classroom community · collaboration · culture · leadership · learning · professional development · professional learning · professional learning community · professional learning network · school leaders · teacher leadership · Uncategorized

The Shift from Teaching to a Culture of Learning

teacherladykyLeave a comment

As educators, we talk all the time about creating a culture of learning in our classrooms.  We want to inspire our students to be intrinsically motivated to learn, but we often fail to model those expectations for them nor do we provide the classroom climate to provide space for it.  Creating a culture of learning requires that we put intentional thought behind the environments we create for learners of all kinds.

It’s clear from the absence of blog posts in the last two years on this page that my mind has been occupied elsewhere.  I took a chance in the summer of 2019 for a new job at a new school in a new district and ended up exactly where I was meant to be.  If you know anything about my journey up to that point, you know that it was not easy.  I’d always had a knack for dreaming big and stepping outside of my comfort zone in the classroom.  Being innovative and thinking outside the box are kind of my jam.  And I am and always have been a champion for students.  I believe that they can, and will, make our world a better place.

More than anything, I love to learn about how to be a better teacher, how to better serve our students, and how to collaborate better with my fellow teachers by listening to a good podcast or reading a book that challenged my practices.  In the past when I went to share my learning with others, I was usually on an island.  Every once in a while I’d find a willing colleague who’d say, “Why not? Let’s do it.” In my last year as a classroom teacher (2018-2019), that support was non-existent.  I struggled with burnout, frustration, workplace bullies, anxiety, depression, and more.

YOUR PLACE IS WAITING

When I took the leap and stepped into my new role in the summer of 2019, I had no idea what to expect other than I’d get to work with students and teachers, which is something that I’d been looking to do for a while.  What I found were my place and my people.

In my current role, I have the perfect blend of a classroom teacher and instructional coach.  While I spend two hours of my day teaching community-centered courses (where I implement a project-based learning approach aimed at transforming community), I spend the rest of my day supporting teachers and staff in pursuit of a true student-centered vision for learning.  I work in a community that values the power of people and the gifts they bring to the table and is actively working to elevate those gifts for the good of others.  However, I think my absolute favorite part of my “new’ position and the team that I work with is that we embody a true culture of learning.

A CULTURE OF LEARNING

As educators, we talk all the time about creating a culture of learning in our classrooms.  We want to inspire our students to be intrinsically motivated to learn, but we often fail to model those expectations for them nor do we provide the classroom climate to provide space for it.  The same is true for those in teaching roles and those in support roles, such as instructional coaches, as well as school and district leadership.  If we want students to develop a lifelong passion for learning, we have to show them what happens when we have one.  A learning culture hinges on two main dispositions: reflection and inquiry.

REFLECTION IS KEY TO A CULTURE OF LEARNING

First, we must be constantly reflecting upon our priorities, practices, and progress.  In schools, it’s easy to roll out an initiative at the beginning of the year and not touch it again until May.  Learning requires that we continuously reflect upon what is and what is not working.  As a first-year teacher, I kept a journal to reflect.  These days, most of my reflection happens in collaborative teams where I can share my ideas with others and get feedback.

Reflective Questions for Small Groups:

  1. What’s going well right now?
  2. What tensions do we feel?
  3. What’s one thing we can do tomorrow/next week/over the next month that will move us forward faster?
  4. What has been most helpful?  Least helpful?
DEVELOPING SUSTAINED INQUIRY

Secondly, we have to acquire a sense of curiosity and inquiry.  If we are not asking questions, we’re not growing.  At the beginning of the year, I developed a driving question that has guided my work throughout the year.  This question, which is “What does it mean to be a community?” is on my classroom website so it can be viewed by students and colleagues alike.  I am not going to lie to you and say that everything I’ve read or listened to this year has directly tied back to that driving question.  However, it has helped me develop a lens through which I’m consuming content.  The professional books and podcasts I’ve dug into this year have helped to contribute positively to the work my team and I are doing.

Ways to Develop Sustained Inquiry:

  1. Develop a driving question that guides your work.
  2. Get good at asking questions.  Ask them for yourself and those around you.
  3. Gather others to learn together.

THE CONNECTION

A missing piece between learning and reflecting is often creating.  We have to do something with what we learn so that we can reflect upon its impact in our classrooms and/or our lives.  Whether you are reading this as a fellow educator, an entrepreneur, or you just stumbled upon this post after a random sequence of events, you know of stagnant people.  There are those who, it seems no matter how hard they’re working, fail to make progress.  That’s because in between inquiry and reflection, there has to be a change or, what I call, creation.   When one of these three pieces is missing, it’s hard to make or see progression toward a goal.  This constant cycle of inquiry – creation – reflection – inquiry will ensure that we are committed to learning and growing as individuals, as organizations, and as a community as a whole.

I am so fortunate to be working in a place that really embraces a culture of learning from as small as the classroom environment to the broader community as a whole. My colleagues and I are actively working to create change and see an impact.  I’d love to hear more about your personal journey in being part of a culture of learning.  What made that environment powerful to you?  What are some other ways to build a culture of learning in our schools and organizations?

Curious about some of my older blog posts around classroom culture?  Check out this post about how I built classroom community or this one on my favorite hour of the week.

behavior management · classroom · classroom community · classroom management · collaboration · cultural competency · culturally responsive teaching · new teacher · Uncategorized

Leading Your Classroom Community on Love

teacherladyky2 Comments

Here’s the truth about me:  I run a classroom on love.

