Zach Diamond  0:02  
Music. 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 students. We believe teachers learn best from each other, so this is our way of lifting up the voices of leaders and innovators in our community. This is the modern classrooms project podcast.

Toni Rose Deanon  0:25  
Hello and welcome to episode 205 of the modern classrooms project podcast. My name is Toni Rose Deanon,  they them pronouns a designated hype person here at MCP, and I am joined by a history teacher, actually, and it's something I'm learning too about Cassandra, is that you're married to your high school sweetheart, how adorable and amazing, and also the fact that you have many cats at home. 

Cassandra Burdette  0:52  
Yes, I do. 

Toni Rose Deanon  0:53  
We love this about you so much. So welcome Cassandra.

Cassandra Burdette  0:58  
Hi. Thank you for having me. 

Toni Rose Deanon  1:00  
Yeah, it's so exciting to be in this space with you, and thank you so much for saying yes the podcast. So before we get started, this is my favorite question. What is bringing you joy? Currently,

Cassandra Burdette  1:12  
my kids are on summer break, and we just got back from vacation. So that was my big joy. Lately, we got to spend a week all together with my husband and my kids and my in laws, 

Toni Rose Deanon  1:21  
Oh, I love that so much. It's always so good to hear like, family outings and how summer is being spent when, like, educators are not working, right? So thank you for sharing that. So okay, tell us more. Tell us the listeners, more about who you are and how you started your MCP journey. 

Cassandra Burdette  1:39  
Okay. My name is Cassandra Burdette. I am married to my high school sweetheart, and we have two little girls. I'm in my 11th year of teaching. I teach government, dual credit government, AP government and our ELL government. So I am government all around I have been using modern classroom about five years ago was when I was first introduced to it, and I really loved the concept, and then I started implementing pieces of it. About three years ago, I started the actual online course, and I took the summer session, and I had a great mentor, and I started implementing fully, and I've actually been a mentor now for two years. 

Toni Rose Deanon  2:20  
Oh, that's so exciting. And it's so sad that, like, this is the first time you and I get to spend some time together, at least, like, just like, be in a space, one on one. So I'm really excited for you to be here and just kind of get to know you a little bit more. Now I have to ask election year is here. It's upon us. So when you're teaching government, and you've been teaching government, history and anything really history related for the past 11 years. What? What have been some questions that your students have asked you that are hilarious, ridiculous, like, any of those things you're like, what are some fond moments that you have teaching government? I mean, especially when into the election year. 

Cassandra Burdette  3:01  
Um, so my students, I have we teach government to the seniors, so they we teach them all about voting and about making sure that they're active in civics and all that kind of stuff. And their favorite thing to try to do is figure out my political stance, and I try my hardest to be non biased. And apparently I do very good, because it becomes like an entire ordeal for them all year long, trying to guess, trying to figure it out, begging me to tell them I had a few groups that will even come back the day after graduation. Be like, Hey, we graduated. Will you tell us? Now? I'm like, No, my job is to educate you on stuff, to make your opinion not tell you mine, but it is their favorite thing to do is try to guess where I stand on different issues.

Toni Rose Deanon  3:43  
Oh, I love that so much. I love that so much. And kudos to you, because I know me personally, would be like, Yeah, this is how I stand. This is my stance. And I know that, yeah, I really love that approach too, that you're saying of like, you know what? I want you to form your own opinion based on the things that we're learning in the classroom, and I love that you're engaging and curious and asking all these questions also, like, based on what we have learned together, like, what are your thoughts? Right? Because I know even as an adult now, I still struggle with, like, government itself, right? I have lots of opinions about it, but I don't think that I am well versed when it comes to facts, right? And so for me, it's just a lot of like, this doesn't feel good, or like, this is what I'm seeing, and this is how I'm feeling. And so it's really, yeah, it's really exciting to be in a space with someone who knows a lot about history and knows a lot about how our government functions, because I'm sure there are a lot of misconceptions and assumptions about how our government is running, right? So, oh, this is, this is exciting, but I digress. Y'all. This is not about politics. Is not about history or government. Like I was just curious, for my sake, this app, this episode, is actually all about engaging students, even when they're absent. Now I. Know that we have talked about chronic absenteeism. This has always been an issue, even prior to covid, even prior to the pandemic, right? And so, but even more so now that after the pandemic, there's still a lot of kids that are missing school, right? And and so let's talk about it like this is such a hot topic, and, and, so like, how does chronic absenteeism impact you personally? Cassandra,

Cassandra Burdette  5:26  
so being that I have seniors, they kind of forget how to come to school, even pre covid, post covid, like they feel like they are graduating and they're ready to leave. So senioritis is a serious thing for them. So that's when I really like, like the idea of getting in the modern classroom, because these kids just follow up the map, and I always tell them, like, by the time winter break comes, the coming back rate is less and less, the less I see them. Um, so for me, it was getting really stressful, because I want them to graduate, but they need my class to graduate, and if they can't pass my class because they're not there, they're not going to graduate. So there was, like, pressure on myself for getting them to pass. There was pressure from administration to not have our failure rates. And then when they would come back, when I'd see them once every few weeks, they had this huge pressure to catch up. And how do we catch up? And they're like, what did we do? What's important? And I'm like, I can't rework three weeks of lessons in the 10 minutes we have right now. So switching to modern classroom was like a huge deal for me to help with absenteeism, and it has been a game changer.

