Blog Post #1
What is the biggest change you’ve made in your classroom? Was it easy or hard? Were you willing or resistant? Are you glad you did?
If you haven’t made a major change in your classroom recently, what change would you like to make for next year? Why?
What is the biggest change you’ve made in your classroom? Was it easy or hard? Were you willing or resistant? Are you glad you did?
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest changes for me is the way that I teach Social Studies. With the new standards this year, it has been a challenge to fit everything in and vary the way I teach it. Some students prefer the computer version, some like to work in groups or with a partner, and others would rather I read it aloud to them. I try to mix it up. One strategy that seems to work well is having the students work in a small group to learn a section and then share what they learned with the class. I usually need to add information that they left out. They seem to have more buy in to the information that they are learning. I do have to intentionally pick the groups or some groups would not complete the assignment. Some subjects are at an extremely high level for fourth graders to comprehend, so identifying potential challenges ahead of time is helpful.
My biggest change that I have made within the classroom is allowing students to make corrections on daily homework for full credit. I have not always allowed this so it is fairly new for me. I have learned that since our school changed homework to be such a big chunk of students' grades more students are willing to do this. It also allows students to have the correct answer and be more prepared for any upcoming quizzes/tests. This was not easy for me to do but after it being a year I feel more accepting of it. I am glad now that I have done it as it allows students to take a more accountability into his/her math grade if they want to do better they can.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change that I have made in my classroom is giving my students a choice during reading intervention. I would pick the activities that students needed to complete, but they were able to pick the order in which they completed the activities in. At first, this was a difficult change, but it has gotten students to be more engaged in reading intervention and the activities that they need to complete.
ReplyDeleteBiggest change for me has been switching schools and switching what I teach, going from 7th grade Geography to middle school computers. I thought I could start the year using the same approach that worked for me in Geography, teach the skill, have kids take notes, do some guided practice, then move on. It did not take long to realize it was not working the way I wanted it to. The pacing was all over the place, some kids were bored because they were ready to move, and others felt behind before we even got started.
ReplyDeleteSo I had to change, and honestly it was hard. I would say I was willing, but also a little stubborn at first because my old system was comfortable and it had worked for years. Once I accepted that computers needed a different style, I shifted into more of a guide on the side. I started letting students work more at their own pace and I built the class around the idea that I could support them while they worked instead of driving everything from the front of the room.
The only way to make that happen was to take the old curriculum and the new stuff I had created before the year started and basically rebuild everything from scratch. That was the scary part. Every day felt like I was teaching something brand new because I was, and I was doing it across three grade levels with three different sets of lessons that had never been taught before. There were definitely hiccups, but overall it went well, and I am really glad I did it.
The biggest win was what it did for my relationships with students. Once I was circulating more, I got to actually talk with kids, troubleshoot with them, and have real conversations instead of spending so much time delivering information. That change made the class better, it made me better, and it reminded me that sometimes the best move is letting go of what used to work so you can build what your students need right now.
The biggest change I made was going from teaching 3rd grade to teaching 5th/6th/and 7th. I absolutely loved 3rd grade and felt so comfortable and enjoyed the content. When the school decided I would be a great asset for departmentalized instruction, I would be lying if I said I wasn't resistant. I felt so behind on knowledge of the content and the age of the students worried me but one of the classes was a group I had had before when they were 3rd graders so that was a comfort. It was a hard transition but I am grateful for the experience it gave me. I learned to be more resilient with myself and my teaching and I gained confidence. I still love the younger grades but I do love the deepness of the discussions I had with my older kids!
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ReplyDeleteI think the biggest transition I made was to blended learning then to online then to four day. Switching scheduling techniques as well as constantly switching districts I am working with can be a challenge. But working with students across the state is absolutely amazing. I am so glad I have the opportunities I have as an educator!
This year our schedule switched from teaching live two days a week and two recordings a week to four live teaching days. I also have a course that is all online. Last year I was balancing three different types of teaching. This year I only have two; however, my pacing is now thrown off as well as different levels of student knowledge and ability with new students in a different district. Every year is just a whole new level of adventure. I tend to thrive in the chaos where I need to adapt, so it seems that I do well in that environment. So I wouldn't give that up!
