The Retention Conundrum

Retention.

While it's always been an issue and something I deal with as a teacher of middle school students (who - in the words of one of my interviewers years ago - wake up in a new world every morning), lately I have found myself particularly frustrated by it. Confused, even.

It doesn't seem to matter if we covered a topic last week, last month, or last semester. It doesn't seem to matter if it's something we spent a good deal of time with or how successful they were when we covered it (solving equations). It doesn't seem to matter if it's something we've been on for months, step away for a lesson or two, and return to (graphing linear equations). Sometimes it doesn't matter if we were working on it yesterday.

I find myself saying things such as, "We've covered this!" "You knew how to do this _____ long ago!" "You learned this in ______ grade!" All in an increasingly exasperated tone and more often than I would like.

Before the end of the first semester, I was determined to figure out a plan for spiral review for the start of the second semester.

I have NEVER been happy with the times I have tried to incorporate spiral review. Most of the time the process has involved students being given a few minutes to work a few problems. There is a handful of students in each class who will sit through the time allotted and not attempt anything, waiting for me to work the problems. After the designated time, I work the problems, and those who sat there for five minutes copy what I write, learning very little.

I found an eighth-grade spiral review product I liked and tweaked it some for my classes. Students have four problems to work, four days a week.

When I first started, I told students, "This is review material. You know how to do this. Look things up you don't remember. I'm not working the problems for you. Try SOMEthing." My goal was to check their work at the end of the week, highlight mistakes, and then work through problem areas together.

This was met with a little success in my Algebra 1 classes, but my Pre-Algebra classes were really struggling with the work. And checking all the papers of all my classes every week proved to not be my best plan.

So, I softened my approach a bit. I walk around and answer questions as students work. At the end of the allotted time, I ask for questions and will work a problem or two (but I seldom work all of them). Problems through the week are similar with a few included from previous weeks (hence the spiral, LOL), and students are seeing things over and over.

This week I had the idea of giving a "quiz" with a few problems similar to the ones students had been working to see how they are doing with the concepts we are reviewing.

I am seeing some progress.

Concepts that I would not have thought students would lose - like determining how many solutions an equation has - have been reviewed and strengthened.

Students are coming up with strategies that might not be the process I taught them the first time, but the "new" strategies are ones they understand and, therefore, will have a better chance of remembering.

I am learning - and am surprised by - how many times students must be exposed to material before it "sticks."

Rather than continuing to be frustrated, I am trying to figure out what I need to do to ensure students REALLY learn concepts for the long haul.

During this same process, I am in the middle of solving systems of equations with my Algebra 1 students, and I have seen that students need spiral review within a unit on top of the spiral review they need for topics from throughout the year.

And then I'm hit with the constant amidst all the variables of my day: I have 50 minutes a class period. My students need spiral review from older topics, spiral review from current topics, introduction to and practice with new material all within those 50 minutes.

Sigh.

Flipped lessons help. Self-pacing helps.

But it still feels very overwhelming. Insurmountable, at times.

I don't have it all figured out, yet. But the wheels are turning, and I will continue to work on keeping topics in front of students until we don't feel like we're starting over every time a concept reappears.

A Matter of Trust

Let me start by saying it's been a GREAT week!

It's been a challenging school year to this point, and the weeks before Thanksgiving Break were a struggle. I've ended more days than I can count feeling ineffective. I admit I expected this week, as students returned from Thanksgiving and looked ahead to Christmas, to be just as challenging.

My students have put forth great effort this week, and it's been one of those weeks where things have seemed a little smoother and easier.

I'm thankful for the positive week. And making a "note to self" to remember this week when the next rough patch hits.

What I really want to talk about, though, is trust. Trust in my students.

I was talking with a colleague this week, and I theorized that every teacher is somewhat of a control freak. It's MY classroom and MY students, and I want things to go (and be done) MY way.

Flipping my Algebra 1 classes two years ago was the beginning of me giving up some control. Of me trusting my students.

Moving direct instruction into the control of my students led to changes in my classroom (wow, that's an understatement!).

Students were given choices of activities. Students were allowed to work together more than ever before.

Then I began to notice I was allowing students more control in how they approached problems. To use strategies that made sense to them.

(Incidentally, just this week I was looking at a student's work and I heard myself saying, "Well...that's OK, but what I really want you to see is _______ and do it this way." No, no, no, Mrs. Gibbs! *smacks own hand*)

I confess to being slower to trust my (inclusion) Pre-Algebra students. When we first moved to Common Core-based standards, my thought was, "There's no way! These kids have so many difficulties and challenges, and you want me to teach them to do WHAT?!?!"

So I baby-stepped them through things, confident there was no way they would understand as deeply as they were supposed to understand. I would tell them what I wanted them know and hope a few of them got it.