Here’s another truth about me:  I am a terrible teacher.

No really, I am.  If you were to walk into my classroom at any given moment, I cannot promise that you won’t see students up walking around, talking to their neighbors, making jokes, laughing, and sometimes yelling (hey, passion is loud).  The floor is probably messy, there are papers hanging out of desks, books are scattered all over the carpet, and there are half-finished posters hanging on the wall.  If you were to pass by us in the hallways, you may see students smiling at each other, laughing, and, I promise, we are not standing in a straight line facing in one direction.  There are probably shirts untucked, belts missing, and a couple of my students may be wearing a jacket with a logo on it.

It drives people crazy.  I know it does.

What Other People Think about a Classroom Community of Love

I see the looks of disapproval in the hallway and the stress on their faces when they walk into my room.  I see that uncomfortable look on their faces and for a second, my stomach drops.  I get nervous that I am not doing something correctly.  I quickly think about the student who’s crawling across the floor looking for the pencil and I snap at them to get to their seat immediately.

“We have to look presentable when others walk in.”

It’s what I immediately think.  I apologize to whoever walks in and tell them they walked in during a transition and that it doesn’t always look this crazy, but deep down, I know the truth.

My students know the truth too.  The visitors probably know the truth too and I am naively assuming they think I “have it all together.”

I don’t have it all together.  But my students and I, we’ve got it all, together.

That’s cheesy.  I realize that.   But I wholeheartedly mean that.

What My Students Think about a Classroom Community of Love

I came back to school on a Friday after being out for a conference.  In my mailbox, there was a stack of letters from my students that they had written for me for Teacher Appreciation week.  They said things like:

“I like my teacher because she’s fun.”

“My favorite thing about my teacher is she is always herself.”

“My teacher’s superpower would be creativity.”

“My favorite thing about my teacher is she always makes boring stuff to halfway decent stuff.”

“She gives you chances.”

‘My favorite thing about my teacher is that she’s funny.”

“My teacher’s superpower would be nerd power.”

“My favorite thing about my teacher is she lets us get on the Chromebook almost every day.”

“One thing I want my teacher to know is that I love her.”

I know some of you reading this are thinking:  What is wrong with her? They never do any work.  They spend all day having fun, playing on the computer, and folding paper planes.

Actually, no. Not really.  We do work.  We do a lot of work.  We do a lot of hard work.  But my students don’t think of that when they’re asked to reflect on their relationship with their teacher.  They don’t think of their relationship with me tied to work or learning.  Why is that?  Is it that they haven’t learned anything all year?  Is it because they aren’t working daily on improving who they are as readers, writers, mathematicians, and critical thinkers?

No… it’s because while they’re working on all of those “school” things, they are also working on becoming better friends, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters.  They are working on becoming kind, compassionate, creative, strong-willed, independent, self-reliant, and loving human beings.

They won’t remember that six-page reading assignment aligned to the Common Core standards that took them an hour to do in 10, 20, or 30 years.  But when they look back on their time with me, they will remember…

  • times during recess that they busted out laughing with their friends;
  • the puzzles and projects they worked on together;
  • the jokes that their teacher made to lighten the mood and wake them up in the morning; and
  • the fact that their teacher loved them.
Proof that I am, in fact, a mess.
What I Think about a Classroom Community of Love

I’m going off on a tangent here, so let me get back to my point.  My point is that I am a terrible teacher.   Let be super clear with you here:  I am a terrible teacher in the sense that I can’t always get my students to stand in a straight line and I haven’t figured out the best way to remind them to put their names on their papers.  I don’t always remember where I laid down the papers I was about to hand out five seconds ago.  I trip over my words, I make mistakes when teaching math, I sometimes let my students work on busy work while I sit at my desk for a few minutes and take a breather.

However, those moments are rare because I hate pushing students to be compliant for the sake of being compliant.  So, to outsiders, it might look like my class is out of control and all over the place.  In fact, in talking to a parent the other day, my principal referred to my classroom management style as laissez-faire and I took it as a compliment (and I think that’s the way he meant it) until I looked up the actual definition.

LAISSEZ FAIRE:  a policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering

In truth, if my classroom was run in a true laissez-faire manner, it would look the scene from Lord of the Flies where there is a pig’s head on a stake and blood all over the place.  The real truth is that my classroom environment is not the result of accidental neglect, but rather months and months of intentionality.

The Intention Behind a Classroom Community of Love

You see, every year, while I’m building classroom routines and expectations, signing classroom constitutions, and trying to review with my students how to subtract with regrouping, I’m also working on several little things that I didn’t even realize were a part of my classroom management plan until, well, this week, when I felt like someone brought them into question.  These things, I’ve realized recently, are what keep my classroom functioning through the chaos.  Even though we have a classroom set of rules designed by students that focus on responsibility, respect, and safety, I have two additional unspoken rules for myself that guide me through the year.

Love them first and always.

and

Make things fun.

