Getting Back My Groove: Week 3

It has been two weeks since my last post.  During this time I have been able to achieve a sort of flow to the flipped model.  I am into a "groove!" This past week does not seem like the very first week of flipping when I felt like an overwhelmed student-teacher.

I have tried to follow the framework of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (Fisher and Frey) in structuring my instruction.  Flipping my class quite naturally accommodates this particular model.

The focus lesson happens at home through my video lessons. All the burden of instruction falls on my shoulders.  The students in my class simply observe and copy notes.

Guided instruction happens the next day when I do a review within the context of 3 or 4 problems. I do the problems with my students.  Using their knowledge from the night before, students work through these whole-class problems with my assistance.

When my class breaks up into their assigned partnerships for the week, we have entered the collaborative phase of the model.  Given common problems they work collaboratively to solve them and I, in turn, wander from partnership to partnership to ask them questions or answer their questions.

After correcting their work, students are tasked with self-selecting one of two independently completed assignments. This of course marks the independent phase of the model. The two assignments vary in their difficulty level.  One necessitates a basic understanding - the other is a more challenging look at the concept.

Here's my daily flow for (70 minutes) 6th grade math:

1. Warm-up ("bell work")  (I check their notes from the video lesson at this time.)
2. Review purpose
3. Share Edmodo questions/links from students
4. Review concept through 3-4 problems (Guided instruction-whole class)
5. Partner work on 3-4 problems (Collaborative work)
6. (Optional) Math games which support lesson objective/purpose
7. Self-selected problems (Independent work)

I have yet to move to a mastery model of flipping my class.  It seems overwhelming management-wise right now. But I know that is where I want to be sooner than later...