Trinity School of Midland Market Share Analysis for May 2026

During our workshops before school started, Trinity faculty were asked, “What percentage of student learning are you responsible for?” Responses varied with the ages of the children taught and the philosophies of individual teachers and ranged from a low of 35% to a high of 80%. Wherever we fell on the continuum, we all agreed that students have at least some degree of responsibility for their learning. There is a fundamental truth here. Teachers can teach their hearts out, pour every ounce of energy they have into their lessons, and plan engaging and rigorous learning activities, and students still might not learn. The lack of learning could be attributed to a learning difference, emotional distress, or some other challenge. Sometimes, though, students do not realize that they are in charge of their learning. In other words, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”Though the idea that students own the learning is relatively new, it is taking root in pedagogical practice. Back in the twentieth century, when I was in school and when I started teaching, learning was considered a knowledge transfer. Students went to school without knowledge, listened to the teacher, and then left knowing what the teacher knew. To use an apt cliché, the teacher was “the sage on the stage,” and students were there to receive whatever knowledge was offered. Even in this model, however, students bore some responsibility for their learning. They had to be good note takers, listeners, readers, and memorizers to be successful. However, content knowledge was the goal, and students were supposed to learn what teachers wanted them to know.With our increased understanding about how the brain works, new challenges in our world, and a different generation of students and parents, school is changing. Content knowledge is still important, but it alone is no longer the desired result. Rather, students first need to learn the material