Love Them First and Always

My first unspoken rule is to love them first and always.  On the first day of school, as my students are leaving the classroom, I tell them, individually: “I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow!”  Most of them are taken aback at first because they’ve never heard a teacher say I love you to their face.  And, truth be told, it feels a little forced on that first day for me too.  But it sets the tone.  It tells them that I love them, unconditionally, JUST BECAUSE they are in my class.  I love them, even though I don’t really know them, and that they don’t have to earn my love, they already have it.

Then, I say it every day after that and I show them that I love them through my actions by caring about their problems, working with them to find solutions, treating them with respect, and listening to them.  It sounds woo-woo, but it works.  When students realize that you love them, even when they act unpleasant, even when they forget their homework, even when they make a mistake, a strange and wonderful thing happens:  they develop a love for you too.

A lot of teachers will say that their classroom runs on respect, but I caution you to consider that respect will only get you so far.  You may respect your boss, but you’re not going over a bridge with them.  People will literally do anything for someone they love.  (Disclaimer:  I AM NOT ASKING MY STUDENTS GO OVER A BRIDGE WITH ME.) Those tough kids, they need your love most of all, and once they understand that you’re not going to take it away because you’re not “feeling it” today, they will work for you.  I promise.  I’ve seen it over and over and over again.

Make Things Fun

My second unspoken rule is to make things fun.  I literally cannot stand even the most mundane tasks (must be the Aries in me), but it is so much harder watching someone else do mundane tasks just for the sake of doing them.  Every day, I try to add a little something-something to the classroom to make it more fun.

Sometimes, it’s playing a game as part of a lesson or working with partners or sitting wherever they want for a half hour.  Sometimes, it’s cracking a joke in the middle of class or busting out a dance break.  Sometimes, it’s a fully-designed flipped lesson on the Chromebooks, which they love and takes most of the work off of me.  Whatever it is, I try to make sure that there is something joyful in every day so that they can remember that fun thing they did today with Mrs. Woods, even if it has nothing to do with the actual work they did.

I am a terrible teacher, in that my room is always a little messy and I may not return graded papers in a timely manner.  But, I am also a good teacher.  I love my students and we have fun together, all while working and learning and growing and being better versions of ourselves.  My classroom isn’t run in a laissez-faire manner, it’s run on LOVE and JOY and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reader, as you’re reflecting on your own classroom management style and your interactions with your students, I challenge you to think about unspoken rules that you have in your classroom.  Are there underlying themes that help your classroom run?  What would they be?  Please share them in the comments below – I look forward to reading all about them!

classroom · classroom community · education · Uncategorized

How I Build Relationships with My Students in Just One Hour

teacherladykyLeave a comment
My absolute favorite part about being a teacher is the relationships that I get to build with my students.  Strong relationships are something that I pride myself on as a teacher and I am constantly working on building those relationships.  At my previous school, it was super easy to build those relationships.  I lived and worked in the same neighborhood, so volunteering after school was an activity that I did often and I was able to spend tons of quality time with my students (and coworkers) outside of the school day.  In addition, I saw my students out of the school building all the time.  I would run into them at the grocery store, parks, and restaurants and I absolutely LOVED hearing my name being yelled when I was out somewhere.

 

Since I moved schools and I live almost a half hour from my current school, building relationships with my students and their families have been more difficult.  In fact, it has made teaching almost unbearable, though I’ve made a strong effort to change that this year.  The first step that I took was moving from teaching third grade to fifth grade.  I knew that I would have many of the same students for a second round, so I was ecstatic to make the jump and continue building those relationships that we started in third grade.  That move was only the tip of the iceberg, however.

 

At the beginning of the school year, I told my students about how my husband and I enjoy playing table-top role-playing games (RPGs) like Dungeons and Dragons.  While some of them laughed at my nerdy-ness, more of them were intrigued about what roleplaying games were and how you play them.  I’m not going to lie, I indulged them every question because I absolutely LOVE talking about it!  Soon after, they started begging me to teach them how to play during our short 20-minute recess block.

 

If you know anything about table-top RPGs, you know it is impossible to play during a 20 minute period, so I recruited my husband we started an after-school RPG club for 4th and 5th-grade students at my school.  We spend an hour a week playing a watered down version of the Pathfinder game.  We use a simplified character sheet that I found online and spent a couple of sessions introducing races and classes, as well as building characters before we split the 24 kids into two groups to start campaigning.

 

One hour a week has made all the difference.  For the last 4 months, I have been spending time with my students – inside and outside of the school day – discussing and playing a game that we both love.  I get to use my creative juices as the game master (which I’d never done before!) and my students get to build their critical thinking, imagination, and teamwork skills.  It has changed the way that I interact with my students the classroom, it has changed my enthusiasm for going to work, and it’s given my husband a chance to feel connected to my work as a teacher and spend time with the students I can’t stop talking about.  It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

 

Maybe table-top RPGs are not your jam and, maybe, you struggle to find the time to volunteer after school, but I challenge you with this:  Find something that you and your students can connect through.  Maybe it’s an afterschool art club or board game club.  Maybe you want to have a short before school coffee chat (with hot chocolate for the kiddos, of course!) or a writing club. Find something that creates a true, genuine connection and builds lasting relationships with your students, so that when they look back on their time with you, they remember how much they enjoyed being with you.

 

education · job interview

Finding the Perfect Job For You

teacherladykyLeave a comment

I went on a job interview last month and, while I was super excited about the prospect, as soon as the interview began, I realized it wasn’t the job for me.