Then this year I began an in-earnest in-class flip. I began to notice that my Pre-Algebra classes were still much, much quieter than my Algebra 1 classes (read: boring!). They were still working largely individually.

I decided they needed the opportunity to work together just as much as my Algebra 1 students. They needed to talk and learn from each other.

Could I trust them to stay on task? Could I trust them to choose who to work with?

The short answer: Yes.

I used to hate "group work." It was often a waste of time and such a management nightmare. I didn't trust my students, so I never gave them sufficient opportunity to show me that they could do what I needed them to do.

Now, working together - in Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1 - is just how my class runs.  I am often amazed (and always do a little internal happy-dance) as I circulate around my room and hear mostly mathematical discourse. Yes, they are teenagers and need redirection from time-to-time, but most of the time there is a nice "hum" of engaged activity.

The other area I am trusting my students more is content. I admit to many times not going deep enough out of fear. Out of lack of trust.

This is too hard.

They won't get this.

I will have to give them every answer.

This will be a headache.

This year - with both groups - I've been giving my students tasks and seeing what they can do with them. Sure, Pre-Algebra needs more scaffolding than Algebra 1, but I am learning they are perfectly capable of going deep.

There are still questions. I spend class periods moving from group to group having conversations. I ask lots of questions. I smile and encourage and walk away (boy, that's hard!).

But students try. They think. They make connections. They learn.

I have spent years complaining about students being "lazy thinkers." Nothing is more frustrating than giving students a task and them seeming paralyzed.

How do you Number 1? Number 2? I don't get it!

Yes, students still have to be taught and encouraged to find joy in the struggle, but I was thinking recently that I am hearing much less of these statements this year.

Is it this year's group of students?

Or is it me? Was I the reason my students were lazy thinkers?

Was it simply a matter of trust?

What are Students Saying? - First Grading Period Reflections

As I've often said, I like giving students regular opportunities to reflect. I've had a goal for some time to gather student reflections at the end of each unit. That has not become a reality, yet, but there are few points of the school year in which I make sure I ask some reflection questions: the end of the first grading period, the end of the first semester, and the end of the year.

Believe it or not, it's the end of the first grading period.

I love Google Forms for student reflections. I can ask multiple choice questions and short answer questions and easily see responses and trends. I also save lots of paper. :)

I used a survey I used at the end of the first grading period last year that I called "The Goldilocks Survey." There were five multiple choice questions addressing such areas as how the class has been going, course difficulty, class structure, student-teacher interaction, and (self-perceived) student effort in which the answers were some variation of "too much," "too little," or "just right."

The three short answer questions asked students to describe something they enjoyed about the class, something about the class they would change, and anything else they would like me to know.

I questioned Algebra 1 kids and Pre-Algebra kids separately, so I could see responses of kids in the same course together and notice any trends for a particular course.

Most of the responses to the multiple choice questions fell overwhelmingly in the "just right" category. I was thrilled to see a large percentage (almost 40%) of my Pre-Algebra kids say that the class was going "better than expected."

I haven't done a specific survey about flipped lessons this year - I might do a short one when we return from Fall Break - but videos were mentioned frequently as a favorite part of the class for both Algebra 1 (videos for homework) and Pre-Algebra (in-class videos).

Students appreciate light homework loads.

The aspect of the class brought up the most and that has me doing the most thinking is group work.

What do you like about the class? Group/partner work
What would you change about the class? Group/partner work

I have become a huge believer in partner work. I found several years ago that students are much more focused and accomplish so much more with a partner as opposed to groups of 4. With a partner, there is less hiding and letting two or three other people do your work for you.

I was reminded this past week that groups of three or four are not as successful as partners.

On the survey, my Pre-Algebra kids asked for more partner work. I agree. I had an "a-ha" several weeks ago that my Pre-Algebra kids were not getting enough opportunities to work and talk together. I've made it a point to give them more of those opportunities.

Several students in the survey mentioned how helpful it was to discuss their thinking with someone else. One student likes that they have a partner to ask for help if I am busy.

A few students talked about how groups are selected. I've been giving students more choice in who they work with. But occasionally I pick the groups. Sometimes I allow students to work alone, if that's their preference.

All of these aspects were alluded to in the responses to the survey questions.

Some students want me to pick groups/partners less often. I am a (developing) believer in student choice (I have made great strides), but I believe it's important that students learn to work with a variety of personalities and not just their peer group (I am reminded, though, of teachers' reactions when we are made to "mix it up" and sit with someone different in a meeting).

Some students never want to work with someone else. My heart hurts for my introverted students who would rather crawl under their desk than work with somebody. I do feel it's important they learn to work with others; it is unlikely anyone will go through life and not have to work with another person.