Toni Rose Deanon  6:29  
I mean, until right I remember being a senior, and I definitely had senioritis, and I love this, this whole concept of, like, our seniors just forget to go to school. Sometimes, I really love that. I really, really love that, because then it's just kind of taking away the blaming game, right? Like, it's not a blame on the students, it's not a blame on the community, on the on the caregivers, right? Like, sometimes, like our kids are just like, it's senioritis, like I'm almost dead. It is what it is, right? That's, that's another reality that I think we don't often talk about and so, and yeah. And so I hear a lot of the times too, that our educators join our space, our community, because they want to do something about the chronic absenteeism, right? Where they don't actually want to penalize the students who can't, who really cannot be in school because of whatever reason, right? And and then, of course, like you said, as educators, there's always a push for us to do everything that we can, and sometimes it's like things that we can't control, right? And so creating a space or creating an instructional model that is able to access or include our students who can't be in that classroom at that moment is really, really, really important. So all right, well, how can we create an environment, a classroom environment, where absent students, students who have not been in class for whatever reason, right, still feel connected to the learning and their peers. Because I know sometimes I hear from students who have been absent a lot, just like, I just feel lost, right? Like there's no way that I can catch up, like you said, like, how do we catch students up when they're 10 lessons behind because they haven't been there? But how do we create this space too? Of like, No, you're going to show up as you are, and that's okay. And here are ways that I can support you, because I know as educators, I was really overwhelmed with their absent, absentees, and just like the fact that I always had to play catch up, but then I didn't have the time or the energy to play catch up. So yeah, Cassandra, tell us a little bit more about how you did it. 

Cassandra Burdette  8:27  
So for me, it's a huge thing with visuals in the classroom just to keep them like reminder on, like what they're doing and how things are going. So I like to put up our like, daily agenda that kind of tells them, like, where they're supposed to be, because when they've been gone for a couple days or a week or a couple weeks, depending upon their situation, they don't have any idea where they're supposed to be. And some of them don't feel comfortable asking me. So we use a slide every day that we put up and we walk through and we talk about where they're supposed to be. We also have a giant calendar in our room that has all the dates, those hard deadlines and soft deadlines, so they can figure out where they're at. I also use a lot of seating, so when we use groups or tables, so that way, they are more comfortable talking to the people that they come and sit by, and they don't have to sit by the same people every day. They're allowed to move, but they can go and talk to people about where they're at and what they should be doing, because sometimes they feel uncomfortable coming to me after weeks, or they feel like they don't want to be a burden. So using a lot of visuals in the space helps cue them into what they've missed and makes them feel comfortable getting back into the routine and getting going. And I even have kids now that they've missed several days, but they know right where things are and how things are supposed to be set up. And they come in and they get started, and they know that I will see them when I walk around the classroom during the day, so they don't have to make a point to come to me. They know that it can be a conversation when I walk by and they're not making like they feel like a spectacle of themselves coming in from the class. So they know that I'm going to be around and I can talk to them, and they have an idea of what's going on when they get started.

Toni Rose Deanon  10:00  
Yeah. Cassandra, that just like, warms my heart so much, just because what I'm hearing you say is, like, Transparency is key, right? Like to be clear is to be kind, is what Brene Brown always says. And I never really understood that up until I was like, Oh, yeah. Like, duh. Like, we want things to be clear. We want clarity as human beings, so that we can feel successful. I think sometimes too, I think folks tend to just forget to because, you know, we forget, there's a lot going on that when we are clear, there's a lot more room for autonomy, there's a lot more room for growth, there's a lot more room for transparency. And really, like you said, when you, you know, when you said, like, Oh, my students don't want to feel like their burden, right? Because they have not been in class. Something that I was thinking to Cassandra is that often when we think about chronic absenteeism, or just absenteeism in general, right, that it's always like a, oh, you know, it's, you know, they have to do something at home, or, like, they're sick or, you know, whatever reason. And then I was just thinking, you know, I've worked at schools where there have been a lot of privileged families, and so sometimes my students will be like, Oh, I'm going to be gone for six weeks because I'm going to be in Italy, or I'm going to go on vacation. We're gonna go on a cruise, but it's a family cruise, and I'm gonna be gone for a month, and I'm just like, okay, cool. But the beautiful thing about this is that, okay, it doesn't matter what your reason is. Like, you are still able to access whatever it is that you need to access, and I'm not having to create extra stuff, because I think that's another thing too. Is like, we think, as educators, or, anyways, before I implemented the model, I was always creating extra stuff, because I was like, oh, like, I can't, you know, they can't access this while they're not in the classroom. Therefore, I have to create other things, like packets, which is not as fun, right? Okay, so, yeah, listeners, if you hear my dog, she's real pressed, she's really vocal, and she like heard. So here we are, right. Okay, so what are some creative and effective ways to leverage technology to keep students engaged with the lesson, especially when they're absent? Yeah, what are your thoughts on that?

Cassandra Burdette  12:16  
So the one thing that I loved about everything being digital, we use a mixer of digital and paper in class, but everything's still available online. So my kids, who are gone for those week long two week long trips, or absent for any other reason, they still have access to everything, whether it be the digital lessons, to the lectures, to everything else. We like to do a lot of like gallery walk or but digital gallery walk. So they make slides, and then they go through these slides, and they can comment and talk to each other about them, just like we would do in the class when we're all walking around, but because they're at different parts and at different paces, we're not all going to do it on the same day, and this allows many students who are even absent to still participate in that. We also do a lot of Google collaborative slides or lessons type thing. So if they're creating something together, even if their person isn't in class, they worked on it at some part, and they're still able to see what's been going on. So that's fantastic. And the best thing, I like, honestly, is we get to have, like, a better relationship in class, because I know my kids more and I talk to them more because I'm not standing up in front of class lecturing all day long. So because I built that relationship with my kids, they will do my work when they're not there. They know what to do, and they want to do it, and they want to keep caught up, because they also know that because I talk to them daily, they're not going to be able to just blow it off. They're going to be accountable, because I'm going to ask them about it, and I'm going to know where they're at. So that's a huge thing. Like now they're still accountable for it. They know that it still needs debt, but because they know me, they're willing to do the work, even when they're absent or on a vacation. They'll tell me, like, I'm gonna be gone, but I'm taking my laptop and I promise you, I'll still do this. And they do which has been, like, the best thing. 

