Blake Scarborough, a math teacher at Saluda High School, discusses how making the change towards personalized learning can be a scary at first, but well worth it in the end.
Let's Do it!
In my third year of teaching, I accepted an invitation from my principal to participate in a personalized learning (PL) cohort at our school. I am always eager to learn and to try new things, so I said, “Sure, let’s do it!” Although I wanted to make certain changes in my teaching, I was terrified to give up any amount of control of the classroom, especially after how my first year ended and having worked so hard to regain that control. When I say “give up control of the classroom,” I do not mean that I let the students hang from the ceiling and run wild like we see in movies. I have just learned that I need to teach my students more than content - more than adding and subtracting, more than how to solve a quadratic formula equation. I also have to teach them how to manage their time, how to be responsible for their assignments, and how to be their own leader. So “giving up control” sounds scary, but it’s really not. My current principal reassured me multiple times that my classroom management had improved and that I could handle the shift to personalized learning. As the saying goes, you are your own worst critic. I had to overcome what I was told about my inadequacies during my first year, and I have grown so much since then thanks to the support of everyone at my current school.
I have just learned that I need to teach my students more than content...I also have to teach them how to manage their time, how to be responsible for their assignments, and how to be their own leader.
A Change Worth Trying
Since being able to participate in the PL cohort, I have completely changed my teaching techniques. I went from a traditional, teacher-centered model of instruction to implementing a student-centered personalized learning approach. I decided to go “all in” with PL because I wanted to improve myself as a teacher and to better meet the unique needs of my students. I knew that I would have plenty of support while being a part of a cohort; I could try aspects of PL while having others to exchange ideas with and to help me through it. In doing this, I am also trying to teach and reinforce the characteristics outlined in the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, such as work ethic and self-direction within my Algebra and Foundations of Algebra courses.
Next Steps
I have only begun my PL journey. My next step with PL implementation is to create Google Forms for students to use to turn in assignments. Another goal I have is to allow students to take tests when they are ready and not on the day that it is assigned. It continues to be a work in progress, but I am encouraged. I am also grateful for the support of my administration and have enjoyed seeing the growth in my own professional practices as well as the growth in my students.
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