Structured, Teacher-Led Learning for Individual Students
The Dependent Learner Zone is where students learn how to learn. They are like student drivers sitting in the passenger seat—watching, listening, and practicing under the teacher’s close supervision.
The teacher is modeling the process, setting expectations, and ensuring students understand the "rules of the road" before they take more control over their learning.
This zone focuses on:
Building foundational learning habits through guided practice.
Providing clear expectations and structured routines.
Ensuring students feel supported as they prepare for greater independence.
Rather than expecting students to take control too soon, this phase ensures they know how to navigate the learning process before transitioning to more autonomy.
Just like a student driver learning step by step, students in this zone follow structured learning routines with the teacher leading the way.
Refinement: The teacher selects and prioritizes Learning Backlog Items (LBIs).
Planning: The teacher defines the Sprint goal and breaks work into smaller, manageable tasks.
Check-In: The teacher leads discussions on progress, helping students stay on track.
Review: The teacher assesses student work, giving direct feedback and next steps.
Retrospective: The teacher leads reflection, reinforcing what students did well and areas for improvement.
Each step ensures students develop the skills, habits, and confidence to eventually take the driver's seat in their own learning journey.
✅ Benefits:
Provides a predictable and structured learning environment.
Helps students build confidence before transitioning to more autonomy.
Supports students who need extra guidance before they can manage their own learning.
⚠️ Challenges:
Students have limited opportunities for choice in their learning.
May not fully engage students who are ready for more independence.
Requires intentional planning to ensure students can eventually move toward greater autonomy. It is easy to get stuck in this zone and not use it as a scaffolding to higher choice and collaboration.
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Leads the learning process and sets the structure.
Provides explicit instruction and models expectations.
Closely monitors student progress and adjusts as needed.
Follows teacher instructions and structured tasks.
Develops foundational skills needed for future independence.
Engages in guided learning activities with teacher support.
The goal is to help students gradually take on more responsibility for their learning. Depending on whether they need more collaboration, more choice, or both, they may transition into Zone 2: Cooperative Group or Zone 3: Independent Learner.
Teachers can support this transition by:
Increasing collaboration—introducing structured teamwork so students begin working with peers (leading toward Zone 2).
Increasing choice—allowing students to take more responsibility for their learning while still working individually (leading toward Zone 3).
Encouraging reflection—helping students assess their progress and learning strategies to determine their readiness for more autonomy.
Where Students May Transition Next
If students need more collaboration but still require teacher direction, they move to Zone 2: Cooperative Group.
If students are ready for more independence but prefer to work individually, they move to Zone 3: Independent Learner.
If students need continued structured support, they remain in Zone 1 but gradually take on more choice and collaboration.
By adjusting collaboration and choice, teachers can help students transition at the right pace while maintaining the structure they need to succeed.
Learning Zones are designed to scaffold student agency and collaboration, ensuring that students develop the skills they need at the right pace.
Students in Zone 1: Dependent Learner are at the starting point, but as they grow, they can move into different zones that balance teacher guidance, choice, and collaboration in new ways.
Want to see how all the Learning Zones connect?
Explore the Learning Zones Overview
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The Agile Classroom Framework helps students develop self-direction, collaboration, and adaptability through a structured approach to learning. Click on each element below to learn how it supports student growth.
Making the Learning Process and Progress Visible to All
An iterative learning cycle composed of 5 self-directed learning routines.
Scaffolding competencies to work with groups.
Scaffolding student autonomy
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