–Terra Graves–

In April, I gave you my answer to the “So what?” question I asked when looking at one of the research articles shared in Jon Bergmann’s Top 10. Here’s the link in case you missed it. The goal here is to provide K-12 teachers* with a practical application for what the research has found. Otherwise, what is the point of research?

*This month’s piece is geared toward administrators and the brave folks who facilitate professional learning for teachers and administrators.

The Research

A case study in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice did a “Double Flip” where they flipped the professional development of professors. The case study found the teacher gained confidence in these methods and student satisfaction ratings increased. from the May, 2018 issue of FLR

The Big Idea

Modeling. Modeling. Modeling. What better way to teach teachers and administrators about Flipped Learning than to use Flipped Learning with them so that they can experience it from the learner’s perspective? The courses we teach in the 21st Century Learning Department (Washoe County School District, Nevada) are online, face-to-face, or flipped. Teachers (like students) WANT more and more options for how they learn. With long days at school, after-school commitments, family time, etc., the last thing a teacher wants to do is spend 15 hours sitting in a class. Except for highly-technical learning, most content can be delivered entirely online, or the best of both worlds–the flipped model. Time is precious for everyone. Administrators: How many staff meetings could have been an email? Professional learning providers: How hard is it to keep teachers focused during professional learning classes after they’ve just spent the whole day teaching? There is a better way!

The Action

Administrators

I remember when I was in the classroom, and we had a weekly staff meeting. These were usually 30 minutes before the first bell. This sacred part of every teacher’s morning should NEVER be interrupted. For teachers, on staff meeting days, they need to show up an additional 30 minutes early to get to their inevitable last minute things like making copies, parent phone calls, grading, insert here your choice of 50 other things teachers do before the first bell. It throws the entire day off for the teacher, and most likely for the students as well. While this is not the intended outcome for most administrators, it happens more than you probably know. After-school meetings elicit similar concerns from your staff, such as “I have so much to do…I’m too tired to pay attention…This better be important.” A surefire way to contribute to your staff feeling burned out is to continue commandeering their time for things that could have (and should have) been disseminated differently. Today’s the day to change how you do staff meetings! Check out the resources below to help you get started.

Professional Learning Providers

What’s good for the kids is good for the grownups! I’ve taken hours and hours of professional learning classes, and I’ve facilitated hours and hours of professional learning classes. When I am in the role of the learner, I’m the worst critic of the instructor. Did you notice how I used the word “instructor” instead of “facilitator”? There is a huge difference between the two. An instructor does just that: instructs. To me, this means they talk at me in an effort to impart their wisdom into my passive, butt-in-the-seat self. These types of classes are usually called “trainings”; another word that makes me cringe. Am I a dog that needs to be trained? And, ironically, this flawed approach to information dissemination describes the vast majority of education today. A “facilitator,” on the other hand, literally means “one who makes things easier.” Flipped professional learning allows instructors to become facilitators. Just like with kids, adults want to have more control over the learning process and the products of learning. Everyone wants choice. Everyone wants to feel their time is respected. Everyone wants to have different ways to consume content. Don’t make me come to class and spend 20 minutes reading or working independently; I can do that at home. When I come to class, the activities I participate in should maximize that precious time I am investing away from my family and other commitments during after-school hours. Don’t contribute to teacher burnout. Take a look at the classes you facilitate in the traditional face-to-face method and create two lists.  

For example:  

If your classes do not have a variety of activities and/or you just have a 120-slide PowerPoint that you “deliver” instruction from and your participants just take notes…it’s time to rethink those classes. Ask yourself, “Would I enjoy taking my class in its current format?” Your answer to this question will be your guide.

The Resources

Administrators

• • Check out Flipgrid. This amazing tool is a video discussion board. It’s super easy to set up, and once you create your grid for the year, you can make each staff meeting a different topic. Once everyone gets past their shyness about recording themselves, they will really have fun. This will get the important information across AND build community with your staff. Read this teacher’s thoughts on how her principal rocked it!
  • How to Bring Flipped Learning to your Staff Meetings Kimberly Moran, School Leaders Now
  • Mastering the Flipped Faculty Meeting Sarah McKibben, ASCD Education Update
  • A Few Ideas for Flipped Faculty Meetings Peter DeWitt, EdWeek
  • Flipped Staff Meetings: Great Advice to Give and Follow Paul Hermes, National Association for Secondary School Principals

Professional Learning Providers

• Flipgrid is good for professional learning too!
  • 6 Fun Ideas to Engage Learners in Conversations, Vicki Davis, Cool Cat Teacher Podcast featuring Teryl Magee
  • How Can Microsoft Teams and Flipgrid Be Used to Create an Amazing Digital Classroom for Mobile Learning Jeffrey Bradbury, TeacherCast Education Network
• How to Help Teachers Create Their Own Professional Development TeachThought
• Using Video for Teacher Professional Development Mary Burns, Global Partnership for Education
• Look at my 12-part blog series, “Becoming a 21st Century Educator” which details the Individual Space and Group Space activities for one of my department’s flipped professional learning courses.  
• When Faculty are Students: Flipped Professional Development Panopto (Sorry for the advertisement, but it’s a good explanation for a university audience.)

After reading this column, I hope that the “So what?” you might be feeling after reading research studies becomes a “Now what?” feeling, and that innovative research becomes a call to action. And when you hear that call to action, I hope you will get lots of thank yous from your staff or your class participants because you showed them how much you value their time.