Out of the Rut!

Last week I had a meeting with my high school math department.  I like each of the people in our department and am sure they are good teachers, but I left the meeting feeling like I am not on the same page as any of them when it comes to teaching.  Who am I kidding, I'm not even in the same book! 

Then, I second guessed myself all week.  Is my teaching style preparing my students for the teachers they'll get in high school?  Probably not.  Is my teaching style compatible with most of my students way of learning?  I think so.  They're doing fine anyway.  Maybe I'm too "out there."  Maybe I should talk more instead of letting the students discover the information they need to use as a class or in small groups.  (This doesn't even sound like something I would ever say)  Are they learning the skills they are going to need to be successful in their future endeavors?  Yes if we're not talking about sitting in a classroom and expecting to be spoon fed.  I just felt like I was in a funk and started to doubt myself.

Thursday night and Friday we had Parent-Teacher conferences, except I did student-lead conferences so the students were doing all of the talking.  Who knows their education better than they do?  Again, I was breaking the mold in my school.  However, by the time conferences were over on Friday, I had my mo-jo back.  Students and parents both appreciate that my class isn't a "traditional" classroom.  They like sitting at tables instead of desks because it's more comfortable and allows for a better "working" environment.  I even had one student tell me that she's learned more this year than any other year she can remember.  She said, "I'm learning so much more than math when I'm in here.  Mom, I'm learning how to work with people and talk to them when I don't agree with them.  I've learned how to use an iPad, Edmodo, and Todays Meet and I can't wait to use these really sweet calculators Mrs. Litchfield has!"  Of course we had to show her mom everything she was talking about and how we're using them for education.

I have to remind myself that I don't teach "outside the box" to make other teachers in my school happy.  I teach how I believe the students learn the best.  I do what I think is best for them (not what's easiest for me).  They're involved. They're "doing." They're discussing.  They're analyzing.  They're creating.  They're engaged.  They're excited to be in my class and I am excited to be their teacher!   

Best day yet!

What an amazing day! 

Our school recenlty acquired a mobile lab of 30 iPad 2's and today I tested them in my classroom.  It went so well that it was almost unbelievable!  Our technology director did an amazing job getting the iPads ready for the roll-out.  He and I are giving a professional development to the rest of the district's teachers, so he stayed in my classroom all morning watching the students interact with the iPads and talking to them about some of the possibilities of what's to come.

The students' excitement over realizing they were going to be able to use iPads in their classes was incredible.  At first, they thought the iPads were just for my classsroom and they were going to use them every day.  When I told them that it was a mobile lab that any teacher would be able to check out for the hour/day, you could see the wheels turning and they couldn't contain their curiosity.  They had a million questions and just can't wait.  The news spread to the other students in the building (I have the luxury of working in a rural 5-12 building) and I had students of all ages telling me all day that they wished they were in my math class.  I assured them that their teacher would be able to check out the mobile lab and that they would be using the iPads in no time.  The entire building seemed to be in a buzz about the iPads (and the first snowfall of the season). 

I can't wait to get the iPads into the rest of the classrooms.  Our students DESERVE this and they deserve to be excited about their education and the possibilities that their future offers.  Our teachers deserve it too!  I hope everyone's first day using the iPads in their classrooms goes as well as mine did!

First (successful) Flip

This summer I had big dreams of flipping my classroom.  I stood infront of a room full of other educators and told them all I was going to flip my classroom.  Well, one semester into it and I've only tried it twice.  The first time didn't go as well as I hoped, but this time was awesome!  There were a few things I did differently that I think helped make it easier for the students to watch the videos.  I posted the video a few days before they had to watch it, let them know it was up there, and had designated times that the videos would be playing in my classroom.

While most students had watched the videos before they got to class, I'm not sure if they would do it every night.  I am going to try flipping once a week for a few weeks, and then bump it up to twice a week.  I think flipping is a great idea and works well with my philosphy, so I'm willing to give it all I've got to see where this can take our classroom.  I think the possibilities are endless!