Over the years of having a flipped classroom, I have learned a lot, changed things that weren’t working, and found ways to be more efficient. I have seen so many benefits to teaching this way and want to share my observations with anyone who is toying with the idea of flipping.  One of the most beneficial things I have discovered is how I now know my students.  We use to have 40 minute math classes.  In this short amount of time I had to do a warm up, go over homework, teach a lesson, make sure the students practiced the concept so I could check for understanding and have time for them to complete an exit ticket.  With all there was to accomplish I barely had time to say good morning to them!  I felt like I was on fast forward each period.  I didn’t have time to really know my students and know what they are capable of.  Realistically during this rush of events, we had no time to have meaningful discussions in class, all the questions that should have been asked were not all asked, I didn’t have time to call on each and every student each day.  I didn’t know them as people and I didn’t know them as students. We since have gone to 60 minute math classes which alone has helped with all the problems listed above but taking the lecture out of being done in class has freed up time to have those meaningful discussions. Those discussions where everyone in the classroom is a teacher and everyone can learn something from each other.  The discussions where hearing the same thing in many different ways benefits more people than just hearing it one time or one way.

Before I started flipping and was teaching in fast forward, there was no time to slow down for the few kids who didn’t get it.  We had to keep pushing forward.  I would have to meet with them at a later time, usually outside of class time,  to help them with what they were struggling with because there was just too much to do in a short amount of time. There was no time to spare.  When the information is given in a video, everyone can work at their own pace.  One student may need more time to retain the information so it may take them 15 minutes to get through the video, but another student who has some background on that topic or learns faster may only take 10 minutes to get through the same video.  From the feedback I have gotten on this particular aspect of a flipped classroom both the slower students and the faster students are happy with this.  The slower students don’t feel like they are rushed to understand a concept and can take their time. The faster students don’t feel held back by someone who doesn’t catch on as fast.  And by watching the video at home, no one knows how long it takes them and it doesn’t matter.

All the videos are archived for as long as the Google classroom is open. Students can rewatch a video as many times as they would like.  Some may want to rewatch a video on a topic they are struggling with. My students take guided notes as they watch the videos so some will watch it once and take notes and then rewatch it to just focus on what is being taught without taking notes.  Others may rewatch past videos before a test or quiz.  I have even had parents watch the videos so they were able to help their son or daughter.  Another huge benefit from having the videos that they won’t get in a live lecture is being able to rewind if they didn’t catch something. They can rewind to hear the exact same thing again. In a live lecture it wouldn’t be repeated exactly how it was said the first time.

With the time that is freed up by not lecturing in class, there is time to make sure that each student’s needs are being met. Those that need support can get that support. Those that need a challenge can be challenged. It is less of me talking in class and more of them learning. At the beginning of the year, I train the students on how to have conversations about math.  Questions to ask each other, how to help one another without giving them the answer. We spend a lot of time as a class learning how to do this and we have plenty of time to implement it because of the flipped classroom.

Let’s talk about homework.  Over the years I have had many parents tell me that they can’t help there son/daughter with their homework. Over the years I have had numerous students come to class and say they couldn’t complete their homework because they didn’t know what to do.  They would come back with it partially done or not done at all.  Now a flipped classroom doesn’t solve all homework problems, but it eliminates many.  The students don’t need their parents because they are watching a short video and completing a few practice problems on their own.  Because they are only watching a short video and completing a few problems, it is not overwhelming and they know they will not be spending hours on math homework. It has eliminated many kids from not doing their homework.  Of course I still get kids that don’t do homework, but the percentage has gone way down.  I use EdPuzzle to assign the videos so I am able to see who has and hasn’t watch the video.  Lastly, with the kids doing homework like activities in class, it allows for them to get help from me. Traditionally students need help with homework or have questions and the teacher isn’t there to help them. This eliminates the problem and lets the students have a struggle with some support from the teacher if needed.

When students are absent, it is always a chore to get them caught up, fill them in with what they missed and make sure they are comfortable with everything.  In a flipped classroom, the students never miss instruction. They still get the full lesson the whole class has received. Yes, they do miss the meaningful conversations and activities, but they don’t miss the background and foundation of the concepts.  I do have kids that will watch the videos when they are absent and when they return they haven’t missed a beat.  This is invaluable aspect of the flipped classroom.

Last but not least, all students always have the best you!! For those of you that teach multiple classes that are the same have probably thought or said to yourself at one time, “did I say that to this class already?” Or maybe you have felt like your teaching of the lesson got better as the day progressed.  In a flipped classroom all of the students get the same lesson and hopefully the best lesson you give on that concept.  Don’t get me wrong, all your videos may not always be what you want them to be, but you can always change them and make them better.  And for those videos that are great, you will have them forever and can use them as many times as you want.  This frees up time for you to create new activities, lessons, or videos.

I have truly enjoyed stumbling through this process and learning how to do things more efficiently.  I have seen the benefits of a flipped classroom. It may not be for everyone but if you have the slightest thought that it might work for you, I say go for it!! You won’t regret it.

In a previous post I talked about why I personally started a flipped classroom. The reason I started flipping and why I continue to flip are completely different reasons.  I flip because I see the benefits it has on my students and I see how the time I am with them has changed for the better. I actually have my students for 60 minutes, which is a dream and I couldn’t image going back to 40 minute periods and accomplishing what I need to accomplish.  But I feel like now that I flip my classroom I truly know my students.  I am able to talk to each and every student about math each day. I am able to challenge those students that need to be challenged, I am able to support those students that need more support.  I know who gets the concept and who doesn’t.  Each student is able to contribute to the class each day. We have time for everyone not just a few because I have to get through teaching and an activity and go over assignments and answer questions!!! I will talk more about the benefits that I have seen later but first lets get started.

