Who Runs Choice Board Planet?
It all started with a Choice (pun intended)
Hey there!
My name is Megan and I pretty much run the show over here at Choice Board Planet — with the help of JJ Reynolds (my husband
).
My education journey really began in my late teens when I attended university for Elementary Education.
I fell in love with the joys of teaching, but more importantly the love of seeing kids progress every day.
Let’s be clear, I am not a traditional elementary teacher. I DO NOT LIKE PRIMARY COLORS and you will find my kids sitting on chairs, bouncy balls, around desks, and on mats.
But you will find me giving unique brain-building projects and choices that help my students declare independence!
In 2016 I headed to Fiji to teach:
I taught on a small island with fewer than 1000 inhabitants. The island itself was about one-mile in circumference.
I thought there for the entire school year. It was one of my most developmental years.
I had to:
- Teach students who did not know English.
- Teach English as a second language.
- Navigate the family politics of a small island .
- I was trying to keep kids engaged who had a beach less than 100 yards from the classroom door.
Also, sometimes I didn’t even have a classroom and thought under a tree!
Why Choice Matters:
Formal school came out of the industrial revolution’s need for line worker (aka, people who did not think, just did. Students needed to learn to do what they were told and nothing more and nothing less. Well…….. the world has changed 
.
Today, the workforce is comprised of thinkers and movers. No longer is it ok to just do what you are told. You now need to think “why am i doing this” and “is this the best use of my time”. I wont get into the deep philosophy of school here, but needless to say, school needs to be different.
Life has unlimited choices. The sooner you can learn that, the sooner you can adapt.
After scouring the internet, I can not find who made the first Choice Board, I’m assuming it was some mom who discovered it, but most likely some man took credit.
But, Choice Boards embody the future of education. Students need to understand choice.
You can do X or Y, which do you want to do?
or
You can do X & Y, what do you want to do first?
Now take that and multiply it by a factor of 9. Most of my choice boards have 9 choices, either to do in order or select a number of.
This helps students understand (1) you are in control (2) you can not have everything (3) options are limitless.
Also, the teacher or parent can define the outcome 🙂
For example:
Do you want to wash the dishes or pick up your toys first? That is a win-win for everyone.
Have A Question?
If you have a question about Choice Boards or unique situation, first search the blog.
If nothing comes up there feel free to reach out to me directly, I’m always happy to help those looking to better our future generations with Choice Boards