Some students feel alone in class; this makes me sad. I've seen those kids who are excluded when students are allowed to choose who they work with. I appreciate the kids who make an effort to include them.

I think a balance of all the options - sometimes I pick their partner, sometimes they pick their partner, sometimes they are allowed to work alone - is necessary to keep most everyone happy most of the time.

I find that's true with most things in the classroom. Keep things mixed up, and don't ever do something the same way every time.

I might give my "Partner Preference" survey when we start the second grading period (have I mentioned how much I like Google Forms). That way I can lend a little bit of structure plus choice to our work with partners.

Overall, I believe students have had a positive experience in my classroom to start the school year. I think we've laid a good foundation, and I can't wait to see the growth - in them and me - as we continue to work through the 8th Grade.

#flipclass Flash Blog: Emotional Labor

Wow...this is a toughie.

We had a #flipclass reading assignment about emotional labor - and its worth - tonight. Then we began exploring what emotional labor might be involved in teaching.

As was tweeted by a participant, I believe emotional labor is part of the job description of a teacher.

Or maybe it's a part of the job that takes one by surprise. I don't think one knows going in how much emotional labor is involved.

There is all SORTS of emotional labor in teaching.

I worry about lessons, wondering if I've taught the right thing the right way.

I worry about students. Their academic success. Their emotional well-being. Their lives at home.

I stress over extra paperwork and deadlines.

I get excited. When a lesson works. When a student's light bulb comes on. When students "talk math" to each other.

I experience joy. When a student or parent says thank you. When a student's effort pays off.

It's exhausting.

How do I deal with it?

I find it's important to let my brain decompress.

I try to take one day a week - usually Saturday - and make it a school-free day. No grading, no planning.

I try to leave school on time one day a week (that is one of the most difficult things I try to do).

The spa tub helps. Getting an appropriate amount of sleep help. Music helps. Laughing helps.

There will always be emotional labor in teaching. And it will always be hard to deal with it effectively and efficiently.

But it's most often worth it, and I guess that's why I keep laboring.

The Most Tiring, Most Rewarding Year of my Career

Whew...I made it!

No...WE made it! I've been rereading blog posts from the beginning of the school year (I'm SO glad I made the decision to blog my journey), and this was definitely a trip I took WITH my students.

We began the year a little excited, a little nervous, a little uncertain.

We end the year satisfied, glad we took the journey, knowing it was the right thing to do.

And tired. While some would say I just forget or block it out, I don't remember ending a school year so tired. I began the process of flipping my Algebra 1 classes before the end of June last year and have worked on it since then with relatively little off time.

But it's been so worth it. Yes, I would do it again.

The benefits?

I think I've discussed most of the benefits in posts throughout the year. But they're worth summarizing again. :)

•  Time. A detailed blog post is here, but the flipped classroom has been the best use of my and my students' time.
•  Classroom management. SO much easier when I'm not the "sage on the stage." I've said several times this year that if I had a traditional classroom, my 7th period class and I would not have liked each other very much.
•  Priming the pump. I love students coming to class truly ready to learn. They know what the day is about and are able to get down to business in a short amount of time.
•  The location of the struggle. Students and their parents appreciate that the "hard stuff" is done in class. Students love that I am available for questions when they need me the most.
•  Manageable homework load. 'Nuff said.
•  Deeper learning with (what felt to students like) less effort.
•  Student responsibility. Students learned how to be in control of their own learning.
• Mathematical discourse. Lots and lots of mathematical discourse. Music to my ears.
•  Fun class time. Well..."almost bearable," "halfway fun," and "not so bad" in the words of students as written in my yearbook. I'll take it.
•  Relationships. I've always prided myself in my relationships with my students. But this year was different. As everything I read last summer predicted, being able to spend so much more one-on-one time with my students allowed me to know and understand them even better. I said it many times, but I had a much better feel for the mathematical pulse of my students and how to help them. On the flip side (no pun intended originally), my students understood better than ever that I'm on their side and have their backs.

A Year's Collection of Flipped Lesson Videos

Where do I go from here? What do I change next year?

•  Some videos will need to be revised; a few need a complete overhaul.
•  A written summary of each video by students. It's something I wanted to do since early on in the process but never kicked off.
•  Continue to work on timing of class activities. I don't worry too much about the days where there's not enough time to finish what I have planned (although unfinished activities bother me a little), but the days where the planned activities didn't take as long as I thought they would and more meaningful learning could have taken place need to be improved.
•  Continue to find meaningful activities. This was harder during the "tough" times the year - close to Christmas, as the school year came to an end - and I depended on worksheets (self-checking) too much. Many of the activities I did with my Algebra 1 kids this year were new to me, as I'd never had time to do anything like them before. Since I built my repertoire this year, I'll have time next year to better develop the units that were left wanting.
•  Implement flipped lessons for my Pre-Algebra classes. They are different kids with different motivations and a flipped classroom will look a bit different for them. But I believe it can be done successfully. Yes, that will mean more time and more video-making next year, but a teacher's gotta do what a teacher's gotta do.

