When Learning Runs Itself

When a classroom runs like a well-oiled machine with students fully engaged, working independently and intrinsically motivated without external pressure, you know you’ve created a truly personalized learning environment. That’s exactly the climate we’ve reached in my yearbook class. Even when I’m physically present, there’s often little I need to do. The learning speaks for itself. It's a direct result of an intentionally designed environment.

This kind of autonomous culture didn’t happen by accident. It was built through three key components: student leadership, a learning management system and Google Slides.

Student Leadership

The editor-in-chief plays a pivotal leadership role. Since I’m often teaching other classes, she steps in as the on-the-ground lead during the yearbook period. Each day, we meet during lunch to review the plan and she then communicates it to the team. Students use a task board to track their progress in real time, updating it throughout the period. She monitors this board to take attendance and ensure accountability. Meanwhile, I can access the board remotely, allowing me to provide feedback or troubleshoot questions even when I’m not in the room.

Learning Management System (Schoology)

Schoology acts as the organizational backbone of our class. I create three weeks’ worth of content in advance and release it weekly. Students can choose which skill to focus on, IE: photography, writing or layout & design… and progress at their own pace. Some rotate through all three areas, while others dive deeper into a single focus based on their interests.

Each skill area is scaffolded with increasing levels of difficulty. Students submit work for feedback, and their first task at the next level is always to revise and resubmit their previous work. This continuous improvement loop builds accountability and encourages mastery.

Google Slides as a Teaching Tool

All lessons are delivered via Google Slides. Each slide deck includes instructions, linked resources and guided tasks. Students work through the content independently, learning new skills and applying them through practice. By the end of the week, they submit their completed slide decks for review.

Real-World Application: Yearbook Production

Beyond skill-building, every student is also responsible for completing one real-world task each week for the actual yearbook. This might include gathering quotes, laying out pages or capturing photos. They self-assess, provide evidence of their work and submit everything through Schoology.

The result? A classroom that thrives without constant teacher direction. Students lead, collaborate, reflect and produce. When the systems are intentional and student-centered, the learning truly runs itself.

Leading from a Distance: Systems That Empower Student Learning

Creating meaningful learning opportunities for students while teaching from a different room is both complex and constantly evolving. Over time, I’ve implemented a combination of consistent systems and flexible strategies, some refined through daily use, others developed through trial and error.

Student Leadership in Action

Each day, the editor-in-chief of the yearbook joins me for lunch. This time serves as our planning session. We review the day’s agenda, discuss ideas and align on priorities. She then projects the day’s Google Slides presentation in the yearbook lab, opens the class and clearly communicates the learning target and expectations to her peers. Her leadership presence sets the tone and ensures continuity in my physical absence.

Instant, Purposeful Communication

To support real-time troubleshooting, I’ve designated a student aide, who also works with me during another period, to be the point of contact. They’re empowered to enter the room I’m teaching in or text me directly for urgent issues such as login problems or administrative questions. This streamlined approach minimizes classroom disruptions and allows quick resolution of issues without pulling me away from instruction.

Asynchronous Dialogue Through Schoology

To stay connected with students throughout the class period, I use discussion posts on Schoology, our learning management system. Students begin each session by posting their goals and plans for the day. I respond with feedback, encouragement and relevant resources, all without stepping foot in the classroom. This digital dialogue builds accountability while promoting student ownership.

The Task Board: A Hub for Collaboration and Accountability

Our most advanced and effective communication tool is a Google Slides task board. Students update it throughout the period to indicate what they’re working on, where they are in the building and any questions they have. I monitor the board remotely and respond as needed. The editor-in-chief also uses it to track attendance and support peer accountability. In addition, she leaves daily feedback on student engagement and overall productivity.

By blending student leadership, intentional communication and thoughtfully designed digital systems, I’ve created a learning environment where students thrive, even when I’m not physically present. The key is trust, structure and empowering students to lead with confidence.

Understanding the Levels of Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Scaffolding Student Ownership and Personalization

Project-Based Learning (PBL) exists on a spectrum, from highly structured to fully student-directed. I’ve come to see three distinct levels in my practice: Project-Based Assignment, Mixed PBL and Entrepreneurial PBL. Each serves a purpose and offers varying degrees of student autonomy and personalization.

1. Project-Based Assignment

Teacher-Directed, Skill-Focused

This is the most structured and teacher-controlled form of PBL. It’s task-driven, with students inserting creativity into predetermined frameworks. The teacher sets the pace, defines the learning outcomes and ensures alignment with specific standards. It’s a great entry point for teachers new to PBL or looking for targeted skill development.

