The reason this stood out in my mind is because I honestly feel that we have too many teachers out there who are still reluctant to change or alter the way they've taught for years. I know we can all relate to this when we've taught a particular lesson or unit that we love, and that we don't want to part with. But guys, we have to face the fact that our secondary students are quite simply growing out of the lecture/notes style of teaching. We need to keep up with the demands that colleges and careers require, and we need to move towards a twenty-first century classroom. This is a classroom that is technology based, interactive, devoid of drill and kill and maybe even textbooks in some cases.
I believe whole-heatedly that every single classroom in this country needs to embrace the 80/20 Style of Teaching.
I first heard the term "80/20" from Chris Christoff of the Pasco County District Office. He spoke of it at a PLC Facilitator training that I attended, and the concept really stuck with me. Essentially, an 80/20 classroom is one in which the students spend 80% of the time "doing," and the teacher spends 20% of the time "teaching." In order to meet the demand of the Common Core, we need to SHIFT and make that transition to having the students take ownership of their leaning. These CCSS Shifts are only going to happen if we relinquish control of our classrooms, and let the kids take the stage. For some teachers, this concept is extremely difficult to digest, and I don't blame them. For so long we have been the ones standing in the front of the room leading our students, but the truth is so clear...it just hasn't worked. Sure, back in the day, having kids copy notes from the overhead about pronouns, then having them complete three pages of "practice questions" from the textbook, worked. That's how I learned what a pronoun is, and how I can still tell you today. The problem lies with the fact that was almost twenty years ago! The world is changing! We are way past simply needing our kids to know how to diagram sentences. They need to know how to use those sentences to formulate arguments based on texts they have read, and apply them to the real world around them.
MIND BLOWN.
The 80/20 classroom is something we need to see happening in schools all over our country in order to make Common Core work. We are definitely headed in the right direction, but I still see so much resistance when I speak to fellow teachers and even parents. I wanted to give you an idea of what I envision an 80/20 classroom looking like. This is the direction I am aiming for with my instruction and planning this next school year, and I hope I can inspire other teachers to not be afraid of these shifts and changes, but to EMBRACE THEM!
TECHONOLOGY BASED
Let's be real...our kids know more about technology than we do! It makes no sense to not utilize every opportunity we have to embed technology into our classrooms every day. We don't even teach handwriting anymore, and why should we? This is the age of computers, and it will only get more advanced as the years move on. In my ideal 80/20 classroom, I would have an iPad or computer at every table group so that my students could explore, learn, and research any moment they feel they need to go deeper. Use Smartboards, CPS clickers, iPads, Prezi, Socrative, etc! The 80/20 classroom is all about keeping students engaged, and we all know that they are much more likely to be engaged when technology is involved. I get fired up when I hear teachers say that "powerpoint" is using technology in the classroom. Maybe five years ago! There are SO MANY amazing programs and tools available for you to use right now. Spend some time, ask for help, and explore some of them! I think you'll surprise yourself at how easy they are to use, and how much of a difference they will make in your instruction.
NO MORE ROWS
To me, the 80/20 classroom means that desks are arranged in cooperative groups or pairs. I struggled for years to find the perfect classroom arrangement, and I'll admit that I used rows...one year. One of the most important shifts that we will need to make in our classrooms is evidence based discussions. Our kids NEED to talk about and hash out what they are learning. It's not easy for them to speak to one another when their desks are arranged in rows. I know that teachers will argue that they talk too much and misbehave unless they are sitting in rows, but if you establish firm classroom rules and teach procedures, and create meaningful lessons that are engaging and purposeful, you'd be surprised how the talking will switch from being focused on who's dating who, to conversation based on the activity they are involved in.
TEACHER BECOMES FACILITATOR
This is one of the things I am personally struggling the most with. It's physically and mentally painful when you design an interactive lesson, and you watch as your students don't understand at first, or don't know what to say to each other during discussion, or can't figure out the answer to the question right away. It's in our nature to want to help them along, and intervene. Something I'm learning, is that sometimes I have to take a step back, and let them fail. Let them mess things up a bit, and then find their own way out of it. I promise you, as hard as it is to loosen the reigns, you will be so pleasantly surprised and ECSTATIC the first time they figure it out themselves. Our children are resilient and brilliant, and problem solvers. We just have to give them the chance to show it. I always tell my students that the most they will hear me talk ALL year is the first week of school. Nobody wants to spend fifty minutes sitting in silence while their teacher talks. Instead, I spend the majority of my class time listening, adjusting when needed, offering assistance or guidance if they get lost a bit, and laughing or giving praise when they figure something out...on their own.
TALKING, MOVING, CREATING
One of the biggest shifts we have to make for an 80/20 classroom is to allow time for meaningful, text-based reflection and discussion. This can be done through partner sharing, Socratic Seminars, online, or whole group. For me, discussing a concept or a text with your peers is almost, if not more, important than writing or answering questions about it. We all learn from each other, and if we really want our students to reach a deep analytical understanding of these CCSS, then the discussion piece is essential. Many educators are afraid to let their students talk in class because they assume things will spiral out of control. It's not going to be a pretty transition, but just like anything we want them to do, we have to teach and model procedures for class discussions. Our students should be engaged every second of the period in our classes. In addition to meaningful discussion, we also need to add in movement, and opportunities for students to learn based on their own personal needs. I never limit my students to one particular product that I want them to produce, to show they mastered a skill or concept. Some might want to write, some might want to draw, some might want to speak, and some might want to build. Part of our job is to allow students the opportunity to express themselves in our class. I guarantee you that your jaw will drop the first time you let a student who finds writing to be difficult make you an iMovie about the Holocaust rather than write a paper about it. Sure, they have to know how to write, but we can also give them chances to shine their own unique ways as well.
GET RID OF "THEY CAN'T"
All of these components of an 80/20 classroom don't mean anything if we can't get rid of the dreaded words, "They can't." This is the big barrier. These are the words I often hear at my own school and at PDs at District. These words are vile to me, yet I've heard myself utter them many times in the past. This is my biggest "Aha Moment" as I've learned more about these Common Core Shifts. None of them will happen unless we start changing our attitudes. We need to have faith in our students, but more importantly, we need to have faith in ourselves as teachers! They CAN have a meaningful class discussion without getting off task, they CAN read that complex text if you help them through it, they CAN sit in groups and be productive, you CAN learn how to create a Prezi presentation, you CAN take a step back and let your kids take control of their own learning! If we, as educators, can get rid of the "They Can't" epidemic, then we CAN make these shifts happen in our classrooms across the county, state, and country!
Guys, we are on the verge of something great here. I am so proud to be a teacher not only because of the kids I am blessed to work with every day, but also because of the EDUCATORS I am blessed to work with every day. We need to stop resisting change, and start embracing it. It doesn't matter whether we agree with Common Core or not. However, I think we CAN all agree that we need to make a major adjustment to the way we've been teaching to really help our kids be prepared for whatever life may bring them. Start small. Your classroom doesn't have to transform into an 80/20 classroom over night. The important thing is that you begin to realize that kids learn better by doing, and that you begin to take those baby steps towards creating the ideal learning environment to foster that concept.
One of the best lessons that I've been taught as a teacher is that I have to be open to change. I have to accept when things don't go the way I intended them to, and know how to grow from the experience. I have to be willing to do whatever I need to in order to ensure that my students are becoming productive members of society. I want my students to learn in an 80/20 classroom, and I will adapt and change my teaching methods to get there. It might take a while, but that's the fun of it!
After all...SHIFT happens :)
