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.

Digital Learn Day '14

As Digital Learn Day of 2014 has come and gone, I can't help but reflect on all of the amazing digital learning opportunities that students had within our school.  From coding, blogging, and Google Docs to creating videos and avatars, our students were blessed with a plethora of opportunities to learn how technology can be incorporated into their school day. One can only hope our teachers recognized the power of technology.

The highlight of the day, for me personally, was opening up my Flipped Classroom to others to share how we Differentiate Mathematics through Flipped Learning. In attendance was an amazing group of teachers, a principal, a commissioner of CESA, a school board member, and a parent. Their intrigue with Flipped Classrooms and our ability to meet the needs of all students amazed them.

We started out our morning with a short presentation on why I chose to Flip my math classes, and what it now looks like in my classroom. Much intrigue centered around our TWIRL Group Discussions and Challenge Problems. The participants were eager to see this in action...I could only hope our students wouldn't disappoint. (Check out the Prezi - Click Here)

As we entered our classroom, students were well prepared for our guests. A lively discussion about the video lesson was taking place amongst the students, and I chimed in my two cents to help explore "Angles of Polygons" and why the formula uses 180. To my surprise, students were eager to volunteer and didn't shy away because of the 'strangers' in the room.

As students transitioned to their group challenge problem, the open house participants were blown away by how much mathematical conversation was actually taking place. I cannot boast enough about how well the students handled the pressure and worked together to solve two challenge problems. Students even managed to snap pictures and email their work to me via our iPads.  One participant even stated through her Twitter account, "Great classroom visit today with @CliffGoodacre in a flipped math class. It's refreshing to see how engaged 8th graders can be in geometry!" Talk about a great compliment for our students.

Upon finishing our class visit, four of our students agreed to join us in our meeting room for a student panel. While I knew these students were nervous, they handled themselves very well, answering each question with poise and honesty. As their teacher, even I learned a little bit more about them as students and their apprehensions about a Flipped Classroom.

Yet, for me, there has been a great deal of reflecting through this open house and the questions participants generated for me. High on my list is the transition to High School math for our students. Does the Flipped Class in 8th grade help or hinder their growth if they go back to a traditional class in high school? This is a deep conversation that I need to have with our High School Math Department.

Likewise, I also need to start collecting data - both student achievement data and student/parent feedback data.  Both pieces of information can be critical to the direction my class continues to take!

In conclusion, my Digital Learning Day experience was filled with great pride and joy in sharing what my Flipped Class has become and how we differentiate our learning to help make it more personalized. I also take great pride in my life-long learning and am eager to answer some of the questions thrown my way to back up what I already know and see on a daily basis.

Remember, Mistakes are Proof You are Trying!

We Not Me - Ours Not Mine

Why is it that as teachers, we are sometimes the worst role models in the world? We cut to the front of the lunch line because we are limited on time. We chew gum because we drank coffee. We use our cell phone because... and the list goes on and on. Yet, we expect our students to follow the very rules we struggle to follow as adults.

This leads me to my philosophy of education and the drastic change that needs to occur.  These are OUR students, not mine, and is about what WE do as educators and schools, not ME as a teacher. I truly fear that as budgets have become tighter and communities urge school districts to operate more like a business, we are going to only further hinder education by creating a greater need to isolate as teachers. Not to mention the adoption of Teacher Effectiveness in Wisconsin and its close relationship to pay increase.  Are teachers really going to share what they do in fear that their colleague may become rated better and earn more?

One of the greatest attributes of my Flipped Classroom has been the collaboration and teamwork students have displayed to help each other understand video lessons and challenging questions. For one of the first times in my class, I feel I am adequately promoting the idea of looking out for others! And as I have continued to share my ideas here, through Technology Conferences, Twitter, and with colleagues, I feel I am not unique in saying that I truly care more about what OUR students learn than the paycheck I earn!

Let's face it...odds are we all got into education for generally the same reason, "To make a difference in the lives of students!" It should not matter if I teach students math, my colleagues Mr. Dagit and Ms. Rodig teaches students math, Mr. Booth in Elkhorn, WI teaches students math, or Mr. Johnson teaches students math in Canada. If I can share something with them as teachers that will help students grow, don't I have an obligation to help? Isn't that the greatest impact I can have as a teacher?

