Across New Zealand, a group of teachers and leaders are exploring what it means to bring AI into classrooms in a way that reflects their own values, languages, and ways of working. The result is something distinctly Aotearoa: thoughtful, grounded innovation with people – not technology – at the center. This approach is meant to lead to stronger teaching practices and more meaningful learning experiences for students.

At Mountain View School in Mangere Bridge, Principal Ben Hutchings has been using M2 for over half a year. What began as curiosity has turned into a quiet transformation of how his staff learn.

“It’s not about replacing anything we do,” Ben explained. “It’s an add-on. It helps us see what’s really happening,  and make it better.”

His focus now is on tracing M2’s influence all the way to student outcomes. If teacher practice is improving, are students learning more deeply? It’s early days, but the signs are promising. “You can feel the shift in how teachers talk about their teaching,” he said.

At Mayfair Primary School, Principal Foxy is thinking about culture and authenticity. His community includes many Māori and Pacific learners, and he’s paying close attention to how M2 handles language and voice. “AI has to sound like us,” he said. “The pronunciation of Māori words in our school values — it’s actually getting pretty good. That matters.”

For him, cultural integrity isn’t an optional feature. It’s the test of whether AI belongs in a New Zealand classroom at all.

That line – delivered with a grin – got a laugh from everyone who’s ever tried to have an honest teaching conversation in front of leadership.

Foxy’s point here was simple: teachers need safe spaces to learn from one another without the feeling of being evaluated. Tools like M2 help make that possible. M2 listens without judgment, offering neutral feedback that belongs to the teacher, not to an observer with a clipboard.

As Michael Harvey, a secondary teacher at Marlborough Boys College, put it: “It’s not about tick-boxes. Teachers can decide what kind of feedback they want. It’s low-pressure, and that’s what makes it powerful.”

Rachael Coll, Principal of Waihi Beach School, has been thinking about reflection through a different lens — the performance mindset common in sports. “Athletes are always chasing feedback to improve,” she said. “But for kaiako, it’s easy to say, ‘I’m fine, it’s working.’ I want M2 to be that neutral, non-biased person in the room that helps us keep growing.”

Her school is also exploring how M2 might support student behavioral data collection — a time-consuming process teachers often can’t capture accurately in the moment. “If we can get authentic data without changing the environment,” she added, “that changes everything.”

Ben’s team has also been helping to shape M2’s customization features — experimenting with how teachers can select specific focus areas or question types for feedback. “The goal,” he said, “is for our kids and teachers to see themselves in the tool.”

That idea – personalization rooted in local identity – is becoming a hallmark of New Zealand’s approach to educational AI.

Michael Absolum, founder of Evaluation Associates, has been a quiet connector behind much of this work. He describes this phase as a discovery process: “They’re figuring out what works — and doing it faster than most. What’s special is how they’re linking pedagogy, policy, and community all at once.”

He sees early adopters like Ben, Rachael, and Foxy as trailblazers who are helping define what responsible AI looks like in New Zealand schools.

Building something local

This movement is defined by collaboration and trust, not competition or compliance. Principals are sharing policy templates and privacy frameworks, teachers are sharing classroom hacks, and everyone seems to be asking the same question: How can we make this work for our learners, our language, our values? It’s a model of innovation that feels deeply human. Instead of asking how AI can make teaching easier, these educators are asking how it can make learning richer, more inclusive, and more connected to who they are.

“As long as we’re staying true to our values,” Foxy said, “we’ll find the way forward.” And they are.

The post Listening differently: How New Zealand educators are shaping the future of M2 appeared first on Swivl.

Last fall, we introduced the first cohort of Mirror Mentors—educators committed to building habits of reflection and feedback that support both teacher growth and student learning. Today, we’re excited to welcome six new mentors who are continuing that work and exploring how M2 and MirrorTalk can help create more thoughtful, responsive classrooms – critical in the age of AI.

I don’t really think growth is possible unless we are willing to reflect.

Tony Chancellor, Innovative Learning Specialist | Oklahoma City Public Schools

Tony supports PreK–12 teachers across a large urban district and brings a bold, student-centered philosophy to everything he does. “Education is the great equalizer,” he says, and he works to empower both students and educators to think critically, create boldly, and grow through reflection.

A long-time Swivl user and early adopter of MirrorTalk and M2, Tony integrates both tools into coaching and classroom support. “With MirrorTalk and M2, my reflections have become better and more intentional,” he shares. Whether he’s modeling a strategy in a sixth-grade class or facilitating a demo for teachers, Tony helps others experience how reflective tools can spark real growth.

As a Mirror Mentor, Tony continues to advocate for a feedback-reflection cycle as the foundation of powerful, evolving practice.

Reflection is often overlooked in traditional education…Yet it is one of the most powerful tools for growth.

Dr. Darcel Hogans, K–5 Media Specialist | Atlanta Public Schools

Darcel believes that “every student is a genius in their own way,” and she uses equity, exploration, and self-reflection to help students unlock their full potential. Inside her media center, she has created one of the calmest and most reflective spaces in her school.

Since being introduced to MirrorTalk in 2023, Darcel has used it to support students in emotional regulation, self-awareness, and critical thinking. “MirrorTalk has revolutionized how I support students,” she says. “It’s created a safe space for students to pause, reflect, and process their emotions before re-engaging in learning.”

