30. Creating Student-Centered Learning Spaces with Loren Demeroutis

When evaluating the success of our students, what we’re really evaluating is the failures of our approach. Students who don’t feel valued and engaged won’t succeed and as educational leaders we are responsible for creating an environment our students can thrive in.

It’s not about changing who we are serving, it’s about changing how we are serving them.

Loren Demeroutis, of Big Picture Learning, joins us on Education Evolution today to discuss how we can take a more student-centered learning approach in order to drive higher interest and engagement within our educational environments. By creating a student-centered learning environment, we close the achievement gap and create spaces where students feel safe, heard, valued, and engaged.

About Loren Demeroutis:
Loren Demeroutis is an experienced administrator, educator, and the director of Big Picture Learning, a system of schools that work hard to engage students and make learning authentic. He has a passion for interest-based learning that he uses in his mission to sustainably undo systems of oppression. To learn more about the work of Loren and BPL, visit their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also find Loren on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Jump Through the Conversation

[2:00] Big Picture Learning Vision
[3:18] BPL is leading on shifting from doing learning to…to for…to with our learners
[9:44 ] BPL students are seen and valued. Sound familiar?
[15:17] Schools building “wonder and awe”
[16:19] Activism by school working together for change as a “meshwork”
[19:56 ] Relationships are really love in action
[23:13] Loren’s Magic Wand: Give the wand to a young person and trust!
[25:45] Love is the opposite of hate
Links and Resources: https://educationevolution.org/30

Education Evolution