Zach Diamond  0:03  
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  0:28  
Hello and welcome to 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 Saenovia Smith, a kindergarten teacher who is not just talking about it, but being about it, which I absolutely love in your bio. I think that is so rad. Welcome, Saenovia. Thank you so much for being here.

Saenovia Smith  0:52  
Thank you. It's a joy and a pleasure to be here as well. 

Toni Rose Deanon  0:55  
Yes, and again, it's just so exciting to be in this space with you. I've heard great things, and so I love I'm looking forward to getting to know you a little bit more and just being able to elevate your story for everyone to listen to. And so before we get started, what is bringing you joy currently?

Saenovia Smith  1:13  
What brings me joy? God brings me joy. My family brings me joy. Within the classroom, my students bring me joy also, uh, technology, and with this, uh, newfound love for the modern classroom project that also brings me joy.

Toni Rose Deanon  1:33  
Oh, so there's so many things that's bringing you joy right now, and that makes me really happy to hear. I do love the fact that you really prioritize and highlight your faith as well, and so thank you for bringing that in and just being as authentically as you can be in this space. So thank you. So, yeah. Saenovia, let's, let's, first of all, I love your name. Tell us more about who you are and how you started your MCP journey.

Saenovia Smith  1:57  
Well, for me, I'm an enthusiastic kindergarten teacher who always strives to create an engaging and effective learning environment for my students. As far as my journey with the modern classroom project, it began at the end of the 2023 2024 school year. So when the idea was presented to me through the district, I decided to dive right in, because I felt like, hey, you know, this sounds wonderful, how can I be a part? So with me just diving right into it, I started implementing the modern classroom design while I was still going through the course. So in me doing that, I was able to experiment with and refine the setup. So by the time the new school year began, I was fully prepared to introduce the new design to my students and their parents from day one. So I think that that approach was proactive, because it helped both myself and the students become comfortable with the new system. And it's been amazing to see my students adapt, grow and thrive in that environment.

Toni Rose Deanon  3:04  
When you were going through our virtual mentorship program, right? Did you have any kind of hesitation or kind of like a Oh, no, how am I gonna do that for my kindergarteners?

Saenovia Smith  3:17  
So I just paid attention to what the design was all about. And basically, I felt like it was like necessary, especially for the type of students that we have in this day and age. Technology is and social media and the attention spans, even with myself, just like with Tiktok and everything, just that little short period of time that you spend and are engaged, I felt like because how advanced like the students are, I felt like it would it was a great program for them to for me to implement it within my classroom.

Toni Rose Deanon  4:04  
That's really awesome that you were just able to say, like, Okay, this connects with everything that's happening now, and it's actually is still okay. And even better, right? For little kids, yeah. And I also like the self reflection that you did too, of just the attention span. I always say, as an adult, my attention span is also questionable. And so for me to have an expectation for for people who are younger than me to have better attention span than me, it's just not it's not feasible at all. And so, okay, yeah, this is great. What kind of technology do you use in the classroom, especially with kindergarteners? Okay?

Saenovia Smith  4:46  
So currently we operate using the iPad. That's one huge factor in the design of the modern classroom project. And then we also use like view sign. Like the view Sonic board. And then there are different apps that are applied to that iPad that we use within the classroom. I also use like different like timers. There's something called an Elmo that I use to show modeling for my students, if necessary. Well, modeling is always necessary, but if I need to use that Elmo, that is something that I will use also.

Toni Rose Deanon  5:34  
So okay, this is great to hear. I've never heard of Elmo before, so that's like a new thing that I definitely would love to check out for myself. I am also curious, and I'm sure our listeners are also curious. Let's paint a picture of your classroom. How many students do you have? What are some supports that you're providing for students as well? And then, and then, when it comes to iPads, do students get time to practice getting on the iPad? Or how does that? How does that look?

Saenovia Smith  6:06  
So currently, Well, initially it started, I had 21 students, and currently I have 19 students within the classroom. There are stations. So since day one, students were introduced to the modern classroom project. They were introduced to stations. They were introduced to these systems within the classroom, the operation where they should go, as far as iPads and them being able to jump right on I did, like, get like, background knowledge on any students that did know how to operate the iPad. So with those students that were able to operate iPad, that had experience with it, they were big help, big help to other students. So it's real easy. Our school district has QR codes, which allows the students to scan in, so they love the camera. So I just taught them about just how to turn that camera on. Taught them about the platforms that we had, and they would use their badges just to scan in, in order to get into the different programs that we use within the classroom,

Toni Rose Deanon  7:25  
and how long do you How long would you say that it took for them to get that routine down? 