One of my biggest challenges was to change to a lot more technology. I am old school and to transition to learning how to put everything on the promethian board was a challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change I’ve made in my PE classroom has been focusing on building stronger relationships with students. I realized that kids are more willing to try, behave, and engage when they know you care about them as people, not just as athletes or participants in class. It wasn’t a hard change, but it did take some extra effort, especially on busy days, to be intentional about noticing them, greeting them, or asking how they’re doing. I was definitely willing to make this change once I saw how much it helped, and looking back, I’m really glad I did. Classes run smoother, students are more respectful, and even the quieter kids start to open up. Focusing on relationships has ended up being just as important as any lesson plan.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change I made in my classroom is classroom management- although I am still fine tuning this, I really honed in on how to discipline and make sure things run accordingly. This change can be challenging as I continuously get new students with different personalities. I am willing to take ALL AND ANY ideas from other teachers when it comes to classroom management. When it comes to this area, I feel you can never have enough.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change I’ve made as an early childhood special education teacher has been moving away from file folder activities and toward hands-on, sensory-based learning.
ReplyDeleteFile folders felt structured and easy to individualize, which is important in special education. But I realized my students needed more movement, play, and real-life experiences to truly engage and learn. The shift wasn’t easy—I had to rethink routines and become more comfortable with a little more noise and flexibility. At first, I was somewhat resistant because file folders felt safe and predictable.
Now, I’m so glad I made the change. My students are more engaged, more communicative, and better able to meet their IEP goals through meaningful, play-based learning.
One of the biggest changes I have made recently to my classroom is how I have structured my reading block. I used to teach and interact with the students verbally but now I use a slide show to display everything I talk about and it also includes activities and examples for use to do and complete along the way. I also give students a list of assignments or tasks they need to complete independently so while they work through that, I have the ability to pull small groups.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would like to change is the flow of my math lesson. While I follow the I do, we do, you do model, I would like to find a better flow to my lessons and also find time to implement small groups for math as well to help with facts and to review skills some kids may have not mastered yet.
As a School Counselor, one of the biggest changes I have made over time in the lessons I work with students on is shifting from a greater portion of sharing information with students to creating more interactive and student-centered experiences. In the past, many of my classroom lessons focused on presenting information about topics such as graduation requirements, career planning, or post-secondary options. While that information is important, I realize that students are more engaged when they have opportunities to reflect, discuss, and apply the information to their own lives. I have worked to incorporate more discussion-based activities, reflection prompts, and opportunities for students to explore their own interests and goals during counseling lessons. This of course, requires some adjustments in planning and how lessons are delivered. It meant allowing students to participate and think more deeply about the topics we were discussing. At times it felt a little uncomfortable stepping away from a more traditional approach, but I was willing to try something different because I wanted students to feel more involved in the learning process. I am very glad I made this change because it has made counseling lessons more meaningful for students. When students are given the chance to share their ideas, ask questions, and connect the information to their own goals, they tend to be more engaged and thoughtful in their responses.
ReplyDeleteI am an Industrial Technology Instructor and our world constantly changes as new practices and new technology comes to the forefront. We are in a manufacturing heavy town and we work very closely with manufactures here to keep abreast of what is going on and what is coming down the pipe. One way we have done this is with the implementation of a Beg. Manufacturing course. This course has forced me to let go and put more responsibility in the students hands and let them truly drive the course. Students always start with a problem and how do we solve it. Once students have identified the problem, they go to work researching and designing a product to solve the problem. Once they have reached an initial design, they build a prototype and correct it until they get what they are looking for. At this point the student team designs a manufacturing process, start to finish with everyone taking a piece of the process and running their part. They put their process in motion and create the product on repeat. As they work through this process, they work through continuous improvement processes to make sure they are working as efficiently as possible by putting out a quality product. Many times students must learn new technologies or tools to complete their part of the process. One thing that as challenged me as an instructor is to not just point out holes in their logic or processes, but lead them with guiding questions but also letting them fail to discover where they need to make changes. This has overall been something that keeps students engaged and gives them ownership in their learning.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change I have made in my classroom is doing more project based learning, where students are "hands on" instead of read to learn. In the last few years, another teacher and myself have taught absolute location using handheld GPS units. We have just had kids look on our school campus and we also have taken kids geocaching at a nearby ghost town. Seeing how involved kids are with projects like this and excited they are to learn has really been influencial on my recent teaching.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the biggest change you’ve made in your classroom? Was it easy or hard? Were you willing or resistant? Are you glad you did?