Toni Rose Deanon  13:55  
I really love that. I mean, you kind of hit on the spot of relationships, right time and time again. Y'all, I know it's like, we sound like a broken record, but it really, really, really helps when you have that relationship with your students, and they know that you care about their progress and their growth. And I mean, I worked in middle school, right? And middle schoolers going through like, puberty and adolescence is hard, and so like, and there, there's always a search for a sense of belonging and being seen and being validated. And so I hope that I was able to provide that for my students, and because they were just so motivated to do whatever it is that we were doing in class, I was like, Okay, this is kind of like, this shows me that they know I care about them, that we have this relationship, that we continue to work on each other and show up as we are and not be penalized for that, right? And so I love that. I love the whole thought of like digital gallery walk as well as collaboration slides, because now that's asynchronous. It doesn't have to be like right there at the moment. You can still collaborate with other. Just by looking at what they're doing and then having those like off, not not like live feedback more, so like, I'm going to get to it, and then I'll provide some comments or feedback or add on or do something. But there's still collaboration there. So I really love that. Yeah, I just really love that you just honed in. I just know my students. And so because they know that, I know them, they're a lot more motivated to complete what it is that they need to complete. I really love also, I was kind of chuckling in my head when you said, like, Oh, my student will take their laptop with them during their vacation, right? And the first thing that just like, went off in my brain is like, oh, work life balance, work life balance, and it's like, no, no. Like, it's totally okay, because we're not asking for our students to be working the entire time, right? Like they know that if they're going to be absent for weeks at a time, for days at a time, that they take some of that time to really, like, get caught up, or at least know what's happening in the classroom. And I think with modern classroom, like, honestly, everything is just so clear that, like, students just know where to go, right? And then, if we think about, okay, we're digitizing things. There's an online component. There's Wi Fi internet, right? And some of our students don't have Wi Fi at home. How can we, like, provide support in that way, right? And I think that's something that really takes us to get a little bit more creative. I don't know, in my head, and maybe I'm naive at this point, but in my head, I was like, Well, everyone has smartphones. Not everyone, a lot, majority of us, have smartphones. Smartphones have become more and more accessible, and so in that in that case, like students are able to access those instructional videos in that way, right? I know that I just moved in Jonesboro, Georgia, and my sister and I went to go get a library card priorities, right? Cass like I haven't gotten my Georgia license yet, or my time's changed, where I'm going to the library to get my library card, and they're open till 9pm every day. And like my sister and I were just thinking about like, wow, this really creates an opportunity or an environment for students to really access and work on whatever they need to work on if they don't have those things somewhere else, right? And so I really love that. And so really checking out the community spaces is such an important thing for me as well, just to kind of say, like, okay, like, Here are other ways to get to where we want to go. And thank you for sharing that your answer too. So how can we encourage participation from students who are absent? I know that you said we have the digital the digital gallery walk. We have the collaborative slides. You know, you really honed in on relationship piece. Relationship piece is so important regardless of whether you're online or in person, right? So, yeah, how do you encourage participation, whether it's through online discussions, collaborative activities or alternative assignments?

Cassandra Burdette  17:58  
So for my students, when they like to get them to participate. I love the different types of lesson classifications, the must use, the should do's and the aspire to do is my students really love them too, because when they're in class, they're more inclined to do more, but when they are missing multiple days, they know that they can go through and figure like do their must do's at home. And then they'll come in and they'll talk to me about what they need to do further and what can help them. And for students who are so far behind, we go through and we're able to, like, say, Okay, we're going to focus on just the must do's for this lesson and maybe the next lesson. I think you should do the must do, and it should do. We're able to go through and really, like, tell them what they need and pare down a lesson to help them stay caught up. It also helps them participate more, because they can come in already having done stuff, and they can find somebody else who's working on something, a different portion of it, and they can work together because they're like, I was absolutely yesterday, but I did my notes and I watched my lecture. So let's do this stuff together. And that really helps, because they don't feel like they're so behind as everybody else, like, if they were to miss in another class, they'll tell me, like, I'm so far behind in my math class now because they're not running a modern classroom, and I miss a week, but they're like, but I'm caught up in your class, and I'm like, and that's great. And I love that. And what I love about it, which some teachers may not enjoy, but my class, personally, they know that, since they're self paced, and if they've caught up on mine the whole time. And they know they're good when they come into class, they might work on their math for a period with somebody else. It became like a mini tutoring session in my class for an upcoming test or it comes I'm like, Okay, today I know Tuesdays are math test days in my one class, I'll have a group of six Tuesday morning, always sitting together, working on their math. And that's great, because they can self pace on mine, and they can focus on what they need there. So that's a huge thing for me, just being able to have that ability for them to catch up in mine, even if they're falling behind in another, and use their time wisely. We really focus on those soft skills of being able to time management and being able. Set priorities. And sometimes my class isn't the priority that moment, and I have to understand that, and I've been more than willing to help them with that. And sometimes the priority means I need to pass this math test. Today. I've been gone for a week, and I really need some help. So modern classroom has just opened up so many new types of skills that I've taught my students on soft skills that I feel like are going to be big life lesson skills, and it lets them figure out, like, what is important at the moment, and that's been a huge thing for us when they're trying to catch up from being absent. Okay?

Toni Rose Deanon  20:30  
Cassandra, pause, right? You just said something really remarkable, where you said, Sometimes my class is not a priority at the moment. How do you feel, like, how did you feel about that in the beginning? Or have you just always thought this, like, how did you come to a place where, like, emotionally, mentally, that you're okay with not being the priority at the moment? Because I feel like, you know, as an educator, it's like, no, I'm the priority at this moment for 60 minutes every day, you're just gonna do my work and my work only. Yeah, how did you? How did you that? It's just such a beautiful phrase to hear you say. So tell us more.