Saenovia Smith  7:31  
I'm gonna say I would give it like a month of consistent operation. So the whole month it took for them to continue on with the routine. And then after that month, they they were able to run the classroom themselves.

Toni Rose Deanon  7:52  
I really love this concept that you mentioned to doing kind of a background knowledge based on who has experience with iPads and who doesn't, and then them being able to collaborate and help each other out and learn from each other, right? Because then it doesn't just have to be on you. So I really love that, and I think it's just, it's a nice reminder to for teachers of all ages that collaboration can happen and that they can continue learning from each other. So okay, well, you know, you talked a little bit about your routines, and I know that my colleague Emily Dia just raved about your systems and routines in your classroom. Definitely gave you a shout out and our team. And so I'm really curious tell us more about them, because you did kind of, you know, give us a glimpse of what those routines could look like, and then how you got your kindergarteners to embrace them in a month.

Saenovia Smith  8:43  
So and within my classroom, in order for the students to thrive, I believe as a teacher, you definitely have to have like systems and routines, because they are essential. So for my students, all I had to do was introduce them to introduce clear and simple, consistent routines that they could easily follow and make sure that I started them on day one. For example, we have designated areas for different activities, and I use a lot of individual aids to help guide the students through their tasks. I also implemented a system of check ins and check outs where students can self assess their progress and seek help if they needed to. There are designated students in the classroom that are called Ask Me students. So with this whole design, it gives me the opportunity to work within my small groupings, as well as to really work with students one on one. So those ask me, students are students that are on track. They are they have showed mastery, and whatever the concept was or the standard that we're working on. So those students are the students that are within each student group. And they ask. Is those ask me students for help when I'm working within the group. If those ask me students don't know there is one super ask me student that they can go to prior to me, before they come to me. So they would ask that super ask me. Student, if that super ask me, student does not know, then that that super ask me, student would come and ask for help from me. They're able to articulate and help each other with collaboration. They're very helpful within the classroom with one another. They talk to one another all the time. And any type of noise levels within the classroom, it's good noise levels because they they're learning and they're practicing and they're helping each other. So to help my students embrace those routines, I spend a lot of time modeling and practicing each routine with them. So we also had discussions. We have discussions about why these routines are important, which help them to understand their purpose and value. And the key was to make the routines fun and engaging so that the students felt motivated to follow them. Since students are so young and energetic, I felt like the idea was ideal for them to be active and engaged at a station for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then once that time was up, it was time to work on to something new. Don't get me wrong, it did take time for them to meet uh, develop that stamina to stay at the their stations for 15 minutes. I had to start off small um with about five minutes, and then they were able to build that uh stamina up until 15 minutes, even going up to the max of 20 minutes depending on the content that's being taught. So as a teacher in an ever evolving world like I was saying, we have to keep up with the times. Technology plays a key role in education now, and kids love social media. They learn from it. So the Modern classroom provides an educational learning experience where students can engage and get vital information in a short period of time and then move on to something new. So within this structure, students are rewarded with new learning activities at each station, which they all look forward to. 

Toni Rose Deanon  12:35  
I really love this concept of new learning, right? Like you said, quick, straight to the point, has to be concise, has to be clear, so that students continue to engage with it. And I think you said it really, really nicely in the beginning of that, you know, you want to provide systems and routines that are clear, that are easy to follow, and then lots of modeling, lots of modeling, lots of modeling. And practice, practice, practice, right? I love the thing that you also pointed out of self check, right, like where students can check their progress to see how they're doing. I love to hear the kindergarteners are doing that now, because I know I can hear now some people say, Well, how do you ensure that your students are not cheating when it comes to checking progress, right? How do you have those conversations with students about making sure that they have true understanding and not just cheating? Does that make sense? Saenovia, what I'm asking, 