One moment that stands out? A student used MirrorTalk to process anger and prepare for a class presentation—instead of shutting down, they regrouped and stepped forward with confidence. For Darcel, it was proof of the transformative power of reflection.

M2 quickly became more than just a coaching tool—it became a way to boost engagement, deepen learning, and drive continuous growth.

Meagan Stass MacDonald, Instructional Coach | Barrington Middle School Prairie Campus, IL

With 15 years of experience, Meagan coaches teachers across content areas and grade levels, helping them build meaningful, student-centered learning experiences. “Real learning happens when we take risks, make mistakes, and reflect on our experiences,” she says.

Meagan began using MirrorTalk in coaching cycles and saw how it encouraged deeper teacher reflection. When M2 entered the picture, it added new dimensions to the work. “M2 quickly became more than just a coaching tool—it became a way to boost engagement, deepen learning, and drive continuous growth.”

She recalls a lesson where M2 asked a real-time question that helped students connect learning to current events. “The room buzzed with energy as students shared their own examples,” she said. “M2 then gave feedback in a way that was supportive and encouraging, just like a teacher would.”

Now, Meagan is working to help educators make reflection a natural part of the classroom. “It’s not just something we do,” she says. “It’s how we grow.”

New ideas stick when students are given the chance to reflect on their learning. That’s why it must be a key part of every lesson.

Erika Inka, Instructional Coach | Barrington Middle School Prairie Campus, IL

In her 17th year in education and 10th year coaching, Erika partners with teachers to support instructional growth across disciplines. For her, reflection is embedded into every part of the process. “Learning happens when we take time to reflect on new ideas,” she says.

She uses MirrorTalk and M2 to slow down, think out loud, and push her thinking in new directions. “The questions and feedback I get through MirrorTalk and M2 really help me reflect more deeply,” she shares.

As more teachers at her school began using both tools, Erika saw a shift: students began reflecting more, and feedback became more personalized and immediate. “New ideas stick when students are given the chance to reflect on their learning,” she says. “That’s why reflection must be a key part of every lesson.”

As a Mirror Mentor, Erika is excited to collaborate with others, reignite the spark of reflection, and help schools make reflection an everyday habit.

When reflection becomes part of the culture, teachers feel safe to grow, share feedback, and refine their craft.

Chaz McGhee, 5th Grade Teacher | Baldwin County Schools, AL

Chaz brings intentionality and optimism to his classroom, grounding in five pillars: leadership, creativity, diversity, collaboration, and compassion. Since receiving M2, he’s fully integrated it into whole-group, small-group, and independent instruction—pairing it with MirrorTalk for end-of-day reflection. “It was a seamless integration,” he says. “Students loved the futuristic feel, and I could better support their individual needs in real time.”

One of Chaz’s key insights came when MirrorTalk helped him recognize how assumptions about student background knowledge were shaping his instruction. That moment sparked a shift in how he will deliver content and checks for understanding. He now models both tools for colleagues and advocates for a culture of reflection school-wide. “When reflection becomes part of the culture, teachers feel safe to grow, share feedback, and refine their craft,” he says.

As a Mirror Mentor, Chaz is helping others see how reflection and AI can sharpen pedagogy without the pressure of evaluation—and create classrooms where feedback feels supportive, not high-stakes.

We’re not here because M2 is just a cool tech tool—we’re here because we see its potential through a futurist lens.

Robert Mayfield, High School Teacher, TOSA, and College Instructor | Ripon High School / Teachers College of San Joaquin, CA

Robert teaches AP Human Geography and supports AI integration and professional development across his district, while also preparing preservice educators at TCSJ. His instructional model blends student-centered learning with emerging technologies. “My goal is to use technology not to replace teachers, but to elevate both teaching and learning.”

During the M2 Spring Tour, Robert immediately embedded the tool into his classroom—using it in station rotations, student discussions, and even teacher coaching. “M2 became a thinking partner—for me and my students.” From generating follow-up questions to enhancing engagement, M2 opened new pathways for real-time feedback and reflective learning.

Now piloting M2 in peer observation models and teacher prep programs, Robert sees this work as the foundation of a broader shift. “We’re not here because M2 is just a cool tech tool—we’re here because we see its potential through a futurist lens.”

Together, these educators remind us that reflection isn’t just something we do—it’s how powerful learning begins

From elementary libraries to AP classrooms, and from coaching cycles to college campuses, the Mirror Mentors are showing how feedback, intentionality, and AI can come together to build something powerful. They are not just adapting to the future of education, but actively shaping it.

We’re proud to learn alongside them, and even more excited to keep sharing their stories. Look for classroom snapshots, live events, and conversations from this group throughout the year as they inspire a broader educational community to realize this fundamental shift.

Meet the rest of the Mirror Mentors here

The post Spring Mirror Mentors cohort aims to scale impact of reflective technology appeared first on Swivl.

We’ve been working this year on helping more and more educators see reflection as a transformative act that drives deeper thinking, personal growth, and meaningful connections. It contributes directly to the development of the whole person, and for so long, it’s been dangling right in front of us, underutilized. We’re changing that. Now, MirrorTalk is thrilled to introduce the Mirror Mentors, a dedicated group of educators who champion reflection as the key to unlocking potential in classrooms and beyond. The Mentors not only integrate reflective practices into their own teaching, but also inspire others to do the same.