I also look forward to continuing to share the flipped classroom with fellow teachers. I've participated in an EdCamp, and I led a short PD session for my colleagues. This summer I'm leading a session at the North Alabama Technology Conference. A few teachers in my system have told me they're interested in flipping their own classrooms and have asked questions about how to make it work for them. I've offered to help in any way I can.

I honestly don't remember what triggered the decision last June to "go for it" and begin the process of flipping my classroom. Thomas Jefferson said, "With great risk comes great reward." For whatever reason, I decided to take a risk, I brought my students and their parents along with me, and I feel we were all greatly rewarded.

I can't wait until next year!

Finding Joy in the Struggle

The last three weeks have been tough.

I had a wonderful Fall Break.  Time with my family, time in my favorite place on Earth (The Smoky Mountains), time to rest and recharge. The mental break was needed and enjoyed, and I was ready to go back to school and charge full-steam ahead all the way to Christmas.

I knew by looking at the calendar that the end of October all the way into the first part of December would be busy.  But I was rested; I was ready!

I was wrong.

By the end of the second week I was feeling like I had been knocked on my keister.

It was a perfect storm.  Many different circumstances came together to make these past 3 weeks the most challenging of the school year so far.

The busy schedule.  Lots of afternoon and evening activities. Two Saturdays in a row of math tournaments (all day affairs including bus travel). Sunday afternoons at school to do/finish work I was unable to finish during the week.

A topsy-turvy school schedule. Our high school volleyball girls made it to the state playoffs (Go, Knights!). But it meant I had to adjust my plans for days students would be absent to attend the games. Flipped lessons make it possible for students to not miss instruction, but middle school students who know they are going to be allowed to be absent aren't always the most focused on what is going on in the classroom while they are gone.

Personal sickness.  A sinus infection one week, a stomach virus the next. I hate not feeling my best. It is hard to give what I need to give in the classroom when it's not all there to give.

Academic challenges. Beginning with The Too-Long Video, my algebra students entered a period of experiencing difficulty with material that was new and more challenging than what they have seen before. Student absences contributed to the feeling of lostness. There was a flipped lesson (direct variation) I was really unhappy with (no connections for the students or a sense of why it mattered). There was a flipped lesson (function notation) that I know blows students' minds, and the practice I provided didn't do a good job of clarifying the material.  There was a quiz (after the topsy-turvy days) on slope and graphing in slope-intercept form on which many students did not do well.

Every year, every group hits "the wall." The time they realize this is not going to be "math as usual" and they have to decide what they need to do to be successful. And I have to decide how to provide the necessary support to help them be successful.

I know to expect this wall. I knew the weeks following Fall Break would be challenging. But I had no idea how challenging, somehow the wall still took me off guard, and I found myself despairing. Doubting myself. Wishing for the educational bliss of the first nine weeks.

In a conversation with my principal earlier in the school year, I mentioned I felt like a baseball player who was seeing the ball clearly. Lots of hits, a couple of them out of the park, and only a few strikeouts.

But these past three weeks saw me not being able to get the bat on the ball to save my life. I was still swinging, but every pitch was making me look bad. And I began to reel.

This past week - working around the stomach virus - I tried to take steps to get my algebra students back on the right track. We had a discussion about not being able to "wing it" anymore and taking responsibility for our learning. I made warm-ups for the week to review/reteach concepts students were having difficulty with. I chose focused practice activities for students to become more comfortable with material.

And by Thursday I was seeing progress. I was able to work with students one-on-one. I was able to answer lots and lots of questions. Light bulbs were coming on where there had previously been darkness.

The retake/redo policy gave students hope. They could redo assignments they had misunderstood. They could do more practice and preparation (that maybe had not been done the first time) and retake that quiz.

After the big test on linear equations on Friday, many said "That was easy!" The material was NOT easy; they were prepared!

Things are beginning to look better.  I am feeling better physically and mentally. My students' confidence is higher, and so is mine.

So...what can I learn from these past three weeks?

I talk a lot about wanting my students to find joy in the struggle. I want them to know that when they struggle they can grow. I learned about "Growth Mindset" this past summer and have been trying to change my students' self-talk to reflect a growth mindset. My bulletin boards are covered in growth mindset statements!