Saenovia Smith  13:33  
yes, yes. It makes a lot of sense. Again, we go back to that discussion where before we transition over into a new subject area, the students are able to share out their learning experience at each table. And it's amazing to see and hear students explaining what they learned, not just saying, well, if me as a teacher, me asking them, Well, what did you learn at what did you learn today? Oh, I learned my ABCs and one, two, threes. They don't do that in the beginning. They did do that, but with constant reminders of being able to explain what they learned and why they are learning. We go over that every single day, and we have that discussion at the end of every period so that they can share out what they're learning with with me, they're letting themselves know that, hey, you know, in our classroom, we have something called a learning brain, and they're excited about the learning brain, and then they're like, Oh, I'm getting a learning brain. Because every time they're able to share what they're learning, they get these brains that are placed into a basket, and we try to fill that basket within the room, and then they're learning, sharing what they're learning with their peers too, as well. And. And youth, if you were in the classroom, you can see students and hear students say, oh, yeah, I was working on that too. I learned that too. So it's amazing to see,

Toni Rose Deanon  15:10  
oh, that's so fascinating, how you created this joy of learning, right? Of just this, there's a learning brain. There's a motivation to continue sharing what they are learning with each other, and I'm sure that conversations outside of the classroom is also just as fruitful and impactful, especially with their families and even friends outside of the classroom too, right? Of being like, Oh, I actually learned this in class and able to explain exactly what the skills and concepts out that they're learning. And I think that's one of my favorite things about this model too, is that kids really do have a better understanding of what they're learning, rather than giving very vague answers, right? I How did so? How did you come up with the Super ask me student? Because I think that that's so fascinating, that you have different tiers, right? You have your ask me students, and if your ask me students don't know, then you have your super ask me. How did you create that? Because I don't think I've heard of that before. That's just really cool. 

Saenovia Smith  16:05  
Oh, thank you. So Well, as you know, within a classroom, there are different levels of learners, so based off of that and different types of assessments, and seeing where that specific student was, that's how I came up with that idea, because that student was so so advanced and gifted. She's a very gifted student. So based on that, in order to advance her and help her to thrive and grow her, I decided to say, hey, you know, here's a super ask me student. So that's how I came up with that idea.

Toni Rose Deanon  16:58  
It's such a great way to continue having conversations about the skills and the concepts that we're learning in class, right, especially for that student who's advanced and gifted, that that's kind of how I had the conversations with my students who are more advanced and gifted, right? It's like, Hey, if you can teach someone else, then you've really mastered this skill. Because I do think it's all about like, how do we perceive the information that we're taking in, and how can we get someone else to understand this thing that we just know? And so if you can have those conversations and get your peers to understand, it's just like chef's kiss, beautiful. So I really thank you for sharing that. I really love that. And so you know, we're talking about mastery. We're talking about your student who is gifted, more advanced and and also talking about the students who are on pace, right, being able to help students who are behind pace. What does mastery look like in your classroom?

Saenovia Smith  17:55  
So mastery within the classroom, again, students are assessed on given like formative assessments they are given. I'm observing them as well. So those students have to be able to master whatever the concept is that they are learning. So with that being said, there are different stations that I have within my group which are like testing stations. And those students are able to go to those testing stations after like a small group, and they are assessed on whatever the standard that was that was being taught. So the mastery is achieved when the students can confidently and independently apply the skills and concepts they've learned. So this means that they're not only understanding the material, but they can also explain it to myself. They can explain it to others and use various contexts. So at the end of each subject, block before, like I said, we move on to a subject ever we are, we have the class brief discussion so the students are able to share on specifics on what they learned, and then their explanations and that are usually they're typically detailed, and again, they love sharing them out. So mastery is also, like I said, assess through those observations, student self assessments with their rubrics we go over, did you meet this? Were you able to do this? And students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning. They set goals. We set goals, and we track progress. So when a student demonstrates mastery, it's celebrated, reinforcing the importance of the hard work and the perseverance that they're putting forth in the classroom, 

Toni Rose Deanon  20:01  
and it just seems like you're getting a lot of one on one time or small group setting, like you said, with your students, right? And really able to figure out what their needs are as far as their skills that they're learning in class. That's what it's sounding like, right? You're doing a lot of check ins verbally. And this is something too that I because I've never taught kindergarteners before, I let me let me backtrack. I did teach kindergarten, and I was like, Oh my gosh, I can't do this. This is wild, because there's, you know, still, they're still learning their letters, they're still learning their numbers, and so I'm guessing, with the mastery checks, it is a lot of have conversations, right, with students, and then having lots of, you know, let's go over this rubric together. Let's go over what this mastery check is saying, right? I really love this push too that you have of you know what? No, I have conversations whole group, small group, individuals with students to really figure out if they can apply the knowledge that they're learning. So I really appreciate that.

