So this happens on the same day I read an article from a teacher that feels the flip is over-rated. I think it's good to read critique articles as much as supporting articles, but yesterday was just not the day I was strong enough to stand up to the negativity. I started to think...maybe it's just a fad, maybe it wouldn't work.Maybe it WOULDN'T work, but is that a reason not to try??? Well, I started to have doubts and I haven't even tried it yet.
This is when I reached out to Heather Witten - a Spanish teacher in Colorado that has successfully flipped her Spanish class. I'm obsessed with her blog and link to her site in pretty much everyone of my posts (and of course, this one will be no different). I wrote a comment on her 'Contact Me' page:
Hi Heather!
I didn't know exactly where to post this question, but how do you respond to the skeptical teachers/parents/others that ask you: Students don't even do "regular" homework, why would they watch a video lesson at home?
Since reading your blog, I've been so excited to even just try a blended structure before a full flip. It seems, though, that anytime I bring this model up to teacher friends, they are very doubtful something like this could ever work (I tell them, actually MANY classrooms are very successful).
I know there is definitely a students vs homework challenge (I've always kept mine to a minimum and still have those that don't do it), but I keep thinking about how much classroom time could be used more productively by actually USING the language and building fluency through this structure. I imagine it would be a challenge at first and I remember reading some of your earlier
posts about students not watching videos, but how do you respond to the doubt: they won't watch, why should they learn at home?, what would be the point to coming to class (reallY??), it takes the relationship out of teaching (a teacher friend actually said this!), parents won't be on board...
For me, I think this model opens up so many possibilities that I would rather try to make it work and have it fail than to have not tried it all. It's funny how some teachers can be so open to shifting a paradigm, while others see change as a new edition or publisher of a textbook...
Thank you, Heather! Your time and comments are very much appreciated!
I didn't know exactly where to post this question, but how do you respond to the skeptical teachers/parents/others that ask you: Students don't even do "regular" homework, why would they watch a video lesson at home?
Since reading your blog, I've been so excited to even just try a blended structure before a full flip. It seems, though, that anytime I bring this model up to teacher friends, they are very doubtful something like this could ever work (I tell them, actually MANY classrooms are very successful).
I know there is definitely a students vs homework challenge (I've always kept mine to a minimum and still have those that don't do it), but I keep thinking about how much classroom time could be used more productively by actually USING the language and building fluency through this structure. I imagine it would be a challenge at first and I remember reading some of your earlier
posts about students not watching videos, but how do you respond to the doubt: they won't watch, why should they learn at home?, what would be the point to coming to class (reallY??), it takes the relationship out of teaching (a teacher friend actually said this!), parents won't be on board...
For me, I think this model opens up so many possibilities that I would rather try to make it work and have it fail than to have not tried it all. It's funny how some teachers can be so open to shifting a paradigm, while others see change as a new edition or publisher of a textbook...
Thank you, Heather! Your time and comments are very much appreciated!
She wrote me back the very same day...but in a post! I was very flattered. She made some excellent points - ones I had thought about myself, but I guess I let myself focus on the doubt rather than the excitement of trying something new and daring to change the norm.
The two points that will stick with me are: 1) Listen to the criticism and learn from it, and 2) to get advice from wherever you can. Most support will initially come from other flippers who are scattered all over the place physically, but can be reached via social communities.
So thank you, Heather Witten! My excitement is restored :)