Cassandra Burdette  21:06  
So when I first started teaching, I kind of took that mentality that like it was my class, it was my time. But then I started to realize with my seniors, like the more I got to know them and talk to them like they have so much going on in their life beyond just the classroom. And I feel like we would often forget, like we have kids who are suffering from great loss in their families or illnesses going on with family members, and they're taking care of siblings. I have students who have their own kids at home. I have students who are working full time jobs at night, working until two, three in the morning, and then coming to school. And sometimes my class isn't the priority. Sometimes they need to sleep that day. Sometimes they need a snack. So they always come to my class for snacks. Sometimes they need help on a math test, and sometimes they can't figure out what to do in another class, or they're having trouble with teachers, and they need somebody to help in between. So I try to help where I can reach out with other teachers work on different lessons. I have learned a whole lot about different types of spreadsheets over the last year, because they struggle with some classes, and we have figured out, like my class, yes, it's important, and I want you to know this material, but maybe my class is more important tomorrow and maybe today. We just really need to focus on what's best for you, and that's passing a class or having an app, or just having someone to vent to because you're having a hard time. So I tried to take on the mentality, and I'm lucky that a bunch of my other teachers have too, and we are really big on just like hyping each other up and hyping up our students on what they need that day, and looking at their best needs. And it's not always our class at the moment. Okay,

Toni Rose Deanon  22:36  
I have to ask, was this like before implementing the model, or was it like during the whole thing? 

Cassandra Burdette  22:42  
I definitely say it's after, because when I, like, before I implemented it, it was really hard to be like, Hey, you can get to this tomorrow, because we're moving on. But now we have that flexibility to where they have the two weeks to get to the end. Like, there's point A, there's point B. How you get there is up to you, and if you have a bad day in the middle or a couple bad days and you just need to not do something right, then that's okay. I'll come by sometimes when they're working on something else, and they're like, like, once you do, and they're like, Well, I have this due tomorrow, or I need to finish this. And I'm like, okay, as long as you remember this is the deadline, what do you need help with? And they're like, can you look at this presentation? I'm grading for another class, and we'll sit down and work on that, and we'll talk about it, but it's just that figuring out, like, what is important to them at the moment, and them learning those time management skills is just something that's so hard to teach. And I always tell them, like, when you leave my classroom, you are not gonna have somebody standing over you anymore. You are going to be in the real world. There is not a teacher standing over you saying, do this today. Put away your phone at your job. Focus on this. My job is to prepare you for that. So when you leave my classroom, I want you to have those skills that I can figure out what stuff is due, when I can figure out when to prioritize. I can tell myself that my deadline is in three weeks, and I can still meet it somehow. Sometimes that those skills are just more boring. 

Toni Rose Deanon  24:01  
I'm speechless because I feel like I would have loved to have you as a teacher in high school.

Cassandra Burdette  24:07  
Thank you.

Toni Rose Deanon  24:08  
I think I mean again, right? Cassandra, it's just kind of we're all human beings. We're literally all trying our best. And regardless of whether our kids are younger or older, everyone is literally just trying their best. And I really like this, this thing that you're talking about too, of just, like, it just goes back to having those relationships with kids, right? Like, the more that you talk with your students, the more you realize, just like, oh, wait a minute, they have a lot of things going on, and there's no way that they can give this 100% focus right now, and that's okay. So I think it's like giving your students a lot of grace, giving yourself a lot of grace as well, and then getting to this moment too, of just like, Oh, that's okay. Like, we're gonna get to it. They're gonna get to it. So you. If I did tell them, like, you got to do it right now, they probably won't do it, so you might as well just give them the time they need to wrap their heads around whatever it is that's happening in their worlds, and then invite them in as soon as they're ready. And I think, like you said, especially for students who are absent, because I know, again, right? Like, there's a lot of feeling of being a burden. There's a lot of and this is something that cannot help, right? They have to be absent for whatever reason. And so I feel like there's always like reprimand for students who are not showing up on time, showing up every day. And so a lot of the times, their students just feel discouraged and just deflated, right? And so, but you are just like, No, let's get to know you as human being. If you're out, you're out. If you got to focus on this, focus on this. Also, know, these are the deadlines, because that's kind of what I did in my classes. And I taught sixth grade.

Cassandra Burdette  25:53  
Sixth grade, I had seventh grade for a little while, right?

Toni Rose Deanon  25:56  
So, like, and and they knew I was also aware of when they had math tests, because I had a coworker who was also my bestie at the time when we were working together, she would always tell me, like, when their tests were so the kids were always talking about it. And so my students knew, like, okay, like, I'm gonna get my English work done and, like, mastered. Like, not like done hurriedly, but like, intentionally with lots, you know, like they did it well. My students did it well because they knew that when they had extra time, I'm not going to give them busy work. They had that extra time to just spend on whatever it is that they need to spend, right and especially for my students who are ahead of pace, they were like, You know what? I'm going to pause right now already ahead, and I'm going to focus on this other thing that I have to do outside of this class. And I was okay with that. So I guess my follow up question is Cassandra, because I'm sure our listeners are thinking this is like, how did your admin feel about that? Like when they walked in and they saw or if they realized or observed that, like your students were working on math homework or whatever else, what was the response like? How did y'all have a communication? Were you in trouble for doing that?