ReplyDeleteIf you haven’t made a major change in your classroom recently, what change would you like to make for next year? Why?
The biggest change that I have made in elementary PE is I was able to get a TV in the gym! It has been amazing to be able to use more technology in PE. I am able to show inspirational videos to get kids hyped up for a unit, I show GIFS that continuously show how to perform a skill, and I post rules to a game so that the students can reference it anytime they need. The hardest part of this process was actually getting approval from our IT guy. He was pretty against it because he thought the TV would get broken, but the HS shop class built a cabinet for the TV so it is protected. I am so glad that I asked for a TV! It has been a huge help in elementary PE and has helped my visual learners immensely.
What is the biggest change you’ve made in your classroom? Was it easy or hard? Were you willing or resistant? Are you glad you did?
ReplyDeleteThe biggest change I have made recently is adding gallery walks, learning stations, and creating simulations with my students. I always feared the loss of control this would create, but in fact it is an effective way to move through a lot of material without the usual lectures and videos, and it puts students in charge of their own learning. Requiring them to think critically about whatever activity we have done means they are getting more reflective about their learning. I realize for many people these things are old news, but for me this has been an encouraging choice.
The biggest change I’ve made in my classroom was after COVID, when I shifted all of my social science classes from a fully analog approach to a digital one. Before that, most of my materials, assignments, and activities were paper-based, so moving everything online was a major transition.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning, it was definitely hard. There was a steep learning curve with new tools, organizing digital content, and helping students adjust. I wouldn’t say I was resistant, but it was a challenging shift that took time and patience. Now, though, it feels much easier and more natural, and I can’t imagine going back to how things were before.
More recently, the rise of AI has forced me to make another big change. I’ve had to completely rework my end-of-section questions, critical thinking prompts, and many of my assessments. This has been very challenging because it requires rethinking how I measure student understanding and making sure the work is authentic.
Even though both changes were difficult at first, I’m glad I made them. They’ve pushed me to grow as an educator and adapt to how learning continues to evolve.
One big change that I have experienced came after covid when our district moved to utilizing canvas as our LMS - previously, most of my assignments were either on a different LMS or on paper. Initially, I felt overwhelmed by the process of learning a new digital platform. I shared in many complaints with my colleagues during that first year of implementation. After that first year, I am so thankful for that this change took place. While it was a ton of work upfront, it has since helped streamline my assignments and in the end has actually helped to lighten my workload. Change in education is inevitable, there are constantly new ideas and methodologies being formed, learning to roll with the changes is critical as an educator.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the biggest change you’ve made in your classroom? Was it easy or hard? Were you willing or resistant? Are you glad you did?
ReplyDeleteI have made an effort to have more classes being student-centric as opposed to teacher centric. It is hard. It can be painful as a teacher because you have to have the willingness for the students and an idea to fail. I am always glad I did. A few times I would not repeat things. Most times I will make at least small tweaks moving forward. It is always worth it to see the students make connections and build knowledge more through discovery as opposed to regurgitation. I believe we need to balance what we do in order to cover the entire curriculum. It always seems that the lessons students remember the most were the ones where they took the lead in their experiences. I am glad for these experiences and will continue searching for more in the future.
The biggest change I made was stopping the habit of answering every student question immediately. Instead of being the person with all the answers, I started asking What do you think? or Where could we find that? It was difficult because it felt like I was being unhelpful. I was resistant at first because it’s much faster to just give the answer and move on. However, I’m glad I stuck with it. The students stopped looking at me for permission to think and started trusting their own resourcefulness.
ReplyDeleteNext year, I want to overhaul how I use physical space. I want to get rid of the traditional rows and create a layout that actually encourages people to talk to each other. I want the room to feel less like a lecture hall.