Zach Diamond  21:01  
Hey, there listeners. This is Zach with some announcements and reminders for you. Do you ever wonder how to meet all of your learner's needs at once? That's natural. Every student needs different things, and it's a challenge for any teacher to provide them all at once. Fortunately, there are classroom tested steps you can take to help all your students achieve their true potential. We have an edWebinar coming up where you can discover evidence based techniques that you can use right away to keep each of your students appropriately challenged and appropriately supported every day. Former teacher and modern classrooms project co founder Rob Barnett will explain, using insights from his new book, meet every learner's needs, as well as the lessons he has learned from empowering 1000s of educators worldwide on Tuesday, February 4 at 5pm Eastern, you can join Beth, Benavides, Jackie durr and Dustin Tetro, distinguished modern classrooms educators and previous podcast guests for a live webinar on Tuesday, February 4 at 6pm Eastern, where they'll share their expertise in transforming an ELA classroom into a dynamic, personalized learning environment. Check out the show notes for links and registration details, and now let's get back into it with Toni Rose and Saenovia.

Toni Rose Deanon  22:18  
Okay. Okay. So Saenovia, I know there was something else that you said about stamina, and I love this reminder as well for our listeners, that we do want to build up stamina, even if it's, you know, middle school or high school students, we want to build up the stamina. And especially when it comes to I taught English and so especially when it comes to reading, right? I just can't say the first day, we're going to read for 20 minutes independently. Have fun. And so I really like that you reminded me that in the beginning, you know, start out five minutes, it was just five minutes, and then we moved up to seven minutes, maybe, and then to 10 minutes. And now you're saying that you have little kindergarteners who can focus for 20 minutes, because that is something that you have built up. So it wasn't just an expectation from day one that students can stay focused and engage the content for 15 minutes in the beginning. And so I think I just wanted again to repeat that and elevate that part as well. Because I know sometimes when we're implementing new structures in the classroom, we want our students to get it right away. Some do, some don't, but we want to be able to build up that stamina, like you said. So I just wanted to again say that, just as a reminder that we need more time. We need more time. Okay, so now, how have your observations and conversations from stakeholders been different since you've implemented the model? Has there been a change? Has there been has it been pretty similar? What are your thoughts on this?

Saenovia Smith  23:55  
So since implementing the modern classroom project model, I noticed the significance shift in the way that they view and interact with the classroom parent like the parents, administrators and fellow teachers, my colleagues have been impressed by the level of student engagement and independence so during the during the during classroom visits, and then there are people that want to come to the classroom because they're hearing so many great things about what's taking place within the classroom. So during the classroom visits, my students have been able to articulate what they've been working on and then explain to the classroom, explain to the guests the classroom design, which I'm impressed. So when I have someone in my classroom visiting, and they're telling me, you know your your students, they were able to explain to me this, and they were also explained to me their STEM project, if they were. Working on. So I was really, it's really a wonderful, a wonderful feeling. It leads to positive feedback and support, not only from the school, but within the school community and outside of the community as well, because it's being heard. And so stakeholders have also remarked on the improved focus and confidence in my students, which has been a rewarding experience for me to see to the point to where they want to implement this in the high school as well. So I've had a few parents come to the classroom, and I was able to explain them to them the design, and some of the parents even said in the classroom, as volunteers and educated, how much they love the setup, and they appreciated that it wasn't the traditional classroom set up that they were used to, and they loved the fact that the students were not just sitting in their chairs for the entire day.

Toni Rose Deanon  26:03  
Oh, that's so great to hear from families and caregivers and parents, right? Do they are they able to just come in any time to sit in? Or is that more of a they gotta sign up and do all the things to volunteer to sit in? How does that work? Well,

Saenovia Smith  26:19  
I'm always letting my parents know that, you know they're important. They're important part of students learning, and they're always welcome to come into the classroom. They just let me know that they're coming in. And then there's also a process before they come into the school, but as long as they let me know, and I give a heads up to the principal, and they go through those proper steps, they're more than welcome to come into the classroom so and I appreciate it, and the students love it too. They love visitors,

Toni Rose Deanon  27:00  
Yeah, I bet I know when I again, when I was teaching middle school, right? I always had visitors, and my students loved having the visitors around. And I really love this concept too, of again, just just parents and families and caregivers coming in and seeing the model in action, because it's sometimes really hard to articulate exactly what the model can do. And then you go in there and notice and see it in action, and you're like, oh, that's what you're talking about. This actually makes so much more sense now. So I'm really glad to hear that your families are coming in wanting to see how this model works, as opposed to not, you know, as opposed to not being supportive of it. So I really thank you for sharing that. And then as far as your colleagues are, they also coming in to watch you, to see how you do it, to kind of have a better understanding of how the model works.

