Trying New Things in the Classroom

by Amanda Berg

Emily Chaffee is a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Mount Morris Central School, located in the Western New York area.

She’s a newer teacher who recently graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2017. She’s also currently attending Arizona State for her Master’s. Now working her first full time teaching job, she’s trying out new methods in the classroom to try and reach the many different ways her students learn.

Chaffee says that she carefully plans lessons by taking elements from the New York State Common Core and state modules, and making them her own based on the needs of her students. Once the information is gathered, she works to set it up the lessons, which she adds all follow the same structure:

· Do now- a short question to answer and talk about that relates to the topic

· Mini lesson- a 10 minute period in which she teaches

· Independent practice- kids work in groups, partners, or independently

· Exit ticket- a question or way to assess what the students learned from the lesson

She says she knows a lesson is successful when the students seem ready and eager to work on their independent practice work, and by the exit tickets. From there, she gages whether she needs to reteach material, or if she can move on from the topic.

She also explained the basis of Social-Emotional Learning, which is a current education buzzword. She says “[it’s] basically just applying what my students learn in class to their own personal lives and through the way that they communicate with others. This includes showing empathy, managing emotions, setting goals, etc. I would say it is a concept but also something that every teacher should be doing in their classrooms.” She adds that it’s easy to incorporate SEL into her English lessons since students can relate to characters in books.

SEL isn’t the only way Chaffee brings the modern world into the academic arena. She hosts what she calls a “half flexible seating classroom.” She explains that “Kids are able to choose their seating if they are well behaved and pay attention. I let kids use flexible seating when we are reading, because we usually listen to an audiobook of the text.” At her school, each student has a Chromebook computer, so her classroom is half technology, half traditional paper. She also has an account for teaching on the social media platform Instagram, which helps her share and find ideas easily.

Images of Emily Chaffee's classroom, courtesty Emily Chaffee

A common argument against non-traditional learning methods is that it can be a distracting environment. Chaffee counters this, offering that her students love it. “Kids no longer respond to lecturing anymore, especially middle-schoolers. In all honesty, you will have a middle schooler’s undivided attention for maybe ten minutes… This is where I quickly get my lesson in. Students love group work and talking to their peers. Many students do not learn the traditional way, so they love mixing it up. They love to get out of their seats, see visuals, listen to the story, and figure out things for themselves. It makes them feel empowered! If a teacher is still teaching completely traditionally, they are doing something wrong.”

She also notes that she gives students choices for projects, however doesn’t offer alternative assignments for everyday work. If a student does need extra support, however, she’s always willing to provide it.

Chaffee says her classroom is "half flexible seating" and that students can sit in the different seats if they behave and turn in assignments.