Learner Agency

Learner agency is a move away from teachers having complete control over the learning process to learners owning more of the process. Derek Wenmouth describes learner agency as having the power to act.
At Hornby this involves children being able to describe what they are learning and what stage/level they are at, for example, "I am at stage 5 for maths and my next step is to understand 2-place decimals." "I am reading at a 9-10 year level and I need to be able to read between the lines and gain a deeper understanding using the clues from the text."
Senior children are leading Learning Conferences and sharing their learning with parents/whanau. Children also have a large input into unit studies; they are able to select activities and choose how they would like to present their information and work.
Our role as teachers is to encourage agentic learning as the evidence clearly shows that when learners have control over their learning, not only are there increased levels of motivation and engagement, positive learning outcomes are more likely to occur.