Balancing Freedom and Guidance with 'Yes' Spaces in STEM Classrooms

Katie Ansell (Physics) Many instructors face the challenge of wanting to support student agency and creativity while having to teach established procedures in their fields. While it's safer and faster to just tell students what to do, this doesn't help them develop critical thinking or resilience. This session highlights a simple but effective way to turn the classroom into a 'yes' space, and evidence of the impact this has had in introductory Physics labs and lectures.