Cassandra Burdette  27:03  
My admin has been really great with going into modern classroom. Our instructional court instructional coach actually took the course as well, so she's able to help with it too. But like we've talked many times about how this is what we're doing today, but not everybody's going to be on that point. Some people are going to be doing different things. Someday you're going to see math. Some days you're going to see English, like so it's been a big eye opener for them to kind of get used to it, but they've understood and they see the progress, and they talk to the kids, and then they come in and they're really good about talking to the kids, and they under, the kids are like, telling them what's going on. The kids will tell them, like, Yeah, this is what we're doing. Or I've already done this, though, so now I'm doing this. So the kids advocate for themselves, which I just love. Like, they're like, willing to say, I know what I'm supposed to do, but this needs to be done right now, and we understand that. So it's not like the whole class is off doing crazy different things. Some are working on what we're supposed to be. Some are doing something else. It's not complete chaos when they walk in, but they do know that they are doing different things, and they've been so great about choosing when to come in too and what they want to see. And they have to definitely evaluate a little differently now than a typical class, because I'm not standing up there lecturing, you're not going off that. So they've adjusted, but they've seen the results, and they've seen the kids and how well they do, and they've talked to them about how much they like it. And I have kids who will tell me, I wish other teachers did this like you, and I love hearing that. That is my favorite thing to hear, because they feel like they're prepared when they leave. Rather, they're going off to college, and they know how to work independently, or if they're going off into a trade or into the workforce, they know how to put their phone down and focus. They know how to figure out a deadline. So it's just like talking about those soft skills constantly, and my admin has been really grateful for that, because those are skills that are really pushed in our district too. There's different competencies, and we're able to hit those while still working on content, and it's just done a little differently. So it looks a little different than a normal class, but difference not always bad. We have found that there's been such great progress with these kids. My failure rates have gone down, and admin has noticed, and they are very open to everything being done differently. And the results speak for themselves.

Toni Rose Deanon  29:36  
That's incredible that like, your admin is just like, yes, we'll shift. We'll make some changes. We hear the students, we've talked about them, and I think that's another thing too. When it comes to evaluations, right? I'm like, it's funny that we get observed for 15 minutes and they just sit in the back of the room and then that's it. They just, like, take notes of how you're saying things, how students are answering and I'm like, no. So the greatest way to actually see if something is working and is talking to a student, and sometimes I even say, like, talk to the student who you think is not paying attention, and have that conversation, because that student, even if they look like they're not paying attention, can still tell you way more than if you were doing, like traditional lecture of what they're supposed to be doing. 

Cassandra Burdette  30:22  
We were doing an activity, and the kids are all debating and talking about different bills and stuff, and my administrators just jumped right in, and they sat in a group and just started participating like they were a student, because I wasn't lecturing, I wasn't mediating, I was just walking around listening to what they had to say, and they actually got to see, like, all the front loading that was done. They got to see how the kids did their research, and how they wrote the bills, and how they did all this stuff. And I'm like, This is how we do things. It's different. I might not be in the front, but you can see that I helped with all this material. They know all this. And now that student led, and they're going at it, and they're talking and they're talking about some really controversial things, because they're 1819, years old, and they have lots of opinions on them, and they didn't hide or shy from my admin. They felt comfortable to continue their conversations and talk about the things that they wrote. And my administration jumps right in, and they listen and they talk and they act like a student. So it's a different way of evaluating. And I feel like they truly do enjoy it. They like to come in. So it's always been good.

Toni Rose Deanon  31:30  
Yeah, it's definitely a way more active approach than a passive one, right? And this is something we're trying to do with this model, is like we're creating active learners rather than passive learners. And I mean, just hearing you talk, also just about time management, it was something I definitely struggled with. And maybe it's my ADHD, definitely it's my ADHD, and it was just a soft skill that I was not really taught. Everything was a priority. So therefore, I was always stressed. And so being able to balance that, like, Okay, this is due today or due in a couple of weeks, and how am I going to use my time wisely, right? And so, yeah, kudos to your admin for jumping in having those conversations, because I am really all about like, let's have these conversations. Because something I was thinking to Cassandra is like, as educators, we can create the most beautiful lesson plan, and we can, like, turn that in and it checks all the boxes. It looks great. And then when you actually implement it, it just like, does not go well. It can bomb right. And so it's like, I could say all the right things, and the students will still not be receptive. And so having those conversations with students, rather than like, just observing the teacher, is such a for me anyway, a much more powerful way to really be able to evaluate and analyze what's happening, what kind of learning is happening in the classroom. So thank you. Thank you for sharing that. All right. Well, listeners, we're going to take a quick break for an announcement, and we come back, we'll talk just a little bit more about Cassandra's classroom and how she approaches implementing this model.

Zach Diamond  33:06  
Hey, there, listeners. This is Zach dropping in with some learning opportunities and announcements for you for this upcoming week of September 8, 2024, the modern classrooms back to school. Toolkit is out and ready for you. This year, we focused on communicating with caregivers and stakeholders all about blended self paced and mastery based learning, and you can download that from a link in the show notes. Have you always wanted a community to read books with? We are hosting a book club with screenpal and Kami starting at the end of this month, the community has chosen to read UDL and blended learning by Katie Novak and Caltin Tucker, join us in this 10 week community of practice to learn with and from educators across the country. Receive premium access to both screenpal and Kami and deepen your understanding of UDL and blended learning. Looking for virtual connection. Join our implementer meetup on Wednesday, September 11 at 7pm eastern to connect with other modern classrooms educators. And finally, are you curious to learn how building thinking classrooms align so well with self pacing, one of our All Star teacher leaders, Joe manfrey, is leading a webinar on building thinking classrooms in a self paced learning environment on Thursday, September 12. That's 6pm Eastern. Registration links are in the show notes, so check those out, and you can find that back to school kit in the show notes as well. And let's get back into it now with Tony rose and Cassandra.

Toni Rose Deanon  34:37  
All right, we're back with Cassandra. So Cassandra, how can self paced learning be implemented effectively to accommodate different learning styles and paces, potentially reducing this feeling of falling behind that can contribute to absenteeism and something we've talked about already?