Here’s a closer look at the incredible leaders shaping this movement.

Dr. Susan Jinks

Dr. Susan Jinks brings a wealth of experience from teaching in five states and across all educational levels, from elementary to graduate school. As a middle and high school computer science teacher, she integrates technology into her classrooms to provide students with deeper learning opportunities. MirrorTalk AI has been transformative for Susan, enabling her students to pause, reflect, and recharge after lessons or activities. For Susan, structured reflection allows students to process their learning journey and identify their next steps. Her mission is to empower students and educators to embrace reflection as a moment of growth and self-awareness, supported by data insights that drive actionable outcomes.

Keith Piccard

With 24 years of experience as a biology professor, Keith Piccard is a champion of critical thinking and inquiry-based learning. Keith’s mission is to cultivate a scientist’s mindset, encouraging students to examine their learning process and make evidence-based connections. As the creator of the RAIL Project, Keith immerses students in real-world aquatic ecology research, providing them with hands-on experiences that solidify their understanding. Through reflection, Keith ensures students not only grasp scientific concepts but also gain ownership of their educational journey. His dedication to fostering a reflective classroom environment underscores his commitment to lifelong learning and excellence in science education.

Katie Schroder

Katie Schroder is an instructional coach and work-based learning instructor dedicated to empowering educators and students in her rural Iowa school district. With a background in secondary English and technology education, Katie focuses on personalizing professional development through reflective practices. Using MirrorTalk, she fosters authentic connections and growth among educators and students alike. Katie’s mission is to create supportive spaces for learning, where AI-driven reflection amplifies growth and inspires confidence. Her work is reshaping coaching cycles and mentoring programs, proving that thoughtful reflection can lead to transformative professional development.

Andrea Taylor

Andrea Taylor is the Alabama Technology in Motion Specialist for Region 6, leveraging her extensive experience as an instructional coach, library media specialist, and social studies teacher. Andrea believes that reflection is at the heart of learning, enabling educators and students to think critically about their growth and understanding. Her mission with MirrorTalk AI is to establish reflection as a consistent practice in classrooms, helping learners of all ages develop the habits needed for lifelong learning. Andrea’s dedication to structured reflection ensures that every student and educator can benefit from deeper thinking and meaningful self-assessment.

Megan Rozzana

Megan Rozzana has spent the past decade fostering a love of learning in elementary classrooms, using arts integration to make English Language Arts come alive. Now serving as an academic coach in northwest Arkansas, Megan supports K-6 teachers in enhancing instruction across all subject areas. Her mission is to cultivate lifelong learners by embedding reflection into the learning process, enabling students and educators to process new ideas, ask questions, and celebrate growth. With MirrorTalk AI, Megan provides a safe space for reflection, empowering learners to track their development and deepen their understanding in a meaningful way.

The Mirror Mentors are taking what we’ve built and redefining what it means to reflect in the classroom, inspiring educators and students to embrace the power of their own voice in developing stronger self-awareness and critical thinking. Together, they’re building a community where reflection is not just encouraged but celebrated as the foundation for growth and success.

Ready to help your school embark on its own reflective journey? Follow the lead of our incredible mentors and discover how MirrorTalk can transform your classroom, your teaching, and your students.

Interested in being a Mentor? Contact me at sara@swivl.com and let’s chat!

The post Introducing the Mirror Mentors: Champions of reflective practice & technology appeared first on Swivl.

With MirrorTalk, students can talk about their successes, challenges, and plans for future work.

Traci Johnson | Rochester Schools

USE CASE

To increase authenticity and ownership

Traci Johnson

English Teacher & Instructional Coach

School/District

Rochester Schools

Grade Level: High School

“Many students seem to struggle with written reflection.” Dr. Traci Johnson is a big believer in the necessity of reflection, especially after a large project or assignment. However, the reflections teachers in her school were getting largely seemed inauthentic, like students were just checking the activity off the list to get it done.

Finding authentic student engagement

“Some reflection prompts worked better than others, but we felt students weren’t doing the work to understand how their successes and struggles helped them grow and how they can apply that to future learning. They were trying to say what they thought the teacher wanted to hear.”

Using MirrorTalk has allowed Traci’s students to engage in more authentic reflection. Students can talk about their successes, challenges, and plans for future work in a less formal manner. Not only are the reflections higher quality, but Traci and her colleagues have been able to share the AI-generated feedback with students so they can work to further improve their reflective skills.

Setting up designated reflection spaces with MirrorTalk and M2

Students and teachers can engage with MirrorTalk on any web-enabled device or on Swivl’s M2 hardware. Traci utilizes M2 to set up a dedicated, portable station that helps students get into their reflective zone.

Traci has been flexible in how she places M2 in her school and how it’s utilized daily, to see what works best. She’s also been observing how others use the device when they borrow it. “In an ideal world, we would have 5-6 M2 devices for teachers to check out to use in their classrooms. Currently, we have two.” Some teachers with large enough rooms have students go to a designated spot to record their reflections. Others have students take it to the hallway to reflect. 