Keep fighting the good fight.  Always remember, "Mistakes are Proof that you are Trying!"

Flex Time in the Flipped Class

There is no such thing as FREE TIME in our Flipped Math Class (that would indicate a freedom to do whatever you want!) Rather, we use a philosophy called FLEX TIME - a time that is flexible to each individual student to choose an activity that will continue to build their math skills and knowledge. This Flex Time has been an ever growing and learning curve for both teachers and students.  We have slowly began to build our arsenal and offer students many more choices to become better at math.  We have found that by giving students more choice and freedom, their learning has become more authentic and meaningful. Below is a list of some of the activities we use during our Flex Time!

1) Sumdog.com - Sumdog is a web-based gaming site that helps students build on a wide variety of math skills from K - 6.  Create free accounts for students, enter them into contests by state, nation, and the globe.  Watch students have fun as they build their basic math skills.

2) Word Clouds - By using tagxedo.com or wordle.net, students have been developing word clouds for the chapter vocabulary.  Through these word clouds, students begin to notice what words are used the most and essential to the chapter content.  Tagxedo even offers unique word cloud layouts that students have really had a blast using. 

3) Challenge Problem Video - We encourage our students to use technology and video taping skills by recording themselves solving a challenge problem.  Often, they will use our Smart Board or white board to become the "teacher" and share the video with us.  Students have really started to take off with this idea, and some have even become using software to enhance their videos. Yet, other students have begun to explore the Educreations App for the iPad - which allows for some pretty cool video casting. 

4) Tic-Tac-Toe Tasks - This activity asks students to complete three activities from a Tic-Tac-Toe board that will create a "winner" when they've finished their three tasks.  We use many enrichment and textbook resources to have students take the current unit a little deeper.  The key to this Flex activity is offering student choice to control their own learning.

     * See our Ch. 5 Tic-Tac-Toe Tasks Sample - Click Here

5) Tutoring - During our Flex Time, some of our students have mastered a certain skill or objective and become tutors to peers that might be struggling.  We have only begun to explore this option, but feel there is a ton of potential in peer-to-peer tutoring, when done correctly.

6) Prezi.com - Students use Prezi to create a Unit Review presentation as a tool to review unit content.  Students will often capture pictures of their work, and upload them to their Prezi as examples of a specific skill.  The more students continue to use Prezi, the more they continue to explore and find to create some amazing presentations.  

7) Watching Video Lesson - Only about 60% of our student population has viable Internet options to watch our Video Lessons.  Therefore, we do encourage some of our students to use their Flex Time to view the next video lesson.  Because watching each video lesson is critical to our Collaborative TWIRL Groups, we really want to make sure each student has the ability to view the lesson.

While this list is not finite, these are the options we have given our students during their Flex Time.  While it creates more work for me us teachers to make sure we have everything prepared for each chapter, the benefits we have seen in our classes remind us that we are doing something right.  As we continue to provide more choices and options for our students, they continue to amaze us with their work ethic, learning, and responsibility for their own learning.  

As we continually remind our students, "Mistakes are proof that you are trying!" 

Empowering the Un-Motivated

Undoubtedly, every year teachers have their handful of students that seem less interested in their class and more interested in the opposite sex, the next big game, or when they get to home and chat. While most of these students have the skills necessary to be successful, they are highly unmotivated and struggle when pushed. As teachers, there is a delicate balance needed between pushing these students and empowering them in their classroom.

Enter the flipped class...my means of reaching the various needs of ALL our students. You see, the flip class puts less emphasis on the video lesson and more emphasis on the learning opportunities created within your classroom. Simply put, I value the time I have with students too much to lecture to them for 30 minutes. I want the time I have with them to be more productive and meaningful.

How do I empower the unmotivated you might wonder? It's a rather simple approach. First and foremost, I get to know them as an individual. I need to build trust and respect with them so they understand my intentions are genuine. I seek out their interest and hobbies, the methods they feel work best for their learning, and their struggles within my class and school.  This picture that they paint for me provides valuable information moving forward.

