Teacher and Learner Reflection Practices
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 is joined by Avery Balasbas to delve into key aspects of effective teaching, student engagement, and the role of reflection in the learning process
Avery, an innovative teacher focused on modern classrooms, shares insights on fostering student-centered environments and using reflection to enhance learning.
Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:
Empowering Learners Through Reflection: Avery underscores the importance of incorporating reflection to motivate students. Encouraging critical thinking about progress, strengths, weaknesses, and setting goals empowers students to take charge of their learning. This cultivates self-awareness and metacognition, promoting a sense of agency and self-determination.
Student-Centered Learning: Avery's approach centers on students. He stresses culturally-relevant content, ethnic studies, and diverse voices in the curriculum. His classroom design prioritizes collaboration, mastery checks, and tailored instruction, catering to various learning styles for an engaging atmosphere.
Innovative Engagement Approaches: Adapting to remote education during the pandemic, Avery used platforms like Nearpod and Twitch to maintain interactive experiences. His dedication to vibrant online classrooms underscores his commitment to valuable and meaningful learning.
Toni Rose highlights the importance of educators seeking student input and adapting based on feedback. Avery's teaching philosophy blends modern approaches, technology, and student involvement to reshape education. Equity and diverse representation informs the work he has done to transform traditional lessons into empowering experiences.
In essence, the dialogue between Toni Rose and Avery reveals insights into student-centered education, reflection, and innovation. If you’re ready to take on a journey of your own, you will love listening as Avery discusses how to build empowering environments and systems for student input.
Discussion questions for PLC and PD:
How can you effectively integrate reflection into your teaching practices to empower students and foster metacognitive skills?
How can you leverage technology platforms like Nearpod, Twitch, or even social media to enhance student engagement and maintain connections in a digital learning environment?
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 she never had growing up, so she focuses on anti-bias, anti-racist work and wants to create a brave space for everyone around her. As a queer Filipinx, she understands just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. She especially loves being a thought partner for and celebrating teachers.
Our Guest
Avery Balasbas spent his career as an English teacher, mentor, and English Department Head in San Francisco. He earned his Bachelor of Art in English with an emphasis in literature and Master of Art in Teaching from the University of San Francisco. He loves the notion of rethinking education and learning to better meet the needs of teachers and students. Avery spent the last few years as a teacher developing a CTE Public Health Academy and redesigning his classroom to combine ethnic studies infused E/LA with blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning.
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