In this post I will talk about ways to help you be successful when starting out flipping. Let us be real…….. Flipping a classroom is a lot of work! But it is all front loaded and so worth it.  Once you get started you actually have a lot more time on your hands.  Let us start with where to begin. First decide what class you would like to start with.  I originally started with my block class but that was for other reasons not for the reason I currently flip and continue to flip.  After I got my feet wet and made many mistakes with my block class, I decided it would be beneficial with my regular classes.  I started with my 7th grade classes.  I would not recommend doing multiple grades or different classes at once.  To start out I would focus on one subject/grade level.  I chose my 7th grade classes because it was co-taught so I would have someone to bounce ideas off of and help me in trying new things.  And I thought if it went well, I would have some of the students next year as 8th graders and they would already know how things work.  I have a SmartBoard in my room so I went through all the slides in Notebook for each lesson and completely filled out the notes that I would be presenting.  This saves the time of writing while you are filming and allows you time to get the concepts across rather than having to write as you talk/teach.  This is where a lot of the time consuming process comes in.  But with so many things, once its done once it doesn’t have to be done again. I tried to do a weeks worth at a time, but you could do it daily or even by unit if you wanted.  Once this is done, it’s time to start filming.  I use my iPhone and upload them to my computer to edit.  This is what I feel is the best way to film for me.  I previously mentioned one mistake I made when starting out is using a program that records my computer screen.  This is not the most engaging way to have your students watch a video.  When they see you in the video and you can point as you are talking it is much more captivating than just listening to my voice and watching a screen. Once I have filmed and edited I upload it to EdPuzzle.  Many people just create a YouTube channel, however with EdPuzzle I can keep track of who watched the video, when they watched the video and how many times they watched the video.  I personally like this, but if you don’t care about being able to keep track of this, a YouTube channel would be good enough.  Also, EdPuzzle is easy to create a class from Google Classroom so it takes no time to set up.

Before I have my students start watching videos I send home a letter to the parents about a flipped classroom.  This informs them about the benefits and what to expect.  Homework looks different for a student in a flipped classroom so the parents also need to be educated about this experience.  They sign off on it so I know that all parties has been informed about what their child is expected to do to fulfill their part in the learning process of a flipped classroom.  During the first weeks of school we talk about, model, and practice how to watch a video that is teaching them a concept. We talk about how they watch a TV show, a movie or a YouTube video and how that is different than watching a video about their math topics.  I spend at least a week watching the videos in class with them. First we will watch them all together on one screen. I pause the video when they should be pausing to write something down or to catch up on notes. I show them how to rewind if they miss something. I teach them how to write a question in the margin of the notebook to ask the next day since they can’t raise their hand at that moment to ask it.  When I feel like we have practiced together as a class enough, they spend one or two days watching the videos on their own but in the classroom. This allows me time to help them with any unexpected glitches.  As a class we talk about problems they come across the first few times they watch them because others may come across the same problems.  And then they are finally ready to be on their own. The first few nights they have a video for homework there are always some problems that arise.  I am very lenient the first week or so they are on their own because they are still learning the expectations. This is new to them so they need some time to get it down pat too.  This has been a very positive experience in my classroom for me. I give each of my students a survey at the end of the year and I get positive feedback from them also. Their opinions are extremely important to me since they are the ones who are experiencing this as a learner. I have changed some things over the years from their feedback. Both my 7th and 8th grades are now flipped. Like I said, I couldn’t imagine going back. Especially after the benefits I have seen over the years.

A few years ago I was given an 8th grade block class with all the struggling students. From the get go these students were not easy to motivate. They  were upset that they missed an elective to have two periods of math which was a subject they already disliked. They obviously were not good at math because they were placed in this class.  Although it was a smaller class, 18 students, it was larger than it should have been with where these students were in their math skills .  There was no way I could spend the time with them that I needed to with all of their needs and so many of them.  I knew I had to do something! In the mean time our tech coordinator had been bugging me to flip my classroom for a while.  I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.  So with the help of our tech coordinator, I started researching and planning and gave it a go. I started with just that class.  I needed more time with these students. Although I had them for 82 minutes a day, the time I had with them each day wasn’t quality time.  Because I started flipping and giving the students some background knowledge before they came to class I was able to arrange my time in class into different stations where they could be somewhat independent for a little bit without me in some of the stations so I could meet with small groups. They were with the same group for a week or two and then I would mix them up.  They would rotate through the stations starting with a different one each day (according to the schedule). This allowed for me to meet with everyone in a small group each day.

That was 4 years ago and I did so many things wrong!! Now my classroom is almost 100% flipped and it has evolved so much.  It is not for everyone but I hope by sharing my journey I can help someone who is interested in joining in on flipping!  By sharing all the things I did wrong I hope that anyone who thinking about flipping can do it without making the same mistakes I made. Mistake #1: I started out using screencastify because the thought of taping myself everyday was not high on my list.  I wasn’t interested in being in the videos.  However, it is much more engaging for the students to see you and for you to be able to do it along with them.  Now most of my videos include me.  There are still times when it is easier to do them on paper, but I never use screencastify anymore.  An example of when I would do them on paper is during the transformation unit when I like for them to see how the shapes/objects move.  Mistake #2: trying to do a whole lecture in one video.  At the beginning my videos were about 20 minutes long. YIKES! I would never have one that long now.  They are about 5-10 minutes which is just right to keep their attention and accomplish the goal.  Mistake #3: assuming they know how to watch an education video.  In this day and age kids watch YouTube videos which is not how they should be watching a flipped video.

I will take you through my twists and turns of started a flipped classroom.  The benefits, the challenges.  How to not make the mistakes I mentioned.  I love having a flipped classroom and can’t imagine going back to a traditional classroom.