I realized toward the end of the week I was not applying these statements to myself. That I was whining about the struggle. That I was displaying a fixed mindset.

There WILL be challenging days, weeks, months...even years. But just because I encounter challenging periods, it does not mean I am a failure. It does not mean everything I've been trying is not working and has been a waste of time. It just means I need to find what I can learn from the difficulties. See the areas that need improvement and work on them.

Find joy in the struggle because when I struggle I can grow.

The Too-Long Video

The weeks since Fall Break have been incredibly busy, and I haven't had time to blog! I try to record topics as blog titles as I think of them so I'll remember what I want to reflect on when I actually have a few minutes to reflect.

It happened.  I made a video that was too long.

When we returned from Fall Break, after taking the ACT Explore, we began our lessons on slope. Slope is completely new to these students, so I had a lot of "back story" to give.  I talked a LOT in the video. I taught how to find slope from a graph and using the slope formula. Our book doesn't really develop finding slope from a graph, but kids need to understand it when graphing lines in slope-intercept form, so I thought it important to spend some time on it.

There were only 3 Smart slides, but the video was over 20 minutes long.  Like right at 22 minutes. Most videos are between 12-15 minutes long.

I warned the kids ahead of time.  There were groans. "She said we would never have videos over 15 minutes long!" Well, I never said "Never," but that was my intention.

It was material I would have covered in one class period, so I figured the extra 5 (ok...7) minutes would be fine.

I was wrong.

The kids were frustrated with the length of the video.  They seemed confused by the material. They struggled with the practice in class the next day.

While many things have contributed to the challenging nature of the last 3 weeks (more on that in a blog post to come), the too-long video was the beginning of a shaky foray into graphing linear equations.

So...a definite revision of this video is in order.  It will be 2 videos next year: one on an introduction to slope and finding slope from a graph, and a second one on the slope formula.

In my mind, neither one of these things should really take an entire day for my 8th grade Algebra 1 students. I had 2 days of applications of slope planned.  Should slope really take 4 days? Isn't that too long? This year's experience should convince me such is not the case. I've already taken more time this year with our introduction to linear equations based on what I decided was an insufficient understanding of the topic from previous (non-flipped learning) students. One more day on a foundational concept in mathematics will not be a day wasted.

It's got me to thinking about my traditional classroom lessons.  How many times did I throw too much at students, counting on them to sort it all out - on their own - through homework? Then answer a few questions and move on to the next thing.

I've said it before, but flipped lessons have allowed me to have a much better feel for the pulse of my students. And having a better grasp of what they are and aren't understanding, I am no longer able to continue plowing through material when I know there are issues to clear up. Thankfully, flipped lessons also allow me the time to creatively reteach and not necessarily lose valuable instructional time.

The limit exists.  Fifteen minutes, max.  Some would say even that is too long for 8th graders, but my Pre-AP students seem to handle that length just fine (they definitely like it when they're shorter, though). Any longer is too much.  And will automatically become two days.

Whether my "I don't have enough days to cover everything as it is!" brain likes it or not.

Flipclass Recap: The First 9 Weeks

We've completed the first grading period of the school year.  I have 9 weeks of flipped lessons under my belt.  I recorded (and students watched) 25 videos. Over 4 hours of direct instruction moved to students' control.

So, what's the verdict?  The good, the bad, the ugly?

Well, there is no ugly.  And really nothing bad.

I'm a believer.

I've blogged about a couple of the aspects that have made me a flipclass convert.  The flipped classroom is the most efficient use of my and my students' time. In-class activities are so much more enjoyable than in my traditional classroom.

Student reviews have been very positive. They like their more manageable homework load.  I give them all their guided notes for the week and have the videos uploaded and ready to go the Friday before the week they're needed; students like being able to watch the videos when it is most convenient for them. They like that the videos are always there to refer to if/when needed. They like the structure of class time.

I've heard from a couple of parents, and they like the flipped lessons.  A retired teacher tutors a few of my students; she came to school to tell me in person how much she thinks of the videos.  She also relayed that the parents of those students are very appreciative of the videos.

My administration has been super-supportive. My principal asks students from time to time what they think of the flipped classroom, and he says they all have positive comments.  Our tech coordinator is "on my side" and has helped whenever I've needed him.

Are the kids learning anything? Historically, I haven't kept exact records of grades on each assignment or grading term (in a former life, I used to make copies of my gradebook at the end of each year), but I do know my grades at the end of this first grading term are higher than they've ever been. I'm amazed as I grade things that I know are usually challenging for students; this year's students really seem to have a better and deeper understanding of material.

Challenges?  A few, but not many.