This week, Traci plans to use M2 in her classroom, and due to her proximity to the library, plans to have students use M2 there. They will be reflecting on the research process and how they can transfer the skills they are learning in English class to other courses that require research.

Start a free trial of MirrorTalk

Ready to transform your reflective practice? Download the app or sign up now to try MirrorTalk for yourself. Sign up and get started today!

The post Authenticity over compliance appeared first on Swivl.

We reflect as a piece of every single learning activity. MirrorTalk has significantly reduced my work in reviewing each reflection.

Chris Johnson | Rochester Schools

USE CASE

To streamline feedback and increase growth potential

Chris Johnson

Social Studies Teacher

School/District

Rochester Schools

Grade Level Middle School

“Three years ago I made the decision to intentionally include more student reflection into the curriculum.” Chris Johnson, a social studies teacher in Rochester, IL, had begun testing and using some great reflection tools to make his vision a reality. But he found very quickly that “if I didn’t assign grades for these reflections, students wouldn’t bother to do them.” The decision to include reflection as a regular and integral part of his curriculum has worked very well for Chris as far as his goals for class growth.

Integrating student reflection into the curriculum

When Chris made the decision to amp up the amount of reflection his students were doing, he was typing the prompt and having them record video responses on their own. The problem? All those videos were taking so much time to watch. Chris explains, “I am very happy with my students’ willingness and ability to reflect; however, it has created a massive amount of grading.” He was feeling the demands on his time, and deeply understood each reflection was imperative to learning.

Streamlining feedback

MirrorTalk has alleviated the demands on Chris’ time. Students now provide quick verbal feedback and reflection on the projects they are doing. Chris then skims through their responses and sees their reflections without having to watch each 2-minute video. 

For the teacher, MirrorTalk makes it easy to understand feedback on student learning.

“Currently, I have 3 student reflection stations in my classroom. Two M2 devices – I borrowed one from another teacher – and 1 laptop. It’s clear that students prefer the M2 unit, so it looks like I’m going to need a third device!” In Chris’s stations model, being able to add an additional unit has significantly elevated the frequency they can reflect and process.

Maximizing MirrorTalk’s potential

When Chris thinks about his ultimate goals for what success looks like using Mirror, he wants to know how the students see their reflections being useful in the future. “I want them to be better at creating authentic reflections and processing authentic feedback, and I’m excited for the possibilities with MirrorTalk in helping them reach that.” 

Looking forward to Chris’s own personal goals to expand how he uses MirrorTalk, Chris has his sights set beyond the school walls. “I also would like to use it with my athletes. They do a lot of goal-setting and I would like to see how they progress with MirrorTalk as a tool for a higher level of improvement.”

Start a free trial of MirrorTalk

Ready to transform your reflective practice? Download the app or sign up now to try MirrorTalk for yourself. Sign up and get started today!

The post Radically more reflection in half the time appeared first on Swivl.

Start with Glows and Grows

Sometimes the best feedback comes in the simplest forms. An easy, high impact way to start leaving feedback for yourself or others starts with the click of a button. That’s why we are improving the way you begin your feedback process with Bookmarking. 

During an observation, your focus should be on connecting with your students and delivering the lesson. However, self-reflection helps you to improve and develop your teaching practice more effectively. As you teach, start with simple mental checks: 

“What is unique about my teaching?” 

“What critical skills am I trying to develop?” 

“What am I unsure about so far?” 

This is where Bookmarking can help you with your after-class reflections and guide and support your video observation.

How can Bookmarking help?

1. Glow: When the lesson is moving along well and you’re feeling confident it is progressing positively, click the ‘UP’ arrow on your Primary Marker, and on your screen you’ll see a star:

2. Grow: When something isn’t quite right but you can’t put a finger on it, or you have questions that require your attention later, click the ‘DOWN’ arrow on your Primary Marker, and on your screen you’ll see a lightbulb:

Later when you’re watching your video on our web platform, continue Bookmarking using the corresponding web icons. Revisit your internal conversation you started during the recording, focusing on your triumphs and opportunities for growth.

“Bookmarking directs viewers to specific moments that are tied to key information and/or behaviors. This allows focused exploration and refining to enhance instruction. We also love using bookmarking to celebrate good things that are happening!” 

-Jonathan Seabourn, First Baptist Academy, @fbaicampus

Bookmarking is for Everyone

Bookmarking while recording using Secondary Markers (for students or a coach in class) allows students to contribute to their own learning and aids the teacher in identifying where students are thriving or struggling. For coaches, bookmarking using the Secondary Markers is a low-effort, high-impact way to deliver feedback during the lesson.

Bookmarking is a form of feedback, so don’t forget to edit your Bookmarks into actual comments when you are ready to expound upon your moments of reflection. Use Prompts to get ideas on how to start your dialogue or develop your own Comments from scratch. Don’t forget to apply Rubrics to your Comments for even more meaningful dialogue based on your organization’s coaching methodologies.

Update for Teams Owners & Administrators

In addition to our enhanced Bookmarking, you will also notice some big changes in the Team Admin Space. Responding to feedback that it is not always clear whether you are working in the user-facing or Admin-facing side of your account, we made improvements to aid your distinction. 