Example from My Classroom:
In our Shark Tank unit, students chose to design a housing community, nonprofit organization or clothing line. While they had creative control over materials, branding and location, I maintained ownership of the pacing and instructional goals. I introduced standards-based skills strategically as they progressed through each task. This model allowed for personalization within a clearly defined structure.

2. Mixed PBL

Shared Control, Student Choice Within Boundaries

Mixed PBL blends teacher-designed structure with student autonomy. Students begin with the same essential question or learning focus, but how they demonstrate understanding varies. The teacher frames the standards, while students determine how to apply them, often resulting in diverse and meaningful outcomes.

Example from My Classroom:
Using the essential question "Why do people take risks?", students explored content and developed responses based on their interpretations. While everyone addressed the same core standards, their final products (videos or presentations) differed significantly. Community members were invited to evaluate their work, adding authenticity and external feedback to the process.

3. Entrepreneurial PBL

Student-Driven, Deeply Personalized

Entrepreneurial PBL is the most open-ended and student-led model. These projects often span weeks or months, allowing students to explore personally meaningful questions at their own pace. The teacher becomes a facilitator, guiding students as they connect their inquiry to academic standards.

Example from My Classroom:
Students each developed their own essential question to anchor their learning. One student asked, "Why do people rely on the Internet?" She created a global map analyzing Internet usage and connected her findings to social studies and data analysis standards. Each student’s path looked different, but all were rooted in rigorous thinking and self-direction.

Final Thoughts

Each level of PBL has value depending on your instructional goals, classroom context and student readiness. Whether you’re scaffolding early attempts at inquiry or facilitating full-blown entrepreneurial projects, the heart of PBL remains the same: creating opportunities for meaningful, student-centered learning.

Framing Personalized Learning Through Essential Questions

Empowering students to develop their own essential questions (EQs), similar to thesis statements in higher education, is a powerful strategy for fostering ownership, curiosity and deeper learning. EQs serve as anchors for inquiry, helping students connect academic standards to meaningful, real-world thinking.

Model 1: Classwide Essential Question

In this model, all students explore the same essential question. While the content and standards remain consistent, students are encouraged to reflect and apply their learning through the shared lens of the EQ. This approach pushes thinking beyond surface-level understanding and invites application to broader, often interdisciplinary contexts.

Example:
Why do people take risks?
Students might explore this question through historical analysis, scientific innovation, personal narratives or entrepreneurial projects, making space for diverse perspectives within a unified theme.

Model 2: Individual Essential Questions

This model allows for even greater personalization. Each student develops their own EQ based on interest, curiosity or lived experience. As they build content knowledge and skills, they apply what they’re learning to their unique line of inquiry. This approach requires the teacher to serve more as a coach and facilitator, supporting individual paths while ensuring standards are still met.

An individual EQ gives learning purpose. It transforms isolated skills into tools for exploration and meaning-making.

What Makes a Strong Essential Question?

Effective EQs are open-ended, non-content specific and flexible enough to be explored through multiple lenses. They should invite curiosity, provoke thought and have no single "right" answer. A strong EQ provides space for critical thinking, creativity and authentic connection.

Examples of High-Quality EQs:

• Why do people move?

• How do people pursue happiness?

• Why do people rely on the Internet?

• How can people be agents of change?

• Why do people make bad choices?

Framing instruction around essential questions, whether shared or individual, transforms learning from a checklist of tasks into a meaningful exploration of ideas. When students see purpose in their work, engagement and depth naturally follow.

Personalizing Rubrics for Deeper Learning

Rubrics are often viewed as fixed tools, but they don’t have to be. In fact, personalized rubrics can empower students, deepen engagement and foster creative risk-taking. Whether designed by the teacher or co-constructed with students, flexible rubric structures create opportunities for authentic learning.

Leaving Room for Innovation

One simple yet powerful shift is leaving the highest performance level on a rubric intentionally blank. When students know exactly what’s required to earn a top score, they often stop there. By clearly defining grade-level expectations but leaving the “exceeding” column open-ended, students are invited to stretch themselves and take creative risks.

Interestingly, high-achieving students often struggle with this… they’re accustomed to clear guidelines and may feel uncomfortable without a defined path. But over time, this ambiguity encourages problem-solving, innovation and deeper engagement with the task.

The Zero-Point Rubric: Student-Driven Assessment

For a more advