Room For Improvement

As I reflect upon the past week of school, I can't help but think about one class in particular that seems to be falling further and further behind. Those of you that teach middle school or high school know exactly what I'm talking about. It's that one class you dread to teach each day, not because you don't like the students, rather because you know you know you can't possible help ALL the students in that class get to where they need to be.

While I could throw up a myriad of excuses, the most glaring reason is tied to student to teacher ratio. For me, this class happens to be my largest class of the day, AND it also happens to be the last period of the school day. And while I've tried mightily to connect with every student and encourage them to use their class time wisely, the reality is that I am still struggling to help those students that struggle.

In a 43 minute class period, one set of hands in this class is not enough. There is a huge disparity in this class between students that understand the content and want to be pushed versus those that either don't understand or are unmotivated to learn. Yet, as I've added enrichment activities to push the accelerated learners, I haven't found enough time to meet with those students that need help. Throw in the regular middle-school socialization and you've created a recipe for distraction!

As I continue to fine tune my version of the Flipped Classroom, I have become very curious in co-teaching. Imagine having two sets of eyes and hands in the classroom to be able to meet with students more regularly. I would imagine that having two teachers in the classroom would help differentiate and group students more easily. One teacher could focus all their attention on the low level learners or unmotivated learners and help guide them along the process.

While my concerns are not unique to me or to the flipped classroom, I know many of us a teachers have created unique solutions. The power of teaching is to share those ideas and help build others up. And so I ask for suggestions, ideas, or advice as I continue to move forward in education and look for ways to build treasure chest of hidden gems.