The post Reflection Can Be Powerful with Teams appeared first on Swivl.

But what about student coaches?

Of course, these are teachers.

Teachers encourage students, motivate them, and help them build skills in one-to-one settings. 

Through all of these acts, teachers are coaching students because they are teaching through relationships.

If teachers are coaching students, but not calling it coaching, why focus on the term? 

Why we need to identify and name the act of coaching students

Putting a specific term on any practice has a few important functions. 

Naming something brings attention to it. We can discuss coaching students easily when we have a name for it. A name makes it easier to measure and improve coaching students, too. We can also ensure teachers have strategies and tools needed to maximize the impact of their coaching moments. 

It’s important to note that coaching is a specific act with a student, not a broad term to describe any interaction. 

It’s not every passing conversation teachers have with kids. It’s not when the teacher is addressing the whole class through a lecture or questioning. It’s not when the teacher is grading a student’s work.

At the same time, coaching can happen in a variety of places and contexts. 

For example, as a high school English teacher, I had some of my most impactful short conversations with students when talking to them outside the classroom right before class began. 

In these moments, I was teaching students through building relationships with them. Those were coaching conversations.

What does student coaching look like?

In most cases, a coaching conversation involves teachers interacting with one student or a small group, likely sitting down, making deliberate time for that individual or group’s needs, and asking lots of questions.

The goal of this is to move beyond helping a student improve a skill. It’s more than ensuring students understand any specific information. Those outcomes might come out of a coaching conversation, too, but they’re not the focus. 

The purpose of coaching conversations with students is to dig into a student’s mindset and the stories behind its development. 

Teachers have all had students who “get in their own way.” This term applies to students who appear to have the skills needed to succeed, but demonstrate behaviors or patterns of thought that prohibit them from doing their best. 

However, when a student is academically successful according to their test scores, grades and GPA, they can also benefit from coaching, and shouldn’t be overlooked in this discussion. Sadly, some of those severe mental health crises I observed while teaching were from high-performing students under tremendous pressure from their family, peers and themselves. 

In short, every student has a story of struggle. Coaching can help everyone.

When a teacher makes time for coaching conversations with students, it’s a chance to dig into this mindset, uncover barriers to learning, and help students conquer mindset issues that may be holding them back from doing their best work. 

Of course, these results usually don’t happen through one interaction. 

As a teacher, I was often “playing the long game” with certain students, understanding that it would take weeks or months to establish a relationship with a student, develop their trust, and show them I was there for them. Only then could I begin to encourage and push them towards doing their best work. 

This required prioritizing relationship building and conversations over other activities over the long term. At times, I might’ve been more lax about these students’ work habits at the moment, knowing that pushing them in this way wouldn’t be helpful. It was the process of teaching through relationships.

My story of discovering the power of coaching students

I once taught a student, who I’ll call Phillip. 

He talked more than anyone in class. However, most of his comments were quick, random thoughts, vaguely inspired by the topic of the day. Occasionally, he’d share a beaming insight that soared over the heads of the other freshmen students.

From this, I knew Phillip had great verbal skills. However, when it came to writing, he was lost. His thoughts were too rapid, and he couldn’t keep up while typing or writing. So he felt blocked.

At first, this frustrated me. 

I redirected him. I conferred with him 1:1 during class. He would say, “yes, OK, sounds good Mr. Dawson” and then go back to rocking in his chair or talking to students near him. I moved his seat. I lost my patience and appealed to his “grade” or “losing points.”

All the while, though, I talked to Phillip about his interests. I knew he liked music. He liked Magic: The Gathering cards. He was a social person and enjoyed asking me questions about myself and checking to see if I knew other teachers in the school that he liked talking to. 

Eventually, I asked Phillip to stay after school, so we could work on his backlog of missing assignments. Despite my frustrations with his writing, he knew I wanted to help him. 

When we met, I talked to him about one of our writing topics. It was an essay about his love of music and his experience learning the bass guitar. I asked him questions and realized he had great information to share. A perfect personal narrative. 

Then, I turned on my iPhone Voice Memo app, and hit record. I repeated my questions. He repeated his answers. I played back the recording and said, “what if you don’t focus on coming up with ideas and writing at the same time? What if you just focus on writing down what you already said?”

The results weren’t miraculous, but it worked.

As a quick aside, this shift from writing to audio has been a valuable tool throughout my teaching career. School is often focused on writing as the primary means of capturing thinking, but audio is a convenient and accessible method for both students and teachers to use. 

He still struggled with focusing. However, he popped on his headphones and started chipping away at the recording, writing down ideas he heard and wanted to keep. He finished the assignment and turned it in. 

He successfully passed English. This was his second attempt, so it was a big deal.

The spectrum of skill development vs. emotional development

After I made time to build a relationship with Phillip, there were a few results. 

First, he used this recording tactic to do other writing assignments. Second, most of his future writing assignments in class went more smoothly for him.

He built his writing skills. But more importantly, he realized he could write.

It was only through prioritizing conversations with Phillip and exploring his interests, that we discovered this idea to help him break through his struggles. 

While coaching students will often lead to building content knowledge and skills, the biggest impact comes from emotional development. 