I'm still learning how to deal with students when a video does not get watched.  There are some days where the planned activities can be completed - with a little guidance - but there are days when a student won't have any clue how to participate in class if they haven't watched the video.  On those days, I have the students watch the video in class.  They have to complete any class activities they miss after that. I have used school consequences (before-school detention) for students who try to make a habit out of not watching the videos.

It is NOT a huge problem.  One or two students in each of my three classes.  Once I started implementing school consequences, several of those shaped up.

There have been a few tech issues.  I created a course in iTunesU; students can download the videos to their iPads and watch without wifi.  I put YouTube links to the videos on Edmodo.  Most of the students prefer iTunesU, as Edmodo can "sit and spin" when trying to load a video.  A few students - again, not many - are having pesky issues.  They will download the videos from iTunesU, and then the videos disappear.  For the kids without wifi at home, this is a problem.  Most students are having no problems at all.  Our tech coordinator has been in touch with Apple to see if we can find out what is causing the "disappearing videos" and fix it.

Where do I go from here?

Right now, I'm going to keep on keeping on.  Things are working, I'm getting comfortable, my students are getting comfortable.  No big changes, yet.

I do want to start having students write a short summary of each video. I would like it to be paperless. Something they could submit on Edmodo.  I'm trying to figure out the logistics in my head before I begin, though.

With the end of the grading term, Fall Break, and the administration of ACT's Explore Test, it has been awhile since our last flipped lessons.  And I miss them.  I am real excited about the in-class activities I have planned for the next couple of weeks.  I am excited to see the depth of understanding my students are able to achieve in our work with linear functions.

Flip on!

Encountering (minor) Challenges and Making Adjustments

I knew it would happen.  It was impossible for every day in the flipped classroom to be picture-perfect. Technology would have hiccups.  Students wouldn't watch a video.  The day wouldn't go as planned.

It was NOT a bad week.  But as the newness of the idea wears off and the honeymoon phase comes to an end, my students and I begin the process of figuring out how to make flipped lessons work day-in and day-out.

Students took their first test Tuesday.  Grades were good.  It was mostly review material, but I am satisfied my students are where they need to be as we move on through the curriculum.

On the test I asked students to reflect on our flipped classroom.  To tell me what was good, what could be better, and to give any ideas or suggestions they had.

Responses were overwhelmingly positive.  Many students "love" the flipped lessons or think they're "awesome."  They like that they can watch the videos at their convenience (my athletes and their parents are in flipped lesson heaven) and pause or rewind their teacher.  One mentioned being able to watch lessons without the normal distractions of a classroom lecture.

There were a couple of suggestions.  One mentioned my squeaky stylus (I had pointed it out to them in the video we watched together).  One said they were great for the material he was already familiar with but told of his concern about encountering new material via video (I share that concern, but we got a glimpse of it this week, and I think the flipped lessons will still be effective with unfamiliar concepts).  A couple requested they be given more problems to try individually during the lesson/video (future videos will do a better job of this).

One student simply stated, "I don't like them."  This student has a "tough girl" exterior and is often vocal about her dislike of whatever we might be doing.  I did ask, "Reasons?" on her response, but I am not going to worry too much about her statement.  I have a feeling she might like them more than she wants me to know.

And my goal is not for my students to like everything we do all the time.  It's OK if you don't like the flipped classroom.  I don't take it personally, and my feelings aren't hurt.  I would like to know, though, how we can work together to make it work better for you.

I got positive feedback from more than one parent this week.  My principal is hearing positive feedback.  The state department was in our system this week doing an audit of the special ed program, and my autistic student was randomly picked to have his files audited.  All of his teachers were interviewed.  During my interview we spent the majority of time discussing flipped lessons (the special ed teacher had already told them I was flipping lessons and how the student is responding to them); they were impressed by and interested in the process.

Wednesday was the first day of challenges.  Fourth Period (my first Algebra 1 class) came in, and I had a planned activity all ready to go.  As students began to work through the activity, I realized there was a part of the lesson that presented some difficulty.  It slowed the activity down and made it a bit awkward.  We worked through it, and I'm confident students understood the material before they left, but I could sense a bit of panic in the students and myself at one point.  I adjusted the activity a bit for 5th Period, and by 7th Period I knew how to do the whole thing differently.

I need to tell 4th Period they're my "guinea pig" class, and they will help me know what works and what doesn't.  Sort of like being the oldest child (my parents always called me their "experiment child").

That was also the day of the interview with the state people, and I got called out of 4th Period early.  So we didn't get to finish all of the planned activities.  No problem...I just split the lesson into two days and we completed everything the next day.

