Flipped Classroom Check-In #3: The One Where I Learned to Adapt

What a week Education Universe.

I'm about three weeks into school now, and I have tried to employ my flipped model and XP systems that I devised this summer.  The XP system, combined with Edmodo and Classbadges has been great.  The kids love it.

The flipped model... not so much.

This one is on me.  I gave the kids more than I should have and not enough time.  In my head, this utopian concept of the kids working, asking questions, and moving on through the activities made sense.  In reality, lots of questions, frustration, distractions, being a kid in general, and computer issues have been what I am dealing with so far.

Every year I swear there is this point, a moment in the year, where you decide to keep on with what you are doing because you're just into the year too far.  I'm afraid of that point, so I'm blogging my resolve to rally the troops after the unit finishes and take a new approach.

I tried to do a little too much.  I thought some of my kids would be done so early with the flipped videos that they would need more to do.  That hasn't happened yet.  My bounty system therefore hasn't taken off like I would want it to.  The good news is that on September 5, I already know the changes I need to make.

I feel like that first year teacher again.  Wide-eyed, enthusiastic, but missing the mark because I just didn't know better yet.

So if this were a baseball game, I think I probably didn't strike out, but hit a weak ground ball to first base.  Time to shorten up, focus, and simplify.  This IS going to work.  It has become a part of me.

Ok, time to eat my lunch.

Mr. J.