When teachers coach students, and help them improve their mindset, they help them with the ultimate transferable skill, useful across classrooms and situations outside of school. 

That is the power of coaching students. The power of teaching through relationships.

The post What Swivl means by ‘student coaching’ appeared first on Swivl.

There have been incredible challenges over the last twelve months but also opportunities to innovate and disrupt traditional ways of teaching. When the pandemic forced school closures in March, over 20,000 educators turned to the Modern Classrooms Project’s blended, self-paced, mastery-based instructional model. 

While there are still challenges that lie ahead, the Modern Classrooms Project can support educators and students as they return to in-person learning and begin to address the social-emotional and academic impacts of COVID-19. Educators can also effectively differentiate instruction and deepen student learning by using technology tools like Swivl coupled with the Modern Classrooms Project instructional model.

Learning levels have widened

There have always been a broad diversity of learning levels within a classroom but the pandemic has only made these gaps more extreme. While some students thrived in the remote and hybrid learning setting, many have suffered academically, socially, and emotionally. A recent analysis of student learning loss due to the pandemic found that students learned only 67 percent of the math and 87 percent of the reading that grade-level peers would typically have learned by the fall. The learning loss was especially severe for students of color, where scores were 59 percent of the historical average in math and 77 percent in reading.

Students’ varying academic levels will need an instructional model that meets them where they are.The Modern Classroom instructional model replaces a one-size-fits-all approach with differentiated instruction and flexible structures that meet the unique needs of each and every student. Students are no longer pushed ahead to a new lesson each day. They can take the time they need to truly master new content and only progress when they are ready. 

Centering student relationships

Children and adolescents have not been spared the unique stresses of the last year. Some students may have lost a loved one or experienced economic hardship due to a parent losing their job. Some may have become more aware of systemic racism, climate change, and other societal issues like food insecurity and healthcare availability. It is critical that schools are responsive to the unique experiences, attitudes, and feelings students will bring back to the classroom. While this is a global problem, there are things that any individual teacher can do to start addressing these needs. When in-person learning resumes, we know there will be a temptation to be singularly focused on academic content to make up for learning loss. While it’s important to build students’ academic skills, it will be equally as important to focus on students’ social and emotional well-being and foster positive relationships with them.

The Modern Classroom instructional model allows educators to spend less time delivering whole group instruction and more time working closely with students. By leveraging blended instruction through teacher-created videos, teachers can use valuable class time for supervising small group work, checking in with students one-on-one, and providing meaningful and personalized support. This small group and one-on-one time helps foster healthy, trusting relationships with students. Relational teaching takes work and time, but it is the key to building supportive school communities for our students. 

Disruptions will continue

Modern Classroom educators report that our model provides them with flexibility to more easily transition between in-person, hybrid, and remote learning environments and assist  students who miss class. According to a 2016 Department of Education report, 21% of high school students miss more than fifteen days of school per year. This number could be even higher next year. Students may miss school for a variety of reasons outside of their control and should have opportunities to access content and pick up where they left off. In Modern Classrooms, students can access content at any time and from any place via teacher-created instructional videos. 

Blended, self-paced, mastery-based classrooms put students in the driver’s seat of their own learning.  Students don’t have to wait for whole-class direct instruction to access new content: they can easily hit play and watch a short instructional video created by their teacher. After watching this instructional video, students can proceed to their assignments and apply what they have learned. Students control the pace of their learning as they move from lesson to lesson. When students are in control of their learning, they naturally take more responsibility for their learning. This learner independence is a 21st century skill that will benefit students long after their school days are over.

Leveraging technology

Modern Classroom educators were at an advantage when the pandemic struck because they were comfortable leveraging technology to facilitate learning. But for many teachers, technology was not as commonplace in their classrooms and they had to quickly learn how to use new platforms, apps, and technology tools. Now that educators have these new technology skills, they can’t let them go to waste. Educators can harness their use of technology and serve their students even better than before. 

As students across the country adapted to remote and hybrid learning, they, too, became more familiar with education technology and its various uses. For Modern Classroom students, the transition to remote and hybrid learning was made easier by their expertise using technology to access instruction. A study by John Hopkins University found 66% of students in a Modern Classroom report that they learn how to use technology in class compared to only 47% of students in a traditional classroom, and that 100% of Modern Classroom educators felt they used technology effectively. In the last year, districts have invested more heavily in technology devices and infrastructure and it will be important that their instructional models support the effective and efficient use of this new technology.

Preventing burnout 

Teaching is challenging even in the best of circumstances, and  the pandemic has made it substantially harder and put immense pressure on educators. An alarming poll from the National Education Association found that nearly one in three teachers are more likely to resign or retire early due to COVID. At a time when educator’s stress levels are soaring, it’s critically important that they feel supported. 

Modern Classroom educators report that our model makes teaching more sustainable. They are able to focus less on delivering content in real-time and focus more on connecting with students one-on-one and creating learning environments where students flourish personally and academically.

Join the conversation with Swivl and the Modern Classrooms Project

Want to engage in more discussions about this topic and hear first-hand perspectives from Modern Classroom educators? Join us on April 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET and hear from Modern Classroom educator Moira Mazzi on how the blended, self-paced, mastery-based model has helped her overcome the challenges of remote teaching and will ease her and her students’ transition back to in-person learning. 