At first, I was super disappointed.  I thought that, even in the rare case that I was offered the job, I’d have to accept it.  Why should I turn down a perfectly good leadership position?  Then I remembered: because it’s not the job for me.

 It’s hard being patient when you want something so badly.  But I’m here to tell you that you need to wait.  Over my teaching career, I’ve taught in two different schools, with four different principals, two different grade levels, and four different teams.  And while I absolutely love teaching and working with students, that’s not always enough.  Not every school, not every grade level, and not every team is the right fit for you.

Even if you’re not in education and you came across this post by accident, you should remember that not every business is run the same way.  Not every boss has a personality or philosophy that matches yours.  Not every job is for you.

Please realize that this doesn’t mean that those people are bad or that they’re doing anything wrong.  They’re not.  People, by nature, are different.  It’s a fact of life and, for the most part, diversity is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

But when beliefs and philosophies clash in the workplace, when two parties are working towards two different causes… it can be disastrous.  Not only for the effectiveness of the organization but for the well-being of the people involved.  In this case, it’s okay to “not for me” or “not right now.”  You have to know yourself well in order to find the perfect job for you.

In this post, I’d like to share four ways to know from an interview if the job is not for you.  Hopefully, this will help you from accepting a job where you’ll be miserable and find something that fits with your purpose or personal mission in life.

1.  Be very clear about what you believe about education (or whatever field you’re interviewing in) and share that during the interview.

In education, what you believe about how students learn is vitally important to how you’re going to do your job.  Your philosophy of education isn’t just something you’re supposed to think about during your undergraduate or graduate education program, but rather should permeate every part of how you interact with students and colleagues.

Even if your interviewer doesn’t come right out and ask, be prepared to find ways to share your philosophy.  It’s probable that they’ll pose a question like, “Tell us a little about yourself and why you think you’re a good fit for this position.”  The people who are interviewing you need to know what you believe, not just about education, but about the world in general so they don’t hire you for a job that’s in contrast to your belief system.  This will save you a multitude of headaches down the road.

 2. Pay attention to the body language of those who interview you.

You can gauge the personality of the people who are interviewing you by paying attention to their body language before, during, and after the interview.  You can learn a lot about people by how they act.  For example, if you walk into an interview and smile at someone with zero smiles back, that should be a red flag.  Interviewers who are distracted by a phone or computer, fail to make eye contact during the interview, make you wait long periods of time without reason, or cut you off mid-sentence are also reasons to reconsider accepting a job.  Also, pay attention to whether or not they seem disorganized or flustered.  You can tell the first time you meet someone if they are kind, respectful, and responsible people.  Think about who you’d like to work for and consider that before you accept any job.
Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash


3. Ask questions before, during, and after the interview.  

Interviews can be very intimidating, especially if you’re a new teacher.   When you arrive for an interview, be polite and engage the office staff in conversation.  Ask them if they enjoy the school and the area.  If you’re not Interviewing at a school, ask them if they enjoy the company.  Be careful not ask about the interviewers or the position you’re interviewing for specifically.  You don’t want to seem like you’re fishing for information, only engaging in small talk.

Just like paying attention to body language, you can get more information about the vision and mission of the school or company and the position you would be filling by asking questions.  You will usually be given the opportunity to ask any additional questions you may have at the end of the interview.  Take that opportunity to find out more about the school or company.  Some questions you might ask are:

  • What role do you see this position playing within the school?
  • What are some expectations for this position?
  • What do you believe are the next steps for the school or company in fulfilling your vision and mission?
  • What qualities are you looking for?
4. If you are offered the job, follow up with a visit and more questions.
Let’s say you are offered a job, but the interview left you with something to be desired.  You might ask if you could visit for a couple of hours to see how things are done or ask some more questions that came to you after the interview.  If they are willing to answer your questions or accommodate your visit, it’s clear that they really want you to be a part of their community.  If not, maybe that’s a sign that you should keep looking elsewhere.
In one of his videos on YouTube, Principal Kafale made the point that you need to be interviewing the interviewers as much as they interview you, just to make sure that this is the job you want.  You want to find the perfect job for you, not just any job.  
If you don’t jive with the personality of a school, community, or person, don’t be afraid to turn down a job offer if you get it.  I know that it can be difficult to wait for the job for you, especially if the job market is scarce, but it is not fun to work with people whose personalities clash with yours.  It’s worth waiting if you can.
I hope these strategies will help you in finding the perfect job.  It can definitely be discouraging to go on interview after interview with no luck, but it’s even worse trying to drag yourself out of bed every day for a job you don’t love.  Take it from someone who’s been there.
Good luck job hunting!  Please share this post with someone you know who may be struggling to find the perfect job.  I’d also love to hear your job hunting success or failure stories.  Be sure to tag @TeacherLadyKY on Twitter or comment below.

education · failure · perseverance · reflective teaching

Be Savage Not Average: Why It’s OK to Fail and Not Feel Bad About It

teacherladykyLeave a comment

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you’ve probably seen me post on the #BeSavageNotAverage hashtag or post a picture with that phrase on it.  When I saw that phrase on Pinterest over a year ago, it immediately stuck out to me.  It has driven a lot of my passion and projects over the last year and a half and I want to share with you exactly why I love it.