Saenovia Smith  27:54  
Yes, I have a few colleagues that well, a few Well, a couple that have already implemented the design within their own classroom. And then I there's another colleague that is interested in the model, and she's trying to get a be a part of the the course. So they are in love with the idea any type of PD that we have had recently on small groups. I'm sharing the modern classroom project with them, so there is a huge interest for it, and teachers are wanting to be a part of it. Do

Toni Rose Deanon  28:33  
you get, do you get to interact with the your colleagues who are implementing the model, like, do you get to plan with them have conversations about what works, what works well, what doesn't work well.

Saenovia Smith  28:45  
Yes, all the time, and then even in my spare time, like sometimes on my planning periods, I'll even go into the classroom and assist in any way that I can, and even ideas that they might have that I I like, I would use that within my own classroom as well.

Toni Rose Deanon  29:07  
That's so good to hear. That is so good to hear because I always say it's just so much better with community. It's so much better to do things with one or two people, at least, right? And so that's really, really good to hear. I'm glad that that's happening, and I hope that this also spreads to high school, right? Because I think our high school babies definitely need something like this too. And so I'm curious, synovial, how has this model impacted your own teaching and learning practices, as well as your mental health? Because we've heard time and time again just positive things about implementing this model and how teachers can now just go home and not really have to worry about much, because everything else, everything is planned out.

Saenovia Smith  29:51  
Yeah. So as an educator, you know, educators wear multiple hats, many, many, many hats. And. As well as we have our lives outside of the classroom. So with this modern classroom project has had a profound impact on my teaching practices. It's allowed me to personalize learning for each student, making the instruction more effective and more meaningful explicit. I've become more intentional in my planning and delivery, which has resulted in better student outcomes. And then, on a personal level, the model has positively affected my mental health, because it was teaching can be stressful, so the structured routines in the self paced learning environment have reduced stress and allowed me to focus on what matters most, which is my student growth. So seeing my students succeed and enjoy learning has been incredibly fulfilling and motivating for me.

Toni Rose Deanon  30:54  
Yes, yes, yes. I think you know, with with the planning and delivery, like you said, intentional, right? It has to be intentional, and it has to be meaningful for both parties, not just for students, but also for teachers, and that just makes it a lot more joyful when it comes to teaching and learning. So thank you for naming that. And just like you said, teaching can be stressful, teaching is stressful. There's no going around it, right? And being able to being able to implement a model like this, where you know that your students are taken care of regardless, right? If they're absent, if you're absent, the teaching continues and the learning continues. And I think that was one of the biggest takeaways for me, was that, you know, every educator wants to do well for each student, right? And sometimes that can be really overwhelming, thinking about how you can do that and also be okay mentally and emotionally. And so it's really great to hear you say that it's allowed you to just be more intentional with your work, be more meaningful, and then also just to focus on the most important things. And because, again, as educators, we're going to focus on all the things. So it really does. This model really allows you to hone in on all of the important things, rather and the actual important things, not all of it, like the actual things that you want kids to feel successful in and find joy in, right? And so I really appreciate you naming that and sharing that with us. And so I've only been able to observe one kindergarten class, I believe, and I remember being so happy watching students be self directed learners, like you said, independent learners, right? They knew where they're supposed to go, they knew what they're supposed to be doing, and it's all different tasks, like you said, and to be able to have that engagement is just so it brings me so much hope to what the the feature, or what education can be right. And so I think for you, when you first started implementing it, you said, like, it took the students a month to to kind of get it right, and I'm sure you've had to do a couple of redirects and repeats. But was there ever a time where you just, like, took a step back and, like, watch the classroom, all of your students kind of do their thing and just be like, Wow, this is cool.

Saenovia Smith  33:36  
Yes, each like, pretty much, like, all the time I'm reflecting on like, what the students have accomplished within the classroom. It's an amazing experience for anyone like any guest that comes, comes inside the classroom, any teacher, educator that is implementing this design within their own classroom. So often I take the time to look back and say, wow. And anytime that I am out of the classroom, the students are self sufficient. They can operate that run the classroom all by themselves, and even give the substitute directive on what it is that they need to be doing, just in case that there's a confusion. And any notes that I have left, I have had substitute teachers tell me, you know, Wow, your class was amazing, like they just operated the entire they knew exactly what to do.

