A couple years ago, my district started a push for personalized learning in our elementary and middle schools. It wasn’t until this year that high school was more involved and I was asked to join the leadership team. I had no idea what I was getting into because I didn’t have experience doing personalized learning in the high school math classroom. However, I am always willing to try something new as long as it benefits my students. I learned so much over the past year and I can’t wait to share it with you!
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Personalized learning is the practice of tailoring our student’s educational experiences to their individual needs. This can be done through a variety of methods, including:
- Differentiated instruction
- Data talks
- Individualized playlists
- Student choice boards
- Flexible grouping
- Small group instruction
- Reflection
- Student created learning goals
Personalized learning has been gaining popularity over the last decade, but it encompasses a lot of teaching techniques and practices we have heard and used for years. The response I got from my fellow math teachers during my presentation (and I was treading lightly) is they can’t add more to their plate.
I get it 100%. I feel the same way.
There are simple shifts anyone can do to make learning more personal for students without adding more to your plate. In fact, the more students feel like they are involved in their learning, the easier your job will be! One of the main things I learned over the past year is how much I was already doing to personalize learning for my students – it only makes sense!!
I also had to address another concern, and it is true for all district initiatives.
I feel this! However, the more I have implemented and learned about personalized learning, the more I love the idea and there are strategies I will forever incorporate in my lessons because they are what is best for students. I teach like I eat – everything in moderation.
Too much of one thing is not good. Maintain a good balance of direct instruction, goal setting, group work, independent learning, tasks, etc.
How to Implement Personalized Learning in a High School Math Classroom
The main goal of personalized learning is to create a personalized learning environment that allows your instruction to meet the needs of all students.
When my district initiated personalized learning, one of the coaches made the comment:
Personalized learning is like giving every student in your class an IEP.
I’ll be honest, when I heard this comment it overwhelmed me. However, the more I started trying some personalized learning strategies, the more I understood what they meant by this and it is not as overwhelming as I anticipated.
Another roadblock I had to get past was my own personal experience learning math – direct instruction (I do, we do, you do) and drill and practice worksheets. There is still a need for direct instruction in math, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add personalized learning strategies.
Tools and Strategies for Personalized Learning in the High School Math Classroom
“Personalized learning” made me think of students working on the computer all day. However, one of the first quotes the district coach presented to us was:
Personalized learning is not simply about adding technology, it is about shifting teaching practices.
Establishing routine and the learning environment is an important step in successfully implementing personalized learning in your classroom. Here are some ways you can create a personalized learning environment:
Get to know your students.
Take the time to find out what their interests are and what motivates them. This will help you tailor your lessons to their individual needs and interests. Click here to download the “about me” information sheet I use with my students at the beginning of the year.
Provide choice.
Allow your students to have a say in what they learn and how they learn it. Provide them with options for projects, assignments, and assessments. This will give them a sense of ownership over learning. <<Find out how I incorporate choice in my math classroom!>>
Create a flexible classroom layout.
Consider flexible seating for different types of learners and learning activities. For example, you could have an area for independent work, group work, standing tables, etc.
Use technology.
Technology can be a powerful tool for personalized learning. There are so many great online resources and tools to provide your students with individualized instruction. <<Read more about my favorite online websites and tools for the math classroom.>>
Encourage collaboration.
Encourage your students to work together and learn from each other. Collaboration can help build a sense of community in your classroom. You know how the saying goes, “The one doing the most talking is doing the most learning”.
Provide feedback.
Your students need to know their progress. It will help them understand their strengths and weaknesses so they can make adjustments to their learning. This will also help with goal setting and tracking data (an important component of personalized learning).
Celebrate success.
Celebrate your students’ successes, no matter how small. This will build confidence and motivate them to continue learning.
There are so many more strategies for incorporating personalized learning in the math classroom. If you would like to know more, read about the four elements of personalized learning or visit Education Elements.
The Benefits of Personalized Learning
With everything I do in the classroom, I want it to be student centered. If it does not benefit my students then I feel like I am wasting my time. The benefits of personalized learning are certainly student centered and include:
- Increased student engagement
- Improved student achievement
- Increased student motivation
- Increased student ownership
When students feel like they have ownership over their learning process, they’re more likely to become engaged with their work and stay motivated throughout the lesson. Ultimately, this all leads to improved student achievement.
The goal for my classroom is for my students to become lifelong learners.
The Challenges of Personalized Learning
Like most things in education, the major challenges include lack of resources and time.
While there are many great resources online, it takes time to sort through everything out there to find what best fits your classroom. Most schools do not have the funds to purchase extra resources and teachers do not have the time to effectively create and design lessons.
I hope to provide you with some helpful resources and tools to make it easier to implement personalized learning in your classroom.
Tips for Successfully Implementing Personalized Learning
Start small and know “why” you want to implement personalized learning. You need to have a clear focus and goal for your students – and yourself. Implement a few personalized learning strategies and figure out which ones get the best response from your students.
Set clear expectations and goals for students at the beginning of the year and revisit them periodically as you implement new activities. Establishing a routine for materials and procedures is a key component to successfully implementing a personalized learning environment.
Use data to inform instruction. Utilize state test results, benchmark scores, classroom tests, and quick formative assessments to determine how to best improve instruction for each individual student. Determining deficits and grouping students accordingly can greatly impact their learning.
Collaborate with peers. John Hattie’s research shows that collective teaching efficacy plays a major impact on student performance. I would not be where I am without collaboration with fellow math teachers. Together, teachers can achieve more and students will reap the benefits!
The last point I want to emphasize about implementing personalized learning in your classroom is there is no single set of practices that build ownership of learning because each student, teacher, and classroom community is unique.
Remind yourself that what works in someone else’s classroom might not work in your classroom and that is ok!
RELATED POST: How to Implement Choice Boards in the High School Math Classroom
Looking for a list of helpful math resources?
You don’t want to miss out on this Google Slides Binder.
Have you implemented any personalized learning strategies in your classroom? I would love to hear how they went!
