In a Modern Classroom, both students and teachers have new roles and responsibilities.
The Role of the Teacher
In a traditional classroom, a teacher speaks while students listen. This works great for some students but not so well for others:
Students who already know the content get bored.
Students who are behind can't follow.
Students who are absent miss everything.
In a Modern Classroom, the teacher replaces lectures by recording short videos, based on research-supported practices. Now students can:
Fast-forward through things they already know.
Pause to take notes or ask questions.
Rewind when they miss something.
Learn in school and at home.
Rewatch old videos in preparation for year-end assessments.
It's still the teacher who teaches! Plus, parents can now watch these videos too, and support learning at home.
This all means that, during class, teachers their time giving each student the supports they need. You won't see a teacher standing up front, managing behavior. Instead, Modern Classroom teachers spend most of their time working with students alone or in small groups, while other students learn through videos or self-directed group work.
The teacher's role is to encourage, nurture, and challenge, while students lead their own learning. This means that the teacher spends class time working closely with students, providing each learner with the support they need.
The Role of the Student
Students in Modern Classrooms don't just sit and listen -- they actively engage. Whether they are watching videos independently, or collaborating with classmates to master a new skill, they are always appropriately challenged and supported. This video shows what Modern Classrooms are like for students:
This research-backed approach gives students greater ownership of their learning, builds executive-functioning and self-management skills, and makes learning fun. Evaluators at Johns Hopkins University found that, compared to students in traditional classrooms, students in Modern Classrooms were significantly more likely to:
Enjoy learning.
Understand what they are learning.
Engage in learning new content and skills.
Complete challenging assignments without giving up.
The Role of the Caregiver
You can help your child succeed in a Modern Classroom by:
Encouraging perseverance.
Checking in about progress frequently.
Working through the teacher's online course resources together.
If your student feels like the teacher isn't providing enough support, encourage your child to raise it directly with the teacher. One of the main purposes of the Modern Classroom model is to free up teachers to provide individualized support to students who need it!