Toni Rose Deanon  34:46  
Okay? Kindergartners are six years old, right? Synovia, five. These five year olds are telling an adult, like, actually, this is what we're supposed to do. It like that to me. Is the cutest. And that's good to hear too, that your substitute say what my substitute said about mine too. Just like, No, I want to continue subbing your class, because students just know what to do. And those are five year olds. That's really that's really dope.

Saenovia Smith  35:20  
Yeah, I'm always told by those, like, any type of stakeholder administrative, like, if they can do it, it can be done at a higher level as well. 

Toni Rose Deanon  35:32  
So, yeah, yeah. And that's the thing too, that we say all the time, because, you know, Kareem and Rob started, our co founder started out in high school, right? And so they're like, oh, yeah, this could definitely happen in high school, but they didn't know how it could look in middle school. And so then my group of teachers got recruited. We were all middle school first time implementing in a middle school classroom. And we, like, crushed it. We were like, Oh, this is great. And so then the next challenge was like, Okay, well, how do we get this into elementary schools? And then when I tell you, kindergarten teachers and pre K teachers have just just, I don't know, embraced it and made it their own. So to see four and five year olds doing this and being self directed learners already, like, I can't even imagine how this would be if they've had this type of learning until they graduated from college. You know what I'm saying? Like, I feel like the learning is just that much more fun and that much more intentional and that much more engaging for for all of our learners. So that's, oh my gosh, how cool is that? Okay? So I'm sure we have some folks who are like, I really love this model I teach the younger kids, the littles. And I know that I still have some hesitations, right? I still don't know how one thing or this thing could potentially work. So coming from you, have implemented it started at like the 2023 you said, right? Like you got into 2023 and then you went to the you did the course, and you were also planning, which I think is so lovely. What are one to two things to keep in mind when implementing this type of learning, of blended, self based, mastery based learning in a kindergarten classroom.

Saenovia Smith  37:17  
Okay, so again, like I mentioned before, you want to make sure that you start small. Don't be afraid of like any mistakes that you make. I was told once that in order to master something something, in order to master it, you have to mess it up. So you want to make sure that you start small, so you want to begin with a few key routines, and then gradually introduce more as students become comfortable. So this helps to avoid any type of like avoid overwhelming the your students, your young learners, and then allows them to build confidence and their abilities. And then the second way is to keep it engaging. So you're going to use a variety of activities, visual aids and hands on materials to keep students interested and motivated. And you want to incorporate play and creativity and lessons and rewards within those lessons as well, and it can make the learning more enjoyable and effective, effective for young children. And I know with the videos that I create within this project, I remember when my students first saw me on one of the videos, and they said, Oh, Mrs. Smith, you're famous. And it made me laugh, but it made them more engaged and wanting to know more, and it gave them an interest in what was taking place right in front of them.

Toni Rose Deanon  39:01  
Ah, this is so good. This is so so good. You reminded me of a book by Adam Grant that I was just listening to where he really said, I forget the title, but he really does say, like, exactly what you said, for you to master it, you have to mess it up, you know. And people who actually are not afraid to make mistakes have, like, a better chance of just feeling more successful later on in life, right? Because they understand that failure does not define them. It is just part of the process to completely understand what it is that you're trying to do. And so I really love this whole concept that you said you have to mess it up to master it, and that's okay. It's giving permission. It's giving, yeah, it's just giving permission to just mess it up. It's totally okay. Perfectionism is not a thing. And I think starting out with, you know, with the five year olds, the babies with that mindset, oh, just beautiful, right? Beautiful. And. When you said incorporating play, this I think, is probably the most important thing when it comes to learning, right? Is that you do have to play. Let's play. Let's play. Let's play. Let's incorporate some fun and play into the learning tasks that we're doing. And I think kindergarten, elementary school itself does a really good job of incorporating play, but for some reason, when we shift to middle school and high school, it's like play. What is that? And I just also want to remind our listeners and our secondary educators, yo, play is actually really important, so figure out a way to incorporate play into the learning tasks happening in the classroom. So these are great reminders. Mess it up. Y'all continue to mess it up. You as an adult also just mess it up. And this is a new ish model, right for a lot of people, and so you're gonna mess up, and that's okay. That just means you're getting closer to mastering how to implement the model with the group of kids that you have. And so I love that so much. Thank you. Thank you synovia for that. So what do you hope to see in the future, and what goals do you have? This could be MCP base. It could be personal, but like whatever you want to share with our listeners.

