An Eye on Tempe, Arizona: A Fifth-Grade Team’s Journey to Student Independence
Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Toni Rose Deanon is joined by Madeline Cole, Abby Munn, Amy Wisehart, a fifth-grade teaching team, to share their collaborative journey into mastery-based, self-paced learning.
They emphasize the joy their students bring, especially witnessing their growth during testing season, with Amy noting, "it's just truly the best time to be a fifth-grade teacher is when you're at the end watching all the hard work that you've put into them."
Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:
Strong teacher collaboration is crucial for successful implementation and provides essential support and shared problem-solving. Madeline highlighted the strength of their team, stating, "when you find a good team, it is worth the paycheck. It is worth its weight in gold."
Student-led learning fosters independence and confidence, empowering students to take ownership of their progress. Technology use is balanced with hands-on activities, and parent response has been positive, particularly through student-led conferences.
Thoughtful planning and consistent communication across different subject areas ensure a cohesive and supportive learning environment for students. They navigate the challenges of mastery checks and workload by supporting each other and encouraging students to take ownership of their learning. Despite teaching different subjects (math, reading, and everything else), the team plans collaboratively, meeting in the summer and communicating constantly throughout the school year to ensure consistent learning experiences.
Their adoption of the Modern Classrooms Project began with a professional learning day and evolved into a cohesive fifth-grade approach, fostering independent thinking and increased student confidence. Abby described the positive shift, stating, "...they've responded incredibly well to this process."
Discussion questions for PLC and PD:
The fifth-grade team highlighted the importance of strong collaboration. How does your current school or team structure facilitate or hinder deep collaboration among teachers, and what specific strategies could be implemented to foster a more supportive and communicative environment like the one described?
The team observed increased student independence and confidence through their implementation of self-paced, mastery-based learning. What are some potential barriers or challenges you anticipate in fostering this level of student agency in your own context, and what strategies could you use to address them effectively?
The summary emphasizes the team's proactive planning and consistent communication across different subject areas. How might educators teaching different subjects or grade levels identify opportunities for meaningful alignment and communication to create a more cohesive and supportive learning experience for their students? Can you share examples of successful cross-curricular collaboration you've experienced or envision?
Our Host
Toni Rose taught MS English for 10 years and will forever identify as a teacher. Toni Rose strives to be the teacher that they never had growing up, so they focus on anti-bias, anti-racist work and wants to create a brave space for everyone around them. As a queer Filipinx, they understand just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. They especially love being a thought partner for and celebrating teachers.
Our Guests
Madeline Cole
Madeline has been teaching 35 years, the last 27 at Rover Elementary School in Tempe, Arizona. She has taught first through fifth grade levels, and gifted programs in California. "Teaming is the ultimate way to sustain interest and passion in this profession, because we enter into teaching because we love kids, but staying in it is the challenge."
Abby Munn
Abby is in her 12th year teaching. She has taught both 4th and 5th grade. She is originally from Madison, Wisconsin and after high school did her undergrad at the University of Vermont before moving to Arizona.
Amy Wisehart
This is Amy’s 25th year teaching. She has taught 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades in addition to being a literacy coach and an interventionist all in Tempe, Arizona.
If you like what you hear in this episode, share it with a friend or subscribe to get updates when new podcasts are published.