Cassandra Burdette  34:52  
Yeah, so my students have so many things like I said, going on. We have those with the helm. Down. We have the students who are emancipated, who are working and come in once every couple of weeks. We have all sorts of different situations going on. But with self pacing, I'm really able to help with my differentiated learning styles. I'm able to get the kids that are at different paces rather than moving super quickly. But adding in those aspire to do activities that we try to keep real world research based activities, since it's government and it's constantly happening, they're able to really work on that, or we're able to go and slow things down. For my students who need a little bit more time, they're able to focus on maybe just their must do's on certain lessons, or just the must do and a should do. I'm able to give them a lot more me, because now I'm able to talk. I'm able to go through and break things down so my students who really just need that extra help, I'm able to sit down with them and go through stuff. I'm rather able to talk more about content with them that they didn't understand. Because yes, they can pause and rewind my video, but maybe they just don't get something. I'm there to help, and I'm able to spend more time with them, which has been fantastic. I also have some fantastic co teachers. And my co teacher this year, she's going to be with me. She's with me three classes each semester last year, and she's with me five classes the beginning of this year. So having that CO teacher relationship, we're able to sit down and look at stuff and be like, okay, these kids need this additional help. What can we add or cut? What additional resources can we give them? And it's not something that's done while the whole class is listening and watching. There's no like taboo about me telling you, oh, don't do this lesson today. Focus on something else. Everyone's at different points so they don't feel like they're singled out. My different learning styles can get different types of resources. My should do activities. I try to hit different learning styles. I have one where we're still talking about, like the types of country, types of government at the very beginning, and they're creating a country. So I have one activity that covers a very research type method, so they're looking at it, and they're doing some research. But I have one that's covering the same content, but instead, they're creating something of their own. They're still covering the same concepts, but it's two different learning styles, and it's whatever works best for them and helps them understand it and learn better. So I'm able to put up those different types of resources to hit different learning styles. I'm able to stop with other students who are maybe behind pace and work with them, or work with my co teacher, to maybe eliminate or add in resources for students who need it. And because it's self paced and they're all at different spots, I just feel like I'm able to accommodate everybody a lot more, and also without causing a scene or pulling anybody out to make them feel singled out so they can feel included.

Toni Rose Deanon  37:36  
Okay, so you just said a lot, Cassandra, did you feel overwhelmed in the beginning, and how did you navigate that feeling?

Cassandra Burdette  37:43  
So I did feel very overwhelmed when we first started implementing modern classroom. We implemented in chunks and slowly but surely. And that's what I always tell my mentees, like, don't feel overwhelmed. Don't feel like you have to do every single step all at once. If you need to stick to just the must do's do that for the first unit, then add in the should dues, and that's kind of how I went with it. So we did must use mastery checks, and we added in should do's, and got to more self pacing and less hard deadlines. We started adding in more resources for different kids. And I'm constantly making changes. My students are great at giving me feedback and giving me what they think is great and what they think is awful, and they don't hold back, because they're teenagers, and they're very truthful. So they've always given me some great ideas that are reflections at the end of every unit, and I've made some huge changes with them. And now three years, and I feel like I'm finally like, good in my groove, and the kids are liking it, and we've got all the kinks worked out. And then when I started getting a co teacher, we tried again, because it was a whole new thing for her, and she had to learn the system and how it works. And we went through our bumps in the road and figured it out. And now we have a great way of working this out for all of our students who need the help. And we meet before every unit and talk about what is necessary for everybody to get and what we can adjust for kids and how we can put in accommodations. I feel like I'm able to meet all my IEPs a lot better. I spend a lot more time with my individualized students, and I know what they need when it comes to those case conferences, and I can truly give the data because I have it now. So it took a while, and it was a lot of work, but it has totally freed me up in the long run and given me so much more information and data, and I understand my students better. I love

Toni Rose Deanon  39:33  
that. Okay, so asking for me a Cassandra, what does IDP stand for? IEP, oh. IEP, okay, good, good. I thought I was like, Okay, I think I know what IEP, but I didn't, okay, great. Thank you for clarifying. Okay, beautiful, yeah, and that's an IEP stands for individualized, yeah, and then education, yes. Thank you. I knew that you just

Cassandra Burdette  39:56  
like so many acronyms in education. It's like they come. Them, and people start talking in alphabet soup when you're at meetings. And I'm like, I don't know what any of this means. And I'm like, can you give me, like, a chart? Like I felt like, as a first year teacher years ago, I was like, what does all this mean? I have no idea. 

Toni Rose Deanon  40:15  
It's and people just kind of assume, right, like, I'm practicing on this skill of asking clarifying questions. So if I don't know something like, Okay, I got to push myself to ask. I can't just pretend like I know, right, right. Okay, great, cool. Thank you for sharing that. And I really like that you have. You just provide a lot of options for students to just showcase their mastery, to showcase what they've learned. And I'm so excited that you have a co teacher. How did that, like you said in the beginning, like, Y'all kind of had, like, a little bit of attention, because there was a lot to to learn together. But how does your co I mean, I don't want you to speak for her, but also like, and also like, how does co teacher feel about this model?

Cassandra Burdette  40:58  
So when we first started, she had been out of teaching for a little while due to some personal reasons, and she came back. So this whole model was new to her. I'll say honestly, she was not a fan. And she knows this, she was not a fan. She didn't feel like it worked well for her kids. And it took a while and some help with some instructional coach and some other people, and we sat down, and we talked a lot, and there was not always the best of days, but we have worked throughout the year to really focus on what works for the kids, and she's given me some fantastic ideas, and just like my students do, is just how to see it from a different perspective, and she's helped me make changes for them, and it's simple things, like we used to have papers set by must do, should do, aspire to do, and now we staple them by lesson, because it helps her students just have it all together and not have to worry about so many pieces. We've changed the way we do our tracker because it helps. And she just has such a different perspective. And I really had to be open to it, because I don't always see things from that special education lens the same way she does. So it was great. We did a lot of work, and I felt by the end of the year, we finally got it together, and we're together next year for the five classes, yeah, I think in a row, so we will see a lot of each other, and now we, I think we have a plan, and it's been a big help. 

