment, and experiences in which they can learn for themselves. Today, I set up two dialogue circles with about 15 students in each circle. I prompted them to talk about several key questions that arise in 1984. It was difficult to distinguish the moments when my input and direction was needed and when it was better to step out. However, it seemed that the more I stepped out, the more opportunity there was for them to learn, but there were also moments when I needed to prop up a disoriented conversation. I believe that this is part of the art of teaching: knowing when, how, and if to add insight to a learning process to stimulate further learning, perhaps with a question or some slight guidance.