“Teacher, Today Is Tuesday!”
“Teacher, today is Tuesday!”
I looked up, slightly puzzled.
“Yes… it is,” I replied.
“But Teacher, it’s IXL and Level Up day!”
And there it was – a small sentence that told me something much bigger had happened in our classroom.
In the beginning, learning often needed a little push. “Please finish your practice.” “Remember to complete your assignments.” “Have you checked what you need to do today?” As teachers, we sometimes become professional reminder-givers!
But gradually, something changed.
The children began to take ownership of their learning.
This journey became even more meaningful when we explored the idea of responsibility during our Empathy Circle. The children shared what responsibility meant to them and spoke about the things they were responsible for at school and at home. They began to understand that responsibility is not simply about following instructions; it is about making choices, keeping commitments, and taking pride in what we do.
We began to see this understanding come alive in our classroom.
Children started remembering what needed to be done, asking questions when they needed help, checking their progress, and taking greater pride in completing their work. What once needed a reminder slowly became a habit.
Level Up was not simply about earning the next badge. It was about becoming a little better at our reading skills than we were the day before.
For some children, levelling up meant solving a difficult problem independently. For another, it meant reading more confidently. For someone else, it meant raising a hand and sharing an idea. Sometimes, it simply meant trying again after getting an answer wrong.
The IXL leaderboard added a spark of friendly competition. Suddenly, children were excited to see their names move up, improve their scores, and celebrate their progress. The leaderboard became less about “Who is number one?” and more about “How can I improve?”
“I was almost there!”
“Next time I will do better!”
These simple words reflected a bigger change. The children were no longer waiting for the teacher to tell them what to do. They were beginning to ask themselves, “What can I do next?”
And that question is powerful.
Because the goal of education is not to create children who always wait for instructions. It is to nurture learners who can think, choose, try, reflect, and keep moving forward.
Taking responsibility does not mean doing everything alone. It means knowing that my learning belongs to me. My effort matters. My mistakes can teach me. My progress is worth celebrating.
The teacher remains the guide, the encourager and, sometimes, of course, the friendly reminder! But the responsibility slowly shifts from “Teacher told me to do it” to “I know what I need to do.” That is a real Level Up.
Perhaps the most rewarding moment is when children begin reminding us about their learning instead of us reminding them.
From the Empathy Circle to everyday classroom routines, the children are discovering that responsibility is not something we simply talk about. It is something we practise.
And perhaps that is what meaningful learning looks like.
-Tara Shraff