Wednesday was the first day I had students come in who hadn't watched the video.  I had thought I might be able to let such students participate in class activities, but I quickly realized it is near impossible to do anything with the material if you have no idea what it is about.  Some of the students had headphones and some didn't, so watching the video while the class was doing learning activities worked for some but not others.  Our choir teacher had some extra headphones she let me have.  From here on out, if a student hasn't watched the video, he/she will have to go to the back of the room (considering the hall?), watch the video and complete the notes, and take whatever activity is missed in class home to complete (on top of the next video, if one is due the next day).

A couple of students messaged me on Edmodo through the week, saying they were having issues with iTunesU downloading videos.  I've told students to set iTunesU to "auto-download" - hoping that will prevent panics the night a video is to be watched - and reminded them that the videos are accessible in two places for a reason.

We've had widespread sickness and many multi-day absences right here at the beginning of the school year.  I'm reminding students to check Edmodo for which videos are due which days AND to see what we did in class that needs to be made up.  Students seem to be surprised that they have more than the video to make up.

I've also decided to post folders to Edmodo with copies of the blank notes.  If students lose a copy of notes or are absent the day they are handed out, they will still have access to them.  I might also let students who prefer to take notes digitally do so (although in a poll I posted to Edmodo this week the vast majority of students said they would prefer hard copies of notes).

In this week's lessons, the instructions at the end of the video about asking questions shifted.  It went from, "Do you have any questions?" to "Ask a question: either something you don't understand or something to ask another student to check his/her understanding."  Students don't like this!  Some skipped it altogether (which meant their notes were incomplete, and they didn't get the full 5 points on that day's check) and some asked "Do you understand?"  I got a "Who invented Tuesday?" and a "When am I going to use this in life?" (that question came from "tough girl").  This week I gave them credit for at least following instructions and asking something; I told them questions needed to be relevant to the lesson and specific from here on out.  Lots of students, though, came up with great questions, and many even made up their own problems.  I like what the questioning is doing to their brains.

I think some concentrated time to discuss how to ask higher-order thinking questions is in order.

I see all of the (minor) challenges of the week as part of the process.  Students are learning what a flipped classroom looks like and what their job is.  I'm learning how to make it work for every student. One of the main objectives of the flipped classroom - students taking responsibility for their own learning - is beginning to take shape.  It will be almost impossible to be a passive learner in the flipped setting, and students are beginning to realize that.  They are learning what THEY have to DO to be successful, but I hope they are also realizing I will provide the necessary support to help them succeed.

This weekend I begin recording the next set of videos.

I get so busy during class I keep forgetting to take pictures of what we are doing to add to the blog. These long posts need to be enhanced with classroom pictures!

In September I plan to participate in TeachThought's Reflective Teaching blogging challenge.  So, in theory, I will blog daily for the month of September.  And not every blog post will be about the flipped classroom.  There are good things happening in my collaborative Pre-Algebra classes and with my new retake/redo policy that I look forward to sharing.

Jumping In With Both Feet

Wow!  The first 5 days of school felt like 5 weeks.  It was a great week, but we covered a lot of ground and seemed to get in a good routine very quickly.  It was an exhausting week, as the first week of school always is.  Thursday included Open House that evening, so that day felt like a double shift.

But I'm a "good" tired and am very pleased with our first 5 days.

I did begin to develop a sinus infection by late Friday afternoon, so this weekend I'm medicating myself and resting.  And will probably visit the clinic for a shot.

In my Algebra 1 classes, I began building up our flipped classroom from Day 1, until we finally watched a video together on Day 4.

While going over policies and procedures on Monday, I introduced the "big 3" of how our class is going to work - communication via Edmodo (not new to my students; our district has been using Edmodo for about a year and a half), a new retake and redo policy (after reading Rick Wormelli this summer), and flipped lessons.

Tuesday and Wednesday the students worked in pairs on a Problem Trail I got from "Activities by Jill" on Teachers Pay Teachers.  It was a great activity.  I got to hear lots of mathematical discussions, observe students teaching each other, pre-teach concepts we will explore later, and review concepts students have seen in previous math courses.  I experienced what I hope will be commonplace once flipped lessons are the norm in my classroom - individual time with lots of students.  While we weren't focused on flipped lessons these two days, students would ask the occasional question about them.  They were very curious about what was coming.

Thursday was "the big day."  I walked them through how to find the links to the lessons on Edmodo.  We discussed how to be "FIT" when watching a video (via Crystal Kirch). Then we watched the first lesson together.  I modeled pausing the videos, talked about the importance of rewinding when necessary, and discussed how to ask questions about the lessons and get them answered.  I previewed how questions would evolve from "Do you have any questions about this lesson?" to "Ask a question about this lesson - either something you don't understand or a higher-order question to ask your classmates."

