Research and experiences allow us to consistently develop new best practices for teaching and learning. What worked last year may not work this year, for a multitude of reasons. And what we thought worked years ago clearly isn’t what’s best for our kids. So we get to shift what we’re doing to ensure we’re giving all our students what they need in order to flourish. (If only all educational decision-makers would get on board!)
Jon Bergmann, this week’s podcast guest, is fully on board and leading the charge. You heard him all the way back in episode 3 talking about flipped learning. And this week he’s back to talk about how to make the most of flipped learning. And that’s mastery learning.
Jon is back in the trenches, teaching in a high school classroom, which I think lends even more credibility to what he’s sharing. Because he’s trying things out with real students in a real learning environment.
In this episode, Jon defines some important educational terms so we can all be on the same page. And he discusses why “mastery” doesn’t need to mean the same thing for every student. He even shares exactly how teachers can plan out lessons to help students achieve the level of mastery they’re on board with. It’s such a refreshing idea that I know will help support students for years to come.
Jon Bergmann is one of the pioneers of the Flipped Classroom. He has helped schools, universities, organizations, and governments all over the world introduce active and flipped learning into their contexts. He is a frequent keynote speaker who challenges and inspires audiences with stories and real-life examples from his classroom.
He has taught at urban, suburban, rural, and private schools. He spent twenty-four years as a classroom teacher in Colorado before becoming a technology facilitator in the Chicago suburbs. When Flip Your Classroom became an international bestseller, he traveled the world for eight years, helping schools and universities move from passive to active learning. In 2019, he returned to the classroom to further develop Flipped and Mastery Learning. This has amplified Jon’s voice with teachers and professors. They now see him as a fellow teacher working through the complexities and challenges of teaching today because his presentations include struggles and successes as he works every day with students.
Jon believes the two most important things that make good teaching good are active learning and relationships. Too much education is received passively, and Jon knows from both research and experience that students learn best when they are active participants. Students don’t care what you know until they know that you care, and Jon tries every day to connect with his students.
Jon has written and co-authored ten books that have been translated into thirteen languages. In 2002, Jon received the Presidential Award for Excellence for Math and Science Teaching; and in 2010, he was a Semi-Finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year. He serves on the advisory board for TED Education. He teaches full-time science and assists with staff development at Houston Christian High School in Houston, Texas. Find out more about Jon at JonBergmann.com and find book resources at TheMasteryLearningHandbook.com.