Be Savage, Not Average: Why It's OK to Fail, teacherladyky

The phrase itself exudes power.  Savage, by its Google definition, means fierce, violent, and uncontrolled in regards to an animal or force of nature.  My mind first travels to the thought of a lion hunting down a gazelle.  It’s fast, it’s strong, and it’s uninhibited.  The word savage can sometimes have a negative connotation, but consider it in a positive light.  The savage lion gets the job done quickly and efficiently.

In education, that means that a savage individual attacks the problem, issue, or project with such intensity and focus that it’s almost near impossible to stop them.  Being savage in a classroom means that you are doing the right work and doing it with such passion that no one will question your intentions.  You have a goal and you are going after it.

Consider the second part of the phrase, however.  “Not average.”  According to its Google definition, average means the typical or central value in a set of data.  Within the context of education, that might mean what’s happening in most classrooms.  It might be referring to what’s happening in a typical school.  It’s not to say that average is bad, by any means.

But it’s not savage.

Personally, I love the message “Be Savage, Not Average” because I believe it gives you permission to fail.  In order to escape average, you have to step outside the box.  You have to live outside the norm.  It’s not easy and it’s not always effective.  But it’s necessary.

In order for change to happen in schools, we must dare to be savage.  That might mean that you’re trying new teaching techniques, incorporating technology in ways that transform the classroom or designing schools that truly meet the unique needs of learners.  Whatever it is that you’re doing, it’s different.  It’s daring.  It’s savage.

And the intention behind that – to be different and to change the status quo – that intention gives you permission to fail.  It tells you, it’s ok that this might not work, as long as you tried.

Be savage, not average reminds me of another one of my favorite quotes, “Ask for forgiveness later, instead of permission now.”

Do it.  Go for it.  Make it happen.

Be Savage.  Not Average.

Be Savage, Not Average: It's OK to Fail

education · educational technology · flipped classroom · in class flip · teaching

So You Want to Flip Your Elementary Classroom… Now What?

teacherladyky4 Comments

In my latest blog post, I talked about what I learned from flipping my elementary classroom.  This is an approach I took to teaching as part of an action research project and I learned a lot about best practices for implementing the flip.

Flip Your Elementary Classroom, Flipped Learning

My hope with this post is that you learn something you can take into your classroom tomorrow to help with a flipped classroom model.

Which model will you use to flip your classroom?

A flipped classroom is an instructional approach that removes the whole class direct instruction to a video that students view at home before a more hands-on or in-depth lesson at school.  The idea was started by Jonathan Bergmann and you can read more about a flipped classroom approach to instruction in his book Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (affiliate link).

There are alternative models of the flipped classroom approach.  If your school is 1:1, for instance, but the devices stay at school, you can have students watch the videos as they enter the classroom.  Or, close the class with the videos that correspond to the next day’s lessons.

In my case, I only have 6 classroom devices (four desktops and 2 Chromebooks), so I implemented an in-class flip with a station rotation model.  You can read more about this model in this Edutopia blog by Jennifer Gonzalez.  In essence, students rotate through stations and watch the flipped lesson videos at one of the stations.  The other stations provide opportunities for students to work in small groups and pairs to dig deeper into content.

This in-class flip is the model I took in my third-grade classroom and it seemed to work out well for us.  The first step in implementing a flipped classroom approach would be to decide which model you’re going to use.

Which content and which portion of your lesson are you going to flip?


 It’s silly to think that you can flip your whole reading, math, science, or social studies lesson.  Especially in elementary school, each content area is full of different components.  Break it down and start with something small.  You can build from there and flip more components if it’s going well.

Here are some ideas to help you frame your thinking about which components of your elementary classroom you want to flip.  Remember, this is often direct instruction that is moved to video format.

Literacy

  • Introducing vocabulary words
  • Explicit phonics instruction
  • Read-aloud
  • Reading strategies
  • Explicit grammar instruction
  • Modeling a graphic organizer or written response

Math

  • Introducing vocabulary words
  • Introducing/modeling a strategy
  • Modeling an algorithm
  • Build background knowledge by connecting a prior concept

Science/Social Studies

  • Introducing vocabulary
  • Building background knowledge

Where will you get the videos you share with students?

There are two main approaches to take to this problem: find videos made by others or create your own videos.  I, personally, chose to do both when implementing my flip.  There are a ton of wonderful videos out there already made, why re-invent the wheel?

I also found, however, that there were some topics or strategies that were not already available.  For those, I made my own.  I actually really liked making my videos because I found that they were more engaging for my students (what elementary students don’t love seeing their teacher online?) and I was able to tailor my instruction for my students using specific texts and strategies we were using in class.

Below, I’ve listed some of the resources available for finding or creating your own videos.

Pre-made video repositories:

Programs to make your own videos:

Flip Your Elementary Classroom, Flipped Learning

How will you share the videos with students?

There are several ways to share videos with students.  I’ve used two different free platforms – Google sites and Google classroom – and I’ve found advantages and disadvantages to both.  I prefer Google classroom because it’s much easier to push things out to students and hold them accountable for assignments or quizzes.  A Google site is a great place to house videos as it doesn’t require a login, but it makes it harder to hold students accountable.  Although I haven’t tried sharing videos in this way, ClassDojo might be another option.

If your school or district pays for a learning management platform like Schoology, Blackboard, or another similar platform, this might be a great way to get content to students.

How will you assess your students and/or hold them accountable?

When I first started, this was a struggle for me.  You ultimately want a way to make sure that students are watching the videos and getting something out of it.  EdPuzzle has a built-in question feature that allows students to show understanding at points throughout the video chosen by you, the teacher.
In my classroom, I use Google forms/quizzes to give students a short quiz after they’ve watched the video.  I love the data that I glean from the Google form and, because most of our other online work is in the G-Suite of tools as well, it’s extremely intuitive for my students.
Though I haven’t personally used them, I’ve heard that PlayPosit, Vizia, and MoocNote are good ways to hold students accountable and assess in a flipped learning model.
Hopefully, this guide has provided you with a good place to start in creating a flipped classroom.  Have more questions?  Drop me a comment below and let me know!  I’d also love to hear if you know of other technologies that would be helpful for anyone implementing a flipped classroom!
Flip Your Elementary Classroom, Flipped Learning

 

classroom management · education · educational technology · flipped classroom · in class flip · teaching

Flipping My Elementary Classroom

teacherladyky3 Comments

This post is a reflection of the implementation of my flipped classroom.  If you’re looking for how to implement your own flipped classroom approach, check my post So You Want to Flip Your Elementary Classroom, Now What?

I took on a giant project this year by flipping my classroom.  The flipped classroom approach is something that I’ve seen floating around in the education community for a few years now, yet I’d never felt like I had sufficient resources to make it happen.  This year, I jumped all in.

Probably prematurely, admittedly.  But the learning is in the mess, right?

 

As part of my Ed.S. program at Bellarmine, I had to design and implement an action research project focused on increasing student achievement.  I felt like this was my opportunity to take the risk that I had wanted to in my classroom, and I knew I would have the support of my administration, my Ed.S. mentor, and my colleagues.  I am a huge proponent of educational technology and I’d recently acquired two Chromebooks thanks to a Donors Choose project bringing my count of classroom devices from four to six.  With six devices, I felt like I was ready to change the world.

I even made a Google folder called, “How to Change the World This Year.”  I can be a bit pretentious at times.

That being said, I spent a lot of time researching flipped classroom approaches, designing and creating videos, monitoring student progress, and reflecting on the process along the way.  I did some things well and there are many things about the process I would change.  I’d like to share some of my learning with you in hopes that it will help your flipped classroom transition smoother.

Let me start by saying that my approach to a flipped classroom was and is much different than the typical flipped classroom.  In a typical flipped classroom, students would watch a video about the topic for the next day for homework and then come to school the next day with some prior knowledge and experience, ready to dive into more hands-on experiences.  For my third grade students, many of whom don’t have internet access or devices at home, this wasn’t possible.  I opted for an in-class flip using a station rotation model, where one station was the viewing of the video and interactive components.  Other stations I used in my classroom at the time, were a modified version of teacher-led guided reading, independent reading, and partner practice.  You can read more about a typical flipped classroom approach in Jon Bergmann’s book called Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (affiliate link) or at his blog here.

I would also encourage you to learn more about the alternatives to the typical flipped classroom models.  There are some examples from Jennifer Gonzalez over on Edutopia.

 

Four Things I Learned By Flipping My Classroom

1.  It’s better to start small and build up.

In my original action research, I stated that I’d increase reading achievement of my students by flipping my classroom.  If you’re an elementary teacher, you are immediately aware of the problem with that statement.  What component of reading?  Within my third grade classroom, I teach phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  In a typical lesson, I’d try to teach each of those components within a common theme or unit, using one or more texts and pulling as much out of it as I could.

So, when I first started my flipped classroom, I kind-of, almost, might have tried to do it all at the same time.  I was overly ambitious.  I learned right away that it was too much – for me to prepare and for my students to find beneficial – so I had to back down.  I ended up flipping just the phonics portion of my lesson, then slowly adding vocabulary and comprehension. It was much smoother once students knew the routines and expectations.

2.  Make sure routines and expectations are explicit.

Students have to know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.  In my school, the constant infusion of technology into my students’ instruction was new for many of them, which caused some confusion on how it was to be used.  Because I was so excited to just get started, I glossed over routines and expectations which was a terrible idea.  Always start with your routines and expectations.

Some ideas for routines to teach when flipping your classroom:

  • How to transition in between stations
  • How to get out technology/devices and put them back
  • How to access the videos/activities (e.g. the learning platform you’re using)
  • What to do when you’re finished
  • How to ask for help
  • Voice levels during the station

3.  You still need to differentiate.

 In my mind, a whole group lesson was the same for everyone and differentiation came in with the other stations.  However, when my students struggled with the flip and I really began to reflect on my teaching, I realized that I did differentiate during whole group instruction, it just wasn’t as explicit.  For instance, I might stand next to a student who was having trouble focusing or prompted responses when students struggled.  There is a definite benefit to being face-to-face with students when teaching so that you can gauge their reactions and understanding.  This is much harder to do through a screen.

You can still differentiate a whole class lesson through a flipped approach, it just takes more work.  For example, add several videos for students to watch.  If they understand (and show understanding through an online activity like a Google quiz) after watching the first one, they can stop and move on to something different.  However, if they’re still struggling, they can watch more videos and have multiple tries to show their understanding.  This helps personalize the experience of a flipped classroom for each student and allows them to take more ownership of their learning.

4.  Assessment and accountability go hand in hand. 

 Assessment is just best practice.  When I started my flipping my lessons, I originally had it set up so that students watched the videos, then came to a guided reading group, where I did the assessing.  But I soon realized that students were not being held immediately accountable for the learning in the video, so they came to the table and had I to teach what they were supposed to already know!  It defeated the entire purpose of the flipped classroom.

So, I started utilizing some wonderful tools to hold my students accountable and help with assessment.  The G-Suite for Education (specifically docs, slides, and forms/quizzes) is a great way to do this.  They are relatively easy to set-up and intuitive for students to use.  You can read more about how I’ve used Google forms to assess my students on a previous blog post.

The flipped classroom model was a learning experience for myself and my students.  If and when I do this in the future, I’ve got a much better idea of how to approach it so that things run smoother.  Have you implemented a flipped classroom?  Did you do the typical flip or a modified in-class version?  I’d love to hear your successes and horror stories!  Comment below and let me know!

 

education · educational technology · google · podcasts · school leaders

Education Podcasts: A List of My Favorites

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Up until a few months ago, I hated listening to podcasts.  I found it so hard to focus on what they were saying while I was distracted doing other things.  However, I started listening to them on my commute to and from school and I can’t get enough!  I don’t even like to listen to the radio now.  If I’m driving or walking, I’ve got a podcast going.

Podcasts are wonderful tools for professional learning.  Like most online media, they break down the barriers of time and space to allow for learning at your leisure.  However, unlike most online media, they also remove the barrier of visual learning.  You don’t need to watch a video with this online professional learning, as long as you’ve got speakers or a pair of headphones, you’re set.  In fact, with most smartphones these days, podcast apps are built right in so all you have to do is stream and go.

Favorite Education Podcasts by TeacherLadyKY

 

Podcasts are great ways to learn “on-the-go,” as there are literally thousands to choose from.  A few weeks ago, I put out a call on social media asking for your favorite podcasts.  After listening to ALL of them, I finally decided on a few of my favorites that I’d love to share with you!

The Google Teacher Tribe Podcast

Hosts:  Matt Miller & Kasey Bell (Twitter: @jmattmiller & @shakeuplearning)
Category: Educational Technology
The Google Teacher Tribe podcast gives you all the tips and tricks for using G Suite for Education in your classroom and school.  On each episode, they share the newest releases and updates from Google, dive deep into a specific aspect of the G Suite, and share tips from listeners.  They’ve built an amazing online community called the Google Teacher Tribe, which you can follow on social media using #GTTribe.
My favorite episode so far is 41: The Google Infused Classroom which features special guest Holly Clark, who I got to meet in person at the EdTechTeam conference in Louisville!
Google Teacher Tribe podcast, TeacherLadyKY

Shifting Our Schools Podcast

Host:  Jeff Utecht (Twitter: @jutecht)
Category: Educational Technology
The SOS podcast, as it’s better known, is part of the Eduro Learning podcast network and is all about educational technology and innovation in the classroom.  Jeff and his guests chat about everything from 1:1 models, project-based learning, administrators in a tech-rich environment, and teaching your students how to be You-Tubers.
My favorite episode so far is 42: Highly Structured, Loosely Organized.  Jeff talks about how he uses a “highly structured, loosely organized” approach to using educational technology and what that looks like in a sixth-grade classroom.  He gives practical tips for using devices in the classroom while keeping engagement high and pedagogy intact.
Shifting Our Schools Podcast, TeacherLadyKY

Truth for Teachers Podcast

Host: Angela Watson (Twitter: @Angela_Watson)

Category:  Teacher Self-Care and General Education

On the Truth for Teachers podcast, Angela and her guests talk about general truth for educators.  Angela is a teacher self-help guru and she often shares ideas about making your teacher week more productive and fulfilling.  Angela is the queen at talking about the teacher guilt we all experience as teachers and gives suggestions to combat that guilt.

My favorite episode is 122: Your #1 job when you don’t feel motivated.  In this episode, she discusses how the most important thing to do when you’re lacking motivation is to find motivation.  Everything else on your to-do list can wait.

Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

Host: Jennifer Gonzalez (Twitter: @cultofpedagogy)

Category: General Education

The Cult of Pedagogy podcast seems to have a strong following within my own PLN and for good reason.  Jennifer talks about everything from instructional strategies to classroom management to professional development and everything in between.  She offers a variety of podcasts at different lengths as well so you can find just perfect one for your drive, no matter how far.

My favorite episode is 92: Frickin’ Packets where she talks about the dangers of worksheets in the classroom.  I’ll be completely honest and say that it took me almost a week before I listened to it when it came out because I was afraid I’d hear things I didn’t want to hear.  😓  We all use worksheets, whether we like to admit it or not.  But this episode is fantastic and starts with the audio of a frustrated student in a classroom, an authentic voice expressing a very real problem.  It’s definitely worth a listen!

Cult of Pedagogy podcast, TeacherLadyKY

Transformative Principal

Host: Jethro Jones (Twitter: @jethrojones)

Category: School Leadership

The Transformative Principal podcast is, of course, geared towards school leadership like principals and superintendents.  Jethro Jones is a school principal in Fairbanks, Alaska and he interviews others about their leadership styles and invites his guests to shares ideas and tips for becoming a transformative school leader.  Every episode is very conversational between Jethro and his guests.

There are so many wonderful episodes, but one of my favorites is The Principled Principal with Jeff Zoul and Anthony McConnell, where Jethro and his guests discuss setting up a school climate and culture conducive to collaboration and learning.

Transformative Principal podcast, TeacherLadyKY

These are just a few of the podcasts I’ve been listening to non-stop for the last few weeks.  Do you have a favorite?  Drop a link or title in the comments below… I’d love to learn from you and to give it a listen!

conferences · EdCamp · edtech · EdTechTeam · educational technology · networking · professional development · professional learning · professional learning network · teaching

‘Tis the Season for Professional Learning

teacherladykyLeave a comment

It’s already the beginning of April and I can’t even begin to explain what an exciting time the past six to eight weeks have been for me.  My last blog post was posted right before Valentine’s Day and I’ve been seemingly absent from blogging and social media since then.  But don’t take that as my being lazy (although, there might have been a few of those days).  I have been extremely busy planning and attending some amazing professional conferences and professional learning experiences.

In just the last few weeks, I helped to throw the biggest professional learning party in my district (ECET2Lou), facilitated a virtual learning session for some teachers over Google Suite for Education in the classroom, attended and presented at the Kentucky Society for Technology in Education (KYSTE) conference, hosted a Google professional learning community at my school, and attended and presented at the Derby City Google Summit by EdTechTeam.  It’s been a wild February and March.  I have learned so much in the past few weeks and it has, once again, reignited my passion for this job.

If you’re a teacher, you should LOVE professional learning.  But far too often, I hear teachers complain that they have to go to PD.  It breaks my heart.  Lifelong learning is something that many educators want to instill in their students, but they don’t’ often model a learning lifestyle.  I am of the notion that you can and will learn something new every day, which helps me in the classroom and at home!

Professional development, or professional learning, has gotten a bad rap for far too long.  It’s probably because we come from an era of sit-and-get, though I’ve rarely attended one of these as of late.  Professional learning has come a long way and there are many reasons why you should love it!

1.  You get to learn new stuff. 

 I got into the teaching business because I love to learn.  I wanted to share my love of learning with another generation.  My favorite part of professional learning is that I get to learn new things.  I am always searching for new strategies and tools to add to my metaphorical teaching backpack.  Most districts require teachers to get a certain number of professional development hours, so take that opportunity to pick sessions that you want to attend and will help you in the classroom.  Interested in learning more about how to integrate educational technology into your practice?  Seek out EdTech conferences like the EdTechTeam summits.  Want to start a discussion over a problem of practice you’re having?  Find an EdCamp and create your own session. 

Keep in mind that professional development doesn’t have to be in-person either.  There are literally TONS of online opportunities from a variety of sources.  ASCD has free webinars listed on their website.  PBS Teacher Line has both facilitated and self-paced online courses.

I also recommended following some great podcasts.  I’ve recently gotten into podcasts and I don’t understand what took me so long!  If you’re into educational technology or innovative schools, check out the Google Teacher Tribe or Shifting Our Schools podcasts.  If you’re in school leadership, make sure to check out the Transformative Principal podcast.  Keep on the lookout for another blog post about my favorite podcasts coming soon!

I realize that sometimes there is mandatory professional learning that you can’t get out of, but take the opportunity to add something new to the conversation.  Participate and share while you’re there, as that’s where the true learning comes.

2.  You’re given the opportunity to network with other professionals and build your PLN.

If there’s one thing that’s expected in our profession of education, it’s collaboration.  It didn’t use to be this way, but the rise of a global community and professional learning communities means that you can’t afford NOT to collaborate.  What better way to do so than get out there and connect with others?

Let me preface this by saying, I understand all too well the social anxiety of getting out there and mingling with people.  But one of my all-time favorite professional learning moments was when I attended our district’s EdCamp and I finally got to meet all of my Twitter friends!  It’s a powerful thing to be in the same room with the best and the brightest.  Make the most of it and introduce yourself.  Your professional learning network (PLN) will be there when you need help in the classroom, motivation to press on, references for job interviews, and so much more!  You can read more about how to build your PLN in my blog post from last summer.

3.  You can sometimes get FREE stuff!

Almost every professional conference I’ve been to gives away door prizes.  At the EdTechTeam Summit I went to in March, they gave away two Google homes, a host of professional books and other prizes.  At the ECET2Lou conference in February, they gave away gift cards upon gift cards.  I’ve even been to conferences where they gave away printers, Smore subscriptions, and flat screen TVs – at FREE conferences!

And, if nothing else, you’ll probably get a sticker to put on your laptop.  Who doesn’t love stickers?

I hope you’ll find a true love of professional learning as a teacher.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times:  the world is changing.  It’s evolving quickly for us as adults and quicker for our students.  If we can’t find it in ourselves as adults and educators to be true lifelong learners and model that for our children, they will have a hard time navigating this world.  Take a step outside your comfort zone and learn something new this week.
Did I leave any good reasons off the list?  Why should teachers love professional learning? Drop me a comment below to let me know!