After I have build this trust, I am able to begin pushing them slowly to show me what they know and have learned.  In the flipped class, students are all at different places of learning.  Some are experts, while others are only beginners. My ability to differentiate between these students is critical to empowering them to push themselves.  Frequently, I offer enrichment activities to students that have shown they have mastered a skill.

Many of these enrichment activities take a skill learned and dig a little deeper.  Group work is often involved and students like to see how a topic might be related to something in 'real-life'. I am also able to tailor some of these enrichment activities to student interest - hence I can reach the unmotivated rather easily.  Students enjoy their FLEX time in my class and the ability to work on something that interests them and they enjoy.

Meanwhile, I am able to meet with those struggling learners and provide them a bit more attention to help them overcome an obstacle they have encountered.  If an unmotivated learners fails into this category, I can again fall back on the relationship I have built with them to help them see where they can go. These small-group, guided instruction opportunities have proved very valuable to many unmotivated learners and they begin to realize they are capable of far more than they give themselves credit for.

I cannot speak for every teacher, but I can speak for myself.  I know I got into teaching to make a difference in the lives of as many students as possible. My flipped class experience has truly helped me maximize the students I can reach and enable ALL students the opportunity to learn and grow in math as they are ready.  Creating more face-to-face time with students has been critical in empowering all students to want to become better at math!

"If you aren't making mistakes....then you aren't trying!"

Saying Goodbye

As the Holiday Season is upon us, our school district must unfortunately say good bye to a young teenager that unexpectedly passed away.  While saying good bye is never easy, it becomes especially difficult for any teen to process how their friend is no longer with us.  As a teacher, I cannot imagine the pain and suffering the family and friends are going through. While I can't even come close to having the right words, I know that my role is to be there for them or as simple as an ear to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. Normalcy - whatever that may be - will be tried to be conducted in every class. Undoubtedly, some classes will be easier than others, yet some a struggle to not see that bright smile and hear that laughter.  And as I reflect on my time with this student, their amazing character and joy for others will be truly missed.  As I struggled with words for this time, I decided to write a poem that I only hope can help others in this time of struggle.

Saying goodbye
Can bring such sorrow.
We can only hope
It will get better tomorrow.

Why the Good Lord took her
We will never know.
It's perfectly okay
To let your emotions show.

An amazing student
And even better friend.
It is so sad
Her story had to end.

As we sit here
To say our good byes.
Hug the ones that love you
Before the time flies.

For she is home now
And as a bell rings.
God has given his angel
Her first pair of wings.


Perhaps we should not say Good-Bye.....rather, "Until We Meet Again!"

Learning from our Mistakes

"Mistakes are proof that you are trying!" - a quote on the front of the wall in my class!

When did students become so afraid of making a mistake? Has our current education system and standardized testing policies forced students to be less creative and lack critical thinking and problem solving skills? In a world that is evolving and advancing quickly - our students are going to be left behind in a dust storm that engulfs them. 

As I have reflected on my teaching and instructional practice, I have found that I am slowly beginning to transition to exploratory learning. Students need to be cut loose and explore problems on their own, develop their own understanding, and share their ideas with others.  Right or wrong, these are the skills that today's students are going to be asked to display in the work force of the future.

One of our favorite class activities has become "Passing the Problem". This activity asks students to explain how they would solve a given problem on their slip of paper.  They only have a short amount of time to come up with a possible solution and explanation. They staple their answer to the back, and then pass the problem to the next person.  When they get the next problem, they ARE NOT allowed to look at any of the previous solutions.  Students should create their own solution and process.  After about 4-5 problems, students then switch problems one more time. However, this time they look at all the possible solutions and choose one that they think would best solve the problem or is most clear.  We then share our problem and solution with small group and the class.

This activity is usually done between chapters as we are trying to transition from one unit to the next.  The amount of Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Mistakes that occur are invaluable to student growth. Illustrating that having the correct answer isn't always important has helped students grow in math. They have become more willing to try and explore before complaining about not understanding. I can only hope this will help them in the world that awaits their future!