You can get started learning the Modern Classroom instructional model and bring new teaching strategies to our own classroom by enrolling in their Free Online Course at learn.modernclassrooms.org.

The post Making the Transition Back to School appeared first on Swivl.

The source is Twitter user @AnnieK1221, responding to teacher-influencer @NicholasFerroni. 

The full comment:

“This year has cemented for me how much I love teaching but how much I hate being a teacher. I can’t picture going back next year and giving it my all after the way we have all been treated. I don’t know what my future holds.”

She’s certainly not alone.

As the numbers show, the pandemic has led many teachers to leave the classroom, and many more may follow. At first glance, it may look like this crisis was borne out of the pandemic. 

Truthfully, the root cause and potential solutions to the teacher retention crisis lie outside of the events of the past year.

The data tells a story, and it’s a scary one

Recent studies show the pandemic has educators reconsidering their careers. What specifically about the pandemic is pushing them out?

Horace Mann Educators Corporation reports:

1. A quarter of teachers surveyed are considering leaving or retiring
2. Over half do not feel secure in their districts’ safety precautions
3. 60% do not enjoy the job as much as they used too

A more recent Edweek piece revealed that the number of New York educators who left their jobs by August of 2020 was up by 75 percent over 2019. In this group, 43% cited COVID-19 as their main reason for leaving.

There are also factors in some states that may have skewed retention numbers during the year.

For example, Texas teachers face a penalty, including a teaching license suspension, if they resign late summer or mid-school year. These penalties may keep teachers around until year’s end, when there could be more retirements and resignations.

Though teachers may cite the pandemic for leaving, factors leading to a retention crisis were revealed by the pandemic more than caused by it.

Another trend sped up by the pandemic

Unfortunately, conditions were already in place to drive teachers out of the profession. 

Educators have already faced excessive demands on their time and too little support as they entered the job. Professional development initiatives too often ignored coaching and relationships in favor of an impersonal one-to-many model.

While these issues were stressful to teachers, the rewards likely balanced out the costs.

Then, the pandemic forced everyone into a no-win situation.

Superintendents had to follow state policies about shutting down schools. Building administrators had to follow district policies about remote and hybrid schedules. Teachers had to follow building policies about student participation, attendance and other daily aspects of the job.

These often well-intentioned decisions made the difficult job of teaching feel impossible.

The best parts of teaching, like building relationships and teaching dynamic lessons in class, were removed or obscured. The hard parts of the job got even worse. With this mix, teachers may be compelled to quit.

The pandemic has revealed how you can “love teaching” but “hate being a teacher.”

As of now, professional development in many schools leads to diminished levels of autonomy, mastery, and purpose, all essential for employee motivation. A report from the Economic Policy institute showed that only 11 percent of teachers had a significant say on their professional development, about 25 percent take college classes related to teaching, and less than a third found their professional learning “very useful.”

As teachers return to the classroom after the most draining year of their careers, these supports will not make teachers more likely to stay.

Can a new way of coaching be the answer?

If the pandemic ignited the kindling of a teacher retention crisis, then a new focus on relationships and coaching may just help extinguish the flames.

Instead of an impersonal top-down approach, leaders must prioritize relationships and embrace a solid coaching philosophy that supports that. 

What if it could start with a commitment to a better culture? One that helps teachers and students feel supported and empowered in facing their challenges. When all levels within a school are encouraged to participate in coaching, relationships flourish and educators know they are valued and heard. 

To embrace this culture, it could be defined in three stages that build upon one another:

• Set a cultural foundation: Set a trusting foundation of stronger relationships between students and teachers, as well as teachers and administrators, through regular, unstructured conversations that propel ideas and new ways of learning forward.
• Make connecting regularly a priority: Get the whole school to regularly make connections with intention through ongoing meaningful discussion that strengthens relationships, builds esteem and provides opportunities for reflection and growth.  
• Overcome challenges to succeed: Encourage teachers to coach each other on the complex challenges they are facing. Help them optimize through observation, whether in-class or online so they can reach their full potential.

This would enable teachers to have a say in their professional learning. They capitalize on skills and improve areas of weakness. They find meaning through supporting their colleagues and students.

The pandemic has made many teachers and students feel more alone than ever.

Relationships have been greatly strained by masks and screens. Crowded, humming hallways went silent.

If disconnection got us here, we think a commitment to relational coaching can help us overcome it.

The post I Love Teaching But Hate Being a Teacher appeared first on Swivl.

The solution, as it turns out, was within Rob and Kareem all along. Using their teaching expertise and an innovative mindset, Rob and Kareem began incorporating short instructional videos into their teaching to enhance student learning. With time and lots of refinement, they built an instructional model grounded in blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning. Within a few weeks of implementing this new model, Kareem and Rob could see a difference in their classrooms and within themselves—student engagement levels and confidence grew while teaching felt more sustainable and rewarding. There was no going back to the traditional ways of teaching!

 They built an instructional model grounded in blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning.

