Cleared for takeoff!

Talked to my math coach and my principal today and got the go ahead to give it a try!  So excited.  Going to put a lesson together for next week to give it a "test drive" before I spend the whole summer putting this together!  Also handed out a questionnaire to all the incoming 7th graders about their access to technology at home :)

To be or not to be...

That is the question!  I have that excited feeling of an infatuated school girl.  All of my thoughts revolve around this new (to me) buzzword. The Flipped Classroom.  I've heard of this model before, and it was intriguing, but didn't sound like it was for me.  Then I watched an awesome webinar: Why I've "flipped" over the Flipped Classroom 
Whoa!  This year (my second official year teaching 7th/8th grade math) I learned so much!  The biggest three things include:

1. Never say anything a kid can say!  Questioning and HOT questions have become my priority.
2. Groups are where its at!  As a new teacher, my classroom management needed work. I have learned that I can't have kids staring at me in rows with their hands folded neatly on their desk while I lecture, just doesn't work for me.  Putting them in groups, giving them jobs and tasks and going around from group to group made me and them so happy, it was a joy to teach again!
3. Differentiation-I have kids who would be considered Honors students mixed in with Title 1 kids and IEPs.  I HAVE to differentiate. 

So with those things in mind, I stumbled across the webinar mentioned above and here I am!
As I've probably mentioned before, I hate my writing which is why I've been a terrible blogger, however, I feel like I need to blog to be a better reflected teacher.  Now that I have a purpose,  I feel a little more comfortable blogging.

Things I am doing as I investigate flipping:

Following blogs

• http://flippingwithkirch.blogspot.com/
• http://aflippedapproach.blogspot.com/
• http://www.educationdreamer.com/
• http://flippingmrthomas.blogspot.com/

Trying out websites

• http://www.sophia.org/
• http://www.mybigcampus.com/activity

And I will also be taking with my wonderful math coach Cynthia Millinger (http://www.charterschoolstartup.com/) next week about using it next year in my class!

Well hello!  I have not posted since September!  It was (technically still it) a crazy fast year!!!!  I learned SO much!  I wish that I had time during it to blog everything, but alas, I can't expect to be perfect.