🏫 10 things from Matt's classroom

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💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

🏫 10 takeaways from Matt’s return to class

The final bell has rung. Tests are graded. Lockers are cleaned out.

My school year is complete!

I went back into the classroom this semester — after eight years (!) of writing, speaking at schools, and running the Ditch That Textbook site/newsletter.

I taught high school Spanish (my old job — and all of my old classes) in the district where I live.

Why did I go back?

A big reason: I got to see my senior daughter in the hallways. My sophomore daughter was in my Spanish 2 class. And my wife taught social studies down the hall from me.

Also important: After leading professional development for so long, it was time to put into practice what I had been telling teachers to do.

It was also a big reminder of all of the challenges that teachers face. When I wasn’t in the classroom, I remembered some. Going back into the classroom, it was a huge wakeup call for certain things I didn’t remember.

Here are my top takeaways from being back in the classroom:

1. I didn’t realize how much I missed being with students. Getting to know them. Goofing around and laughing with them in the little in-between moments. I’m planning to do some substitute teaching next year to stay plugged in.

2. I liked the routine. After working from home (and on the road) for eight years, it was an adjustment switching to a down-to-the-minute schedule. But routine can be comforting. I also liked the challenge of working within the constraints of a 46-minute class period.

3. I didn’t use technology all of the time. I know that we talk about tech integration a lot here at Ditch That Textbook. But we also preach the importance of balance. I used tech a decent amount. But some of my favorite activities didn’t use tech at all.

4. Classroom fave: lap whiteboards. I love these things! Students grab a board, marker, and eraser. First thing we always did was take 60 seconds to draw a picture. Then we did vocabulary/grammar drill, practiced writing sentences, did grouping activities, etc.

5. Classroom fave: describing AI images. Where have AI image generators been all my life?!? I created images for them to describe — or to kickstart telling a story. We got LOTS of repetitions on new material just describing these images. My favorite AI image generator ended up being Ideogram (ideogram.ai).

6. I taught AI without teaching AI. When we described AI images, we took some time to identify any “AI weirdness” in the images. Sometimes, I would ask the students if they could figure out what prompt I used to get the image. All of these little AI conversations helped students understand and navigate a world full of AI — and I didn’t have to plan an explicit lesson around all of it. We just talked.

7. I used a “no late grades” policy. I’ve always balked at the idea of late grades. If grades are a measure of academic proficiency, then late grades skew what students can actually do. I’ve read about teachers not taking points off for late work, so I thought I’d try it this semester. I had grades by percentage: 50 percent tests/quizzes, 30 percent classwork, 20 percent class participation. So classwork was the only one where they could really lose points for late work. It encouraged students to finish work no matter what. A few students abused the privilege a bit, but by and large, I was happy with it.

8. I still need to improve as a teacher. I reflected on things that I could improve. For one, I fix things too quickly for students and don’t let them wrestle with it long enough. Another: my grading practices aren’t good enough. My class grades don’t reflect student performance well enough. I also need to use rubrics more often — and make them better.

9. Classroom fave: rotating stories. I’ve read about Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms and the practice of standing by a whiteboard to do work — then collaborating with other students. I tried a version of that in my Spanish classes — rotating stories. Each student started with a section of whiteboard. (I was fortunate to have LOTS of whiteboard space in my classroom — and I added extra space with Wipebook sheets. Highly recommend.) It was fantastic! Students started stories, rotated, and added to each other’s stories. So much fun.

10. This will make me — and Ditch That Textbook — better. All that I experienced in the classroom reminded me of what you (classroom teachers) do … and who you (tech/instructional coaches, etc.) support. I myself have been supported greatly by DTT blog/social media editor Karly Moura and DTT business manager Jeff Miller to keep this newsletter and resources rolling while I’ve been in the classroom. Starting now, I’m back to DTT full-time now (with occasional substitute teacher gigs). I’m bursting at the seams to start writing and sharing lots of new content with you again.

🗄 Template: Summer Priorities Template

“What are you going to do this summer?”

🤔🤔🤔

If you quit paying attention, summer break flies by in a flash. Having a plan can help students make the most of it — and give them something to think, write, or talk about in class.

Wrapping up the school year? Looking for a “change of pace” activity for summer school?

This Google Slides template lets students write about their summer plans. Then, they can drag the customizable tiles on the right with summer activities.

Get the summer priorities template here!

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!