Kareem and Rob had found success transforming their classrooms and wanted to share their model with teachers everywhere. They knew there were teachers around the world, just like them, who were frustrated with traditional teaching methods and ready for a new approach. So in 2018 they created the Modern Classrooms Project, a nonprofit organization that supports teachers in reimagining their classrooms to meet the needs of all learners. Today, over two million people have watched their Edutopia video and Modern Classrooms Project is a growing movement of 20,000+ educators transforming education across the world. 

Let’s take a closer look and break down the three core components of the model.

Blended instruction

One of the first steps to create a Modern Classroom is to eliminate lectures and replace them with teacher-created instructional videos. These instructional videos explain new concepts or skills to students in an engaging and focused way. Students no longer have to wait for their teacher’s lecture to access new content and they have unlimited access to these instructional videos and accompanying resources. 

There is a common misconception that blended instruction is just ‘teaching behind a screen’. In reality, blended instruction frees up teachers’ class time to work with students individually or in small groups. A Swivl in this classroom wouldn’t show a frustrated teacher at the whiteboard. Instead, it would show a teacher working closely with individual students, and having fun while doing so.

Self-paced learning

With blended instruction, students are now able to control the pace of their learning. Teachers no longer have to move to a new lecture or lesson every day and students can take longer with material they are struggling with, skip topics they already know, or repeat topics they want to reinforce. Similarly, if a student misses class they can easily catch up since they have access to the instructional video and aren’t held to a fixed-pace of learning. They can pick up where they left off and only progress when they are ready. When students are in the driver’s seat of their learning, they become more self-directed and autonomous, preparing them for future success in the real world.

Mastery-based grading

here are myriad ways to grade or assess students but if they don’t truly measure student understanding, these are mere numbers in a gradebook. Numbers that don’t communicate growth or progress. Numbers that aren’t used as the important data points that grades can be. That’s where mastery-based grading comes in. We compare mastery based-grading to building blocks. To build a tower, you first need a base and then one by one you can add blocks to get to the top. The same is true for student learning, a student should only progress to skill two after they have mastered skill one. They must build those foundational skills before moving to advanced content. 

When students achieve true mastery, their confidence grows and they feel more capable.

So what does mastery-based grading look like in practice? In Modern Classrooms, teachers create bite-size, end-of-lesson assessments that efficiently and effectively measure student understanding. These can look like a mini quiz, a sorting activity, or verbal assessments that allow the teacher to evaluate whether a student truly understands a new skill or concept. Revision and reassessment are key to mastery-based grading. If a student is struggling with an assessment, they receive feedback and the opportunity to revise. When students achieve true mastery, their confidence grows and they feel more capable.

A Model for all Learning Environments

While the Modern Classrooms instructional model was not solely designed for remote or hybrid learning, the blended, self-paced, mastery-based model is adaptable to all learning environments. When COVID-19 forced school closures in March, Modern Classroom educators had the advantage of already knowing how to integrate instructional videos and self-pacing into their classrooms. Modern Classroom educator Monte Woodard reported “this model has given me tools and confidence to execute a framework that allows students to be successful inside and outside of the classroom.”

When students are in the driver’s seat of their learning, they become more self-directed and autonomous, preparing them for future success in the real world.

In a hybrid schedule, blended instruction is a great way to deliver lessons to all students regardless of their learning environment and maintain instructional progress. Students can watch instructional videos from home and can directly apply what they learned when they return to the physical classroom. In-person class time can be reserved for group discussions, collaborative group work, and connecting with students one-on-one. Blended instruction frees educators of lecture, allowing them to utilize the limited and precious in-person class time for relationship building and personalized student support. 

Self-pacing becomes even more important as students transition between in-person and online learning. Some students may excel with online learning, while others struggle and become disengaged or overwhelmed. It’s important that educators have a pulse on their students and can track each student’s progress individually. If they see one student struggling with a lesson, they can provide additional support and prevent extreme learning gaps. Our teachers have long found both student-facing and public pacing trackers to be powerful tools for clarity and motivation in a self-paced learning environment.

Since students can access their teacher through short objective-driven videos and move through a unit of study at their own unique pace, teachers can give students the targeted, personalized feedback–in-person or virtually– that’s necessary for a mastery-based learning environment. Revision is truly possible because the blended, self-paced nature means that students can review materials, get help from a classmate, or receive one-on-one support from their teacher. When the student is prepared, they can revise their work to demonstrate mastery, which builds a firm foundation upon which future skills and content can build. 

Transforming a classroom with this instructional model won’t happen overnight. It takes time, practice, and continual tinkering!  But just as Rob and Kareem started with a few short instructional videos, there are simple steps you can take to move towards blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning.  Visit learn.modernclassrooms.org to learn more.

In the second blog in this series we’ll look at how the Modern Classrooms Project model provides a path forward for educators as they transition out of hybrid learning. 

Want to know how Swivl can support blended, self-paced, mastery-based learning in and out of the classroom? Check out our Classroom Observation page for more information.

Modern Classrooms Project

The Modern Classrooms Project empowers educators to meet every student’s needs through blended, self-paced, mastery-based instruction. They support over 20,000 educators worldwide through their free online course, virtual mentoring programs, and school and district partnerships. Their research-backed instructional model leverages technology and real-time data to improve teacher effectiveness and student understanding. 

The post An Instructional Model That Supports Students, Both Inside and Outside the Classroom appeared first on Swivl.