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Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Classroom Every Day by Jonathan Bergmann and Arron Sams (©2012, International Society for Technology in Education: Washington, D.C.) is a must read for anyone interested in flipping their classroom. It provides a window into a flipped classroom led by two educators who were driven by a simple question: What is best for the students in my classroom?” This book chronicles their journey from their first shaky steps at trying to flip their classrooms to their current best practice so far flipped-mastery classroom model. Learn from their mistakes so that you can make new mistakes, and then share what you’ve learned to improve the model for all. Learn how flipping produces better test results and better learning. Also learn how it will allow you to interact more often with your students and develop more personal relationships.

Jon Bergmann & Aaron Sams – Chemistry Teachers

• Jon Bergmann is currently the Lead Technology Facilitator for the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. He has a high school science teacher for 25 years. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2002 and was named Semi-Finalist for the Colorado Teacher of the Year in 2010. He is the father of three teenagers and is happily married to the love of his life.
• Aaron Sams holds a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and a master of arts in education, both from Biola University. He is currently a classroom science teacher in Woodland Park, Colorado. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2009 and co chaired the committee to revise the Colorado Science Academic Standards. He regularly turns off all his electronic devices to spend time with his wife and three children.
• Don’t worry if you are not a chemistry teacher. The concepts here can apply just about anywhere.

The Saga Begins

• For some students, the teacher talks to fast and they can’t keep up with note taking. Others miss classes due to sports, music, or illness. Some focus on a grading rubric and get good grades without a lot of understanding. These are some of the problems a flipped classroom can address.
• The authors first recorded their lessons out of selfishness. They were spending inordinate amounts of time reteaching lessons to students who missed class, and the recorded lectures became their first line of defense. Student feedback was positive and even students who were in class were watching the online videos. Soon students and teachers in other schools around the world were using them too. When they realized that class time could be more effectively used to help students with concepts they didn’t understand, their flipped classroom was born. They used the same tests from the previous year and found that they students scored higher.

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