Here I am, only a week and a half into my “flipped classroom” and I already feel like I am failing! Woo-Hoo! Who wants to help me figure it out?
Ok, ok… don’t everyone jump at once. Let me tell you my dilemma first.
In order to keep students accountable for watching the video and recording the notes before coming to class I am “grading” the notes each day. The students are supposed to come in and have them on their desk for me to see while they work on their Warm-Up. After I take attendance, I walk around the room with my class roster and mark 1 point for each student who has it done. Students who did not do the “homework” are to do the video & notes in class at that time. For those students I mark 1/2 point.
Sounds easy enough, right?
But is it really? Is it really fair to give these students a grade for this?
I have a few different ethical concerns that come with assigning a grade for this. First, is the completion of watching the video & recording the notes really a reflection of what the student has LEARNED? I think not. I HOPE that the student is learning the material while they watch and listen to my instruction, but simply copying what I have written does not actually show me any level of understanding. And shouldn’t their grade be a reflection of what they have actually learned?
Second, I have no control over how busy their home life is. This is a huge part of why I am attempting the flipped classroom. One of my hopes is that students who struggle with their math homework would be more willing to watch a video and copy notes than struggle through practice problems. But even so, my students may typically do their homework on the sideline of their sibling soccer practice, or in the car between dance and basketball. With this new “flipped classroom”, I may have actually made their homework less accessible to them.
Or we all ask the question – does my student have internet access at home? In fact, this week one of my students told me that she did not have her notes done because they lost internet over the weekend. She worked hard to get the notes made up at the beginning of class and join in the class work immediately upon completion. But why is it fair to her to take points off when the lack of ability to complete it was not her fault?
Why isn’t there just a “Do this, Not that…” book for teaching?
Any advice? How can I hold students accountable for watching the videos? How can I ensure appropriate opportunities for students to watch the videos? How can I be a better teacher than I am right now? And the most important question of all: How can I ensure my students and I all survive until winter break?
Drop your comments and let me know!
Try. Fail. Learn. Repeat. 
You bring up some valid questions. Questions that I have myself. Something that may help, I give students a citizenship grade for completing little assignments such as your videos and notes. These do not factor into their academic grade at all. As far as those kiddos that can’t do it at home? I encourage kids to come by during breakfast time and work. I also try to give the remaining 5-8 minutes of class for activities such as this. Maybe instead of “homework” what if this IS your bell work while you take attendance? Ultimately how the student performs on the standard come assessment time shows what that student has learned. I use to grade EVERYTHING! I now know the value in not grading EVERYTHING.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and I hope that you continue to do so. This is something that I would follow, not only for ideas, but also to know that I am not alone in my endeavors!
LikeLike
I have gone back and forth about recording a “grade” that does not factor into a student’s academic grade. I spent some time trying out “standards based grading” – where practice work would not count toward or against a student’s level – and there are some amazing things about it, but ultimately I have swung back to more traditional recently. This is more because I believe that the only way to do standards based grading well is to NOT report percentages or letter grades. Of course that is not a decision I can make at the classroom level. Trying to translate standards based grading into a percentage or letter grade undermines the whole idea of standards based grading. But I digress…. perhaps “grading” should be a topic for a different blog post.
Also, I 100% agree with you – there is value in NOT grading everything!!
I am glad you enjoyed reading my thoughts – and yes, you are not alone! Us crazy, immature, quirky middle school teachers need to stick together! We are the “middle child” and we revel in the awkwardness – but it can be exhausting and emotionally draining at time.
Like my dominoes picture, keep getting back up after every time you fall!
LikeLike
We use Standards Based grading at my building “unofficially” according to the district. Our grades are percentages. 95% Advanced, 85% Proficient, 75% Basic, 65% Below Basic, 55% Fail. This has worked for our building. Just a suggestion.
LikeLike
Thank you for your post. I have not every tried the flipped classroom model, but I know that some of the teachers in our high school have used it. I find your insight helpful as my colleagues and I begin to choose new curriculum for next year. It seems that in solving the “I am having trouble doing my homework independently” problem, it has created a new problem involving the students’ access to necessary technology and online capability. These types of dilemmas seem to make our job as educators even more difficult.
LikeLike