Thursday night I got to talk to the parents who attended Open House.  They, too, got a preview of the "big 3."  They seemed very interested in and open to the flipped lessons.  The only question asked was, "Are YOU making these lessons?"  It was obviously important to this parent (and I assume others) that the kids get instruction from me.  I'm glad I decided to approach my flipped class in this manner.  I know the parent who asked that question and taught his older son, and when other parents had left the room he asked, "How are you going to have time for all of this?"  I told him honestly I wasn't exactly sure but was working on a good routine.

I've had several parents tell me they think the flipped classroom is a good idea, and I've heard more than one say they will watch the videos with their children.  Yea!

Friday we talked about iTunes U (we are a 1:1 iPad school).  Most students were able to join my course and download at least the video they are to watch this weekend.  I have a small handful of students without access at home.  They were relieved to hear I had an option to make flipped learning work for them.  One student doesn't have access at home AND couldn't get enrolled in my iTunes U course.  I used Air-Drop to send the video to his camera roll.  Another student was worried about things not working for him and asked that I also Air-Drop the video to him.  We have lots of options!

[After some poking around this weekend, I discovered the limit for enrollment in an iTunes U course is 50; I have 53 Algebra 1 students, so that is why 3 were unable to join.  I have created a second, identical course and will get those 3 enrolled tomorrow.]

We spent the rest of our time in class practicing concepts from Thursday's video lesson, and I gave them all the guided notes for next week.  They can watch videos on their own schedule, as long as a video is watched by the day I've told them it is due.

I only saw two issues, one minor and one which might take some work.

The minor issue deals with the fact that middle school students "wake up in a new world every morning."  As students encountered problems on Friday they were a little less familiar with (most of the lesson was review), I would remind them I did an example like it on the video the day before and to get those notes out.  They would look at me a little strangely.  I hope they begin to more readily make the connection between the video one day and the work the next.  I think they will.

The other, larger issue involves a particular student.  He is autistic and receives special education services but is very bright and wanted to take the advanced, Pre-AP Algebra 1 class instead of the inclusion, regular Pre-Algebra class.  He deems the videos "a waste of his time" (his words to the resource teacher).  After talking with his seventh grade math teacher, I found he has a history of working ahead but then missing important information because he is not paying attention.  I could see this right away as we watched the first video together.  I talked to the resource teacher (she is my partner teacher in Pre-Algebra), and she talked with him that afternoon.  We decided to give him one lesson of guided notes at a time (instead the whole week's worth) and remind him he will have to redo notes that are not done correctly the first time.

I had a private discussion with him about our plan.  I told him I knew he wasn't crazy about the videos; he replied, "No.  I'm not."  I told him I knew he could do it, though.  I mentioned the first assigned video was only seven minutes long and said I knew he could give me seven minutes.  He said, "No.  I can't."  We had a little more discussion, and as he walked off he said, "I'm going to skip parts.  To make a statement."  Whoa!  We had a short discussion about defiance.  At lunch, I once again touched base with the resource teacher.

After lunch, the resource teacher came in to observe and let the young man know she was aware and involved.  After she left, I saw him writing on the notes and thought he was trying to do them without the video.  As I approached him, however, I saw the video playing (he had finished our work for the day).  He was not listening to the video, but he was writing what was showing on the screen.  I'll take it!

I look forward to learning how I can adapt the flipped classroom to individual student needs.

My exit slip Friday was a "3-2-1":  tell me 3 things you think you're going to like about this class, 2 things you are concerned/worried/unsure about, and 1 question you have for Mrs. Gibbs.  I learned a lot about my students from this activity!  They are excited about the flipped lessons (a major subject of their responses), but they are concerned, too.  What if the videos don't work at home?  What is class going to look like?  I think most of their concerns will be answered over the next couple of weeks.  Two students' question for me was, "Do you really think a flipped classroom is going to work?"  I hope they eventually realize I wouldn't invest what I've already invested and will continue to invest into the process if I didn't think it was going to work.  And I continue to share my enthusiasm as we become immersed in the process.

I went to Edmodo and wrote a "how to access video lessons" post in case some of them forgot on Sunday the procedures we discussed Thursday and Friday.  My partner teacher has suggested a "cheat sheet" to send home for students and parents; I think it's a good idea and will probably do it soon.

I also asked them to post "Watched!" after they've viewed the video and completed the notes.  I want students to see that others have not had problems with the videos and that this is going to work! And I was excited to see that three of them had watched the video before noon on Saturday.  The list of "Watched!" replies continues to grow throughout the weekend.

Wow!  This is a long post.  But the purpose of this blog is to be a place to record my observations and thoughts, so I can refer back to them later.  If you have stuck with me to the very end, you are to be commended. :)  Maybe subsequent weeks won't require as much brain-dump.

I can't wait to see what happens next week!