Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Toni Rose Deanon is joined by Drea Siford, a fourth-grade teacher who prioritizes student understanding over rigid pacing and in doing so, has transformed her classroom into a dynamic learning environment.

They emphasize the challenges and benefits of this approach, including the importance of intentional small-group instruction and the use of data-driven strategies.

Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:

• Focus on mastery, not completion: Drea’s philosophy is that all students should not be required to complete all activities. The goal is to master the essential concepts. This often can mean prioritizing mastery over content completion.

• Focus on learning and finding joy in the process: Rather than adhering to a strict timeline, Drea focuses on ensuring that students grasp concepts deeply before moving on. "I would love to see more teachers implement the model. I just want to see my students go on to be successful and feel joy in learning. That's it. That's my whole why.”

• Focus on finding individualized solutions: Teachers can create focused small groups to address specific learning gaps. Drea states, "I'm looking at the mastery check that most of the kids just completed, and I'm seeing how they did, and I know, let's pull these kids that got 40% and let's try to figure out why they got 40%. First, let me look at your notes. Oh, you didn't take notes. That might explain it, you know?” Problem-solving while working with students one-on-one and in small groups makes it easy to identify gaps in understanding and why those gaps might exist in the first place.

Discussion questions for PLC and PD: 

• How can we effectively balance structure and flexibility in a self-paced model, especially for younger learners?

• What strategies can we employ to ensure that all students, particularly those who may struggle with self-directed learning, are engaged and motivated?

• How can we effectively communicate the benefits of a self-paced model to parents and administrators who may have concerns about accountability and standards?

Our Host

Toni Rose taught MS English for 10 years and will forever identify as a teacher. Toni Rose strives to be the teacher that they never had growing up, so they focus on anti-bias, anti-racist work and wants to create a brave space for everyone around them. As a queer Filipinx, they understand just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. They especially love being a thought partner for and celebrating teachers.

Our Guests

Drea Siford

Drea is a California native, living in Maryland, via South Carolina and Florida. She loves gardening and crocheting when she’s not teaching. She has been teaching for eight years in Baltimore City, primarily with Multilingual Learners. She has a passion for infusing technology in her teaching as way of finding innovative strategies to reach all learners. She is also passionate about all things associated with the Science of Reading.

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