Saenovia Smith  41:24  
So for me, in the future, I hope to see the model adopted more widely across all grade levels in the school, and then my goal is to continue refining my teaching practices and finding new ways to engage and support my students. I'm on that path of a distinguished modern classroom educator and becoming a mentor for those educators that are in need of different ideas and supports and ways to engage their students in learning. I also aim to share my experience and insight with other educators, helping them implement this, and then ultimately, I want to create a learning environment where all my students can thrive and reach their full potential. 

Toni Rose Deanon  42:15  
Yes, congratulations. Also the DMCE part, and we would love to have you as a mentor, because we need more kindergarten teachers as mentors, so that our folks can just see, like, oh, yeah, this, this is so possible just because it was founded or started in high school classrooms is not necessarily mean our babies cannot do it right? And so I think, again, educators like you are so passionate, who are so excited to share new knowledge and new ideas, we would be so honored to have you and to our community. And so Okay, before we go, before we do anything else, is there anything else that you want to add on that you haven't had a chance to chime in and say,  

Saenovia Smith  43:04  
Oh, thank you so much for everything. This is a wonderful experience. I'm looking forward to the new system as a progress monitoring tracking system that the modern classroom is implement. Implementing, I think it's called wavial. I am in sessions to learn more about that, and I know they have like a session coming up on january 22 in a couple of days to chime in on and learn more about it. For those that are a part of the modern classroom, as well as our show interest in in it and to use it within their own classroom. The I believe it's called Wavio

Toni Rose Deanon  43:54  
yeah, I'm so excited about that too, because I'm curious to see how you would utilize it in your kindergarten class, and how your kids could use it as well.

Saenovia Smith  44:02  
I think that they all do, because it's a way that they can look at, track their progress monitoring, since they are familiar with like Google classroom and how to operate it, that's just another avenue are part of technology that they can learn and explore too, as well. And I love it. As far as what I'm seeing from it, it puts even more ease on me, because right now I have a manual progress monitoring tracker with inside the classroom, within the classroom, where students, they can see their data boards. So I think that this will be a wonderful tool, and it'll save up. It'll save time, as far as like with paperwork, what I. To do, to update those boards and things like that. So I'm looking forward to learning more about it and exploring it.

Toni Rose Deanon  45:06  
Yeah, I'm excited to hear how that goes for your classes as well, and what your students think of it. And I think I'm more shocked and impressed that you said that five year olds are used to Google Classroom, because I was like, Whoa, Google Classroom. Okay, that's really dope. That's really, really cool. Okay, well, you got to keep me posted on how wavio goes, because I know you're doing the marketing for us, saying the hay is coming up. This is great, and I hope to see you in more community spaces as well, so that we can continue again, elevating your experiences and your stories and your expertise with our community and so synovia, how can our listeners connect with you? If they have any questions,

Saenovia Smith  45:53  
listeners can connect with me through my email, the 219, teacher@gmail.com and I'm always happy to share ideas, answer any questions, and collaborate with fellow educators, and then I'm also a part of the modern classroom community. 

Toni Rose Deanon  46:10  
Yes, beautiful. Okay. Well, with that being said, this is a great conversation, a first time podcast. GUEST, synovia, you did really, really great. So thank you again. Yeah, it can be really nerve wracking, right? But I hope that this is a good experience for you.

Saenovia Smith  46:34  
It was amazing. Thank you so much, and I appreciate everything. And you've been wonderful walking and guiding me through this too, as well.

Toni Rose Deanon  46:43  
Yes. Well, thank you so much for sharing your experience and expertise with us. Synovia, once again, listeners, remember, you can always email us at podcast at modern classrooms.org and you can find the show notes for this article at podcast at modern classrooms.org We'll have this episode's video uploaded on modern classrooms, YouTube channel and 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. Sedovia, you're a gem. I'm so excited to have been connected with you. 

Zach Diamond  47:29  
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@www.modernclassrooms.org and you can learn the essentials of our model through our free course@learn.modernclassrooms.org you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at modern classproj, 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