PP Strategy 1: Provide Choices
Research shows some classrooms are characterized by a rigid teacher-power orientation in which students must accept the teacher’s decisions without question and the focus is on control and order (Lunenburg & Schmidt, 1989). Such custodial orientations impact student self esteem, and negative attitudes toward teachers 
(Lunenburg & Stouten, 1983), and increase negative perceptions of school (Lunenburg & Schmidt, 1989). In these situations lack of power impacts student self-esteem and learning negatively. Teachers can effectively build more opportunities for student choice in their classroom culture, environment, and activities.
Unfortunately, as students move from elementary school into Middle School, the quality of their affective relationships with teachers decreases and students have fewer opportunities to make choices (Eccles et al., 1993; Hawkins & Berndt, 1985). Students develop a higher level of intrinsic motivation in schools that cultivate a relaxed atmosphere and where students have some input into decisions (Matthews, 1991). Having choices in what they do during the course of their school day can both empower and motivate students.
Examples of choices you may offer to your students:
- For language arts, place three pictures on the chalkboard and have students choose one to write about.
- Give students four different ways to study their spelling words or chapter terms.
- Make a math assignment that requires completing the odd-numbered or even-numbered problems.
- Detail what needs to be included in a social studies report, and allow students to choose the topics.
- Require a science project that must include one of three different areas.
- Give students two choices for how to make up work missed while absent.
- Let students make their picture out of red or green paper.
- Let students do a demonstration speech on a subject of their choice.
- Let students pick which essay question to answer on a test.
- Require that students mind map or outline a chapter.
- Ask students to read one of three articles and write a report.
- Require students to interview a person of their own choice.
- Allow cooperative groups to choose to do a skit, write a commercial, or create an advertisement to demonstrate their learning.
- Let each lab group decide which of three different experiments to perform.
- Ask students to choose which ten new vocabulary words to include in their papers.
Can you think of additional examples of choices for your grade level?
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