Opening classroom doors and re-evaluating “class lists”

Education is changing. Demands on students and teachers alike are becoming more and more rigorous. Higher accountability means more in-depth lessons, using strategies and structures, and teachers providing students with everything they need to be successful. Classrooms have changed from “close the door and teach your lesson” to collaborative teams of teachers that all teach the same lesson on the same day—without the use of textbooks. What our team has decided to do is take this a step further.

How can we meet the needs of every individual student while still providing whole-class instruction? Is it possible for each teacher to teach what THEY specialize in? How can we decrease stress on teachers while increasing effectiveness in the classroom?

Teaming and deployment

This year I am on a team of 3 teachers: John, Tracy, and myself. We decided we wanted to step out of the box. We are teaching remedial math and each specialize in a grade level—mine is 7^th grade. Here’s how our team works:

Students are not assigned to a specific teacher or classroom. As a matter of fact, their schedules just say “math lab.” We have the use of 3 classrooms next to each other, and instead of having a teacher’s name on the door, they are named: Mission Control (computer lab), Minecraft (individual desks), and Think Tank (cooperative learning tables). We deploy students according to collected data from their math class, test scores, participation, behavior, gender, grade level, etc.

Benefit to students

No student falls through the cracks. If a student struggles on a test or pre-quiz, they may be put in one of the classrooms with just 5 other students to work with one of us for a week or more until they feel comfortable with the subject. While I might have 6 students, the other students that have math that class period are broken into two groups to go with John or Tracy. Those classrooms would either have centers, a large group game, or a computer inquiry assignment.

Students’ interests are used in our decision making. For example, the interest survey they filled out at the beginning of the year through google forms is now used to divide them into 3 classes: one studying math in video games, one studying math in cooking, and one studying math in music for a 2 week long study (hypothetic). This increases engagement, as students study what they care about.

Benefit to teachers

As teachers we also have the benefit of designing one lesson and having all 3 groups of students rotate into our class to do our lesson. The students look at the door each day to see what room they’re in. This week the 7^th graders were in my class Monday, 8^th graders Tuesday, and 6^th graders Wednesday. I taught a lesson on the rules and procedures for math lab. Tracy taught a lesson with centers, and John had them set up their Ed Modo accounts in the computer lab. By the time I got to day 3 of teaching my lesson, it had gotten 3 times as good! I only had one “First period trial class” rather than every teacher teaching the lesson the same day and having three “1^st period trial classes” each day. I only had to plan ONE lesson for 3 days, while other teachers in the building are stressing planning lessons every night. Pictured is an example of how we can use this with content.

 

This Math Lab teaming has been the best experience of my (short but sweet) teaching career thus far. I see the way the students benefit from changing groupings and teachers. Students come by my classroom ASKING if they can be in Math Lab (remember,….it’s a SECOND math class…and it’s REMEDIAL!) No more “my student has a bad math teacher this year. They’ll just have to deal with it until next year.” Also, there is the potential to have no more instances of one math class scoring exceptionally on their state exams while the one next door does mediocre at best. No more Mrs. Smith having 35 students 2^nd period while Mrs. Johnson only has 11.

We finally have a method of recognizing the needs of EVERY student without having to close your door, “do the best you can,” and make 10 versions of your lesson to accommodate the needs of every student. This is a breakthrough in education.

This teaming can be done in Core classes as well. If all 6^th grade ELA (English) classes meet the same class periods, teachers can move students around in 3 day rotations, and each design their own book study or project. Even better, teachers can come up with a week-long project or lesson and then students rotate to a new teacher each week. Teachers benefit from the ability to design an AMAZING lesson and perfect it over 3 weeks. Students benefit by experiencing different teacher’s styles and classrooms.

Teaching is the best profession in the world because we teach every (future) profession! I can’t wait to see how the students do in Math Lab as this year progresses. I am so blessed to work on a staff that isn’t afraid to try new things and do what’s best for the STUDENTS. When we were first developing this class others were hesitant…I’m ready to prove all of our conventional classroom minds wrong.