Direct Teaching is Exhausting

Original Drafting March 2021

For the past nine weeks, I've completely overhauled my classroom approach, abandoning the familiar flipped model in favor of intensive, direct instruction. This shift, driven by a desire to bolster student success, has proven to be the most draining period of my entire teaching career. Over winter break, I meticulously analyzed student performance data and survey feedback from the fall semester, searching for patterns and insights that might illuminate areas needing improvement. I reasoned that a more structured, teacher-led approach could address the identified gaps.

However, the sheer effort required to maintain this direct teaching model is staggering. Every lesson is meticulously crafted, every concept painstakingly explained, and every student interaction demands focused attention. I'm essentially doubling my workload – creating detailed lecture materials, designing in-class activities that reinforce learning in real-time, and providing constant, individualized support. Evenings and weekends are now consumed by lesson planning and grading, leaving little time for anything else.

While I'm committed to this experiment, I'm also realistic. I'm not yet confident that the data will ultimately validate this change. I've decided to maintain this course for three more weeks, allowing for a robust sample size, before I conduct a thorough analysis and compare the results to the previous flipped model. The anticipation of the data analysis hangs heavy, a mix of hope and weariness. The exhaustion is profound, a constant, low-grade hum that underscores every task. I'm operating on fumes, but I'm determined to see this through, driven by the hope that this sacrifice will ultimately benefit my students.

April 2025 - -
What I've learned in the 4 years since I shifted to this model is that students are ever changing. I actually use a combination approach in class (direct instruction and independent work), and the needs of students can shift from day to day. No two days are the same. I find myself at times adding more direct instruction and removing it other days.

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