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dent choice does not mean that there their own” will be directed at supervi- embrace the new. Changing mindsets
are no rules; instead, teachers must sors and administrators. Classrooms is not enough, our teachers and stu-
create a classroom where students are going to be chaotic at times; while dents need additional support. School
have the freedom to operate under walking the halls you may see stu- leaders must immerse themselves in
carefully designed parameters. dents out of their classroom using cell the research and pedagogy behind
In order to support student choice, phones to create video, while other student choice in order to educate
school leaders must come to terms students in the classroom are working parents and students as to the “why”
with the idea that there will be rough on another pathway to demonstrate behind the shift. The school leader is
patches and that trial and error are a their knowledge. In order to sup- the ambassador of student choice; they
natural part of the process. Complaints port students and teachers through are responsible for creating a structure
such as “my teacher isn’t teaching” or this period of transition school lead- to educate stakeholders, and to create
“why do the students have to learn on ers must discard their notion of the a culture that embraces choice.
traditional look of the classroom and

References
Buffum, A., Mattos, M., and Weber, C. (2010). The Why behind RTI. Educational Leadership, 68(2).
Burkins, J. M., and Yaris, K. (2016). Who's Doing the Work?: How to Say Less So Your Readers Can Do More. Stenhouse
Publishers.
Swender, E., Conrad, D., and Vicars, R. (2012). ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012. Alexandria, VA: American Council for
the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Sulla, N. (2016). Students Taking Charge: Inside the Learner Active Technology Infused Classroom. New York, NY,
Routledge.

About the Authors

Dr. Brian Donahue proudly serves as principal of Colts Neck High School. He has been with the
Freehold Regional High School District for 20 years and served as social studies teacher, supervisor,
assistant principal, and principal. Connect with him @cnhsprincipal.

Stacey Noonan has been teaching for 21 years, 16 of those at Colts Neck High School where she
also serves as a professional learning coach and the induction specialist. She is a strong advocate for
student choice, and she uses it to create personalized learning experiences for her students. Connect
with her on twitter@snoonan44.

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Educational Viewpoints -78- Spring 2018