Toni Rose Deanon  42:26  
Oh, I really, really, really love this. This is so cool because, you know, oftentimes that's what we get, is like, the CO teacher, they don't understand, and there's just like, a lot of like, fear with implementing the model, right? Because, again, we don't understand, and that's okay, right? And I love hearing this like, of how y'all's relationship kind of blossomed from like, No, she wasn't a fan, to like, we continued having conversations, and now she provides me with some really good insight that I didn't know I needed. And I'm so grateful for her insight of making this just a little bit better for students and and I love that. And again, just, you know what you said earlier, too, is like we really wanted to focus on what works for our students, so really taking away our own personal emotions about the model, and really, like taking a step back and watching how the students are responding to it, and how we can make it a little bit better again, right? So I love that. Well, thank you for getting distracted with me. Okay, no teaching. You're just literally covering so many things that I'm just like, oh, I want to know more about that, and I want to know more about this. So thank you for being open with me just asking all of those questions. Okay, so I know that we have talked about this prior, but is there anything else that you want to add on to the fact that like self pacing, right? The self paced learning elements that you had, how do you address that into your curriculum? And then also, like addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism, such as anxiety, health issues or family responsibilities.

Cassandra Burdette  43:56  
So my students, because they have so much going on, self pacing has been like a dream come true for some of them, though it's a really hard skill for them. At the beginning, they struggle unit zero and unit one are usually our worst units, because they're learning how to do this. But as we go, they love the idea of being able to get things done when they need to get things done. They can figure out that I need to get this done this week because I have a huge paper and something else due next week. So that has been an absolute dream come true, but it's still being able to, like, get them the credit is the goal. The goal is for them to graduate, and that's what I'm constantly reminding them, and this has helped them get there. They can be gone for weeks at a time. Rather it be from illnesses. We had a whole lovely strain of covid passed through our performing arts department, which is a massive department, and they were out, and it was just felt like it was waves, 510, students from each class, and it just kept going. I. Yeah, but they're still able to work on this stuff. They're still able to get the credit. They're able to do their must dues, maybe at home, and their should use when they come in class, or if they're here only on one day and it's a good day, they can get a lot done, because they can sit down and focus and just kind of go through it. And then if they're here on a bad day, it's okay that we're not getting something done today because we have tomorrow. It's not that they don't know that there's deadlines, because they still will meet their deadlines. They know there's a hard deadline. They know that there's when they're supposed to be on pace, but they're able to get their credit and pass their class, even if it's not the greatest grade in the world, because they were struggling with something going on. I mentioned earlier I had a student who was emancipated. She was emancipated. She was living on her own. She came to class once, like, every three weeks, and that was when I first heard about modern classroom, and she was something that really pushed me, because, like, we were able to do a lot of things with me, sending her things, and she was still able to get her credit. And when I had heard modern classroom at the same time that this was going on, it really pushed me. Like this could help so much for students like this, because I want them in the seats, I want them in class, but that's not always reasonable or possible, and there's things going on that are beyond all of our control. I've had students whose parents have passed in the middle of semester. I've had all sorts of different serious situation that means they're not there, but the goal is to get them their credit, and their credit, and their goal is to get them to learn the information to graduate. And they can do that with this system. They come in and they work, and they work their butt off at home, if they really want it, and they'll come in and they'll do their mastery checks, sometimes multiple in a day, because they've worked on all the material at home, but they couldn't do the mastery check. So they come to those in class when they're there, or they come in just for my class that day because there's something else going on, but they want to get this done. I have had some pushback here or there. They're like, how are they doing so well in your class when they haven't been here very often, it's because they do the work at home. They're still doing the work, and that is my goal. It is not to necessarily make sure they're here all the time. It is to make sure that they are educated, they're well cared for, and they're doing what's good for their mental health as well as getting through the classes and getting their graduation certificate and leaving going on with their life, and I can do that with this, and that has been my biggest thing that I will advocate for, even when I hear teachers say, how are you allowing them to get this grade in your class when they are failing all these others, it's because I set them up in a way that allows them to still get this grade, and I give them that relationship That pushes them, that they can focus on my stuff at home, and they can come in here and try to do yours when they need to.

Toni Rose Deanon  47:26  
Oh, I feel like I can listen to you talk all day. Oh, my gosh, it's so good. I think one of the things that a word lately that's been bothering me is like, allow, right? Like, how do you allow your students? And I'm like, What? What? What is this allowance? Like, what do you mean? We're allowing students? It's like, no, they actually earned this grade, like, they earned whatever it is that they're working for. It's not an allowing, it's not an allowance. Like, it's, it's, it's wild to me that we often think that way in education, because, again, like, that's how we've taught, right? And so if you don't know any better, you're not going to do better. And there's just a lot of things that we don't know, right? We don't know what we don't know. And and so like, I love this whole concept of you, and just also naming, like, yes, I want my kids to be in my classroom. I want them there every single day. I want their butts to be in their seats every single day. Reality is that, like, regards to what I want, that's probably not the best for kids. It's probably not best for the students that I serve. It's probably not best for one particular student who's lost a parent, and they just need to grieve. They need to be absent. They need to just, like, focus on just this loss, right? And, yeah, I mean, even as an adult, right? Like, we just go through stuff. We go through stuff. We can't show up all the time, the way that people expect us to show up sometimes. And like you said, we really want to set up our students to succeed and not to fail. And this also reminds me too, Cassandra, that, like, you know, there's so much happening in our lives, right? Why add teaching and learning as a stressor for that? Right? Like, why add on when we can make teaching and learning that much more accessible and actually enjoyable, right? Like, we this is, again, something I say all the time. Is like teaching and learning should not we should, should, as a judgment, there's the element of surprise that I would love to take away from teaching and learning right. Like transparency is super important, clarity is super important, and then providing opportunities and options for students to be able to succeed. Because ultimately we want them to learn, ultimately we want them to be successful wherever they go, and so thank you just thank you for being here. Thank you for being an educator. Thank you for having so much compassion, empathy towards your kids. I'm sure your students absolutely love that, and just from what you know you're saying, of them continue. To show up for you, regardless of whatever's happening that just I hope that you are able to say or celebrate this, this space that you've created for your students. Okay, so what do you hope to see in the future, and what goals do you have? 

Cassandra Burdette  50:16  
Well, I love working with my classroom. I love working with my mentees. I want to continue to do this. I think they're so fun, and I love telling everybody about modern classroom. We've been helping so many teachers at school who are switching to different things, some that are really struggling with engagement, and we're trying to get them to switch to different models. So it's always been great for that. I hope teaching. I feel like I have been given the ability to have some of my time back, I feel like I've been able to connect with my students more and find the things that I actually do enjoy when everything gets stressful and chaotic. I know that my classroom is my safe space, and I know that things are going on at a great one day, I may continue into working on either educational coaching or maybe even administration. I got my degree a few years ago, but right now, I love being in the classroom, so that's where I'm at, and that's where I see myself staying for a little while at least, and maybe going on later to help more teachers.

Toni Rose Deanon  51:16  
Oh, I love that so much. I love to hear that like I'm staying in the classroom, because I love it. I know it is a mess right now, and I'm staying because I love my kids. And you have this, you also have lots of options for yourself, which is really nice. One thing that stood out to me is that you have time, right like you, you have time, and that's something that we often don't have enough of us educators, and I love hearing that you have time to do whatever you please with that time, right?

Cassandra Burdette  51:45  
 Yeah, it's been huge, like being able to leave for the day and know that, like, I made it through my day, and I'm able to come home and I'm able to leave my contract stuff at home, like at work, most of it, not bring it home, not always, but for the majority of the time I am setting up modern classroom takes a lot of effort at the beginning, but it is so worth it. It's just getting you through that first semester, first year, getting into routine. But it makes such a difference.

Toni Rose Deanon  52:15  
I love that. I love that so much. It makes it makes me so happy to hear you say that, and that modern classroom is able to really create this space for you, and then you were able to create that space for your students. So again, just like, whoo, thank you, Cassandra. And so I'm sure our listeners are just as like, Huh? This was so like, validating and amazing to hear and listen to. How can our listeners connect with you?

Cassandra Burdette  52:40  
Um, so I'm not a huge socials person, um, I don't use it because my students being seniors, they're on it too. So um, but you can always contact me through my modern classroom email, um. Cassandra dot Burdette at modern classrooms, um, but beyond that, I'm always available. I did tag our FWCs, website, our Instagram on there. We are lovely. We put lots of fun stuff up there. So they're always great to see things.

Toni Rose Deanon  53:09  
Yes, I love that so much. And kudos to you for not being on socials one day, I aspire to do that.

Cassandra Burdette  53:14  
They come, they go, but they stay, mainly private, because I won't let my kids get on there because, um, yeah, they're, they're entertaining. Oh my goodness, yeah, they like to search everything up. I mean, their seniors are going off to college, so they will friend to me once they leave, and I will see them grow and have babies and get married, and I've seen it all now. It's crazy. That's always fun, though.

Toni Rose Deanon  53:40  
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I taught middle school, and I told my students, as soon as you graduate, then you can add me. And, like, recently, it's just been an influx of students on my socials, and I'm like, Oh, I forget y'all are graduating. This is wild.

Cassandra Burdette  53:54  
So you might graduate. They're like, at graduation, like, adding me, and I get off the things, but I'm like, Oh, you guys literally didn't wait, but it's fun because, like, I have two former students right now, they just got engaged to having a baby. I have another one that they had a baby a couple years ago, and I'm watching her grow, and I'm seeing their college and they're now, a couple of them are teachers, and it's just so great to see. And I love that,

Toni Rose Deanon  54:17  
yeah, and I think that's like, the benefit of having socials too, of just being able to connect with each other. Because I know, like, back in the back in the day, like there was no way I would have thought I wanted to be in contact with my second grade teacher,

Cassandra Burdette  54:32  
but now you can, and you get to see them grown up. And it's like, such a thing. It's like, I, I was part of that. 

Toni Rose Deanon  54:39  
Yeah, it's, it's really, really dope. And then to see, like, you've taught for 11 years, I taught for 10 years, right? Like the impact and like the amount of people, amount of students, that you've had within those those past years, oh my gosh. It's just so great, so great. 

Cassandra Burdette  54:54  
And watching my one right now, being a teacher is fantastic. Oh

Toni Rose Deanon  54:57  
my god, yes. I found out that two of my former students, like my second, my first and my second year of teaching, are now teachers at the school that I taught them at, and I'm just like, oh, this is so incredible. Full Circle. 

Cassandra Burdette  55:10  
What am I is teaching with me? She teaches English at our school, and she graduated, like, five years ago, and it's so crazy. 

Toni Rose Deanon  55:18  
That's so cool. It's so cool, I swear, like our students are just so magical. And again, that relationship just keeps going and going and going right. So all right. Well, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and expertise with us. Cassandra, I am so grateful I got to spend this one on one time with you. And so listeners remember, you can always email us at podcast@modernclassrooms.org and you can find the show notes for this episode@podcast.modernclassrooms.org slash 205, we'll have this episode's transcript uploaded by Friday, so be sure to check back to access those also, we are asking our listeners to leave a review of this podcast has been helpful in supporting you to create a human, centered learning environment through a blended, self paced, mastery based model. It does help other folks find it. Thank you all for listening. Have a great week, and we'll be back next Sunday.

Zach Diamond  56:09  
Thank you so much for listening. You can find links to topics and tools we discussed in our show notes for this episode, and remember, you can learn more about our work at www.modernclassrooms.org and you can learn the essentials of our model through our free course at learn.modernclassrooms.org you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at modernclassproj, that's P, R, O, J, we are so appreciative of all you do for students in schools. Have a great week, and we'll be back next Sunday with another episode of the modern classrooms project podcast.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai