Feeling Overwhelmed...

Ok, so.... I am feeling really excited, but really overwhelmed and confused about teaching 6th grade math. It has ALWAYS been my dream, so I feel like I really want to succeed in it. However, I have wayyyyyy too many ideas floating around my head and I am finding it hard to focus (which isn't good considering school starts in about a month). Here is my number 1 problem... What do I want my classroom to be like? Well, I have tossed around the ideas of a flipped classroom, math workshop, and layered curriculum. Although I love the idea of math workshop and am familiar with it because I used reading workshop in 2nd grade, I am leaning more towards a mix of the flipped classroom and layered curriculum.

Here is what I know:

1) I want the majority of my classroom time to be for the students to practice and get to use the math while they have access to me and other students for help.

2) I want to use interactive notebooks because I believe they really help students connect and understand concepts, if used appropriately. (Again, used them in 2nd grade so I am comfortable with them and scared of change!)

3) I LOVE the idea of layered curriculum. If you haven't heard of it before or don't know much about it, I highly suggest this book. It is a quick and easy read, but it BLEW my mind when I read it.

Here is what I don't know (yet...):

1) Can I combine a flipped classroom and a layered curriculum and make it work?

2) Am I trying to do too much?

3) I don't have the knowledge or the technology to make my own videos yet for a flipped classroom, but is it lame or wrong to use other peoples' videos for now? (Until I get going enough to make my own...)

4) Am I going to lose my mind over the next 4 weeks trying to decide how to run my dream classroom?

Stay tuned to find out....

If you have any experience with a flipped classroom, interactive notebooks in middle school math, or layered curriculum, PLEASE comment and share your experiences with me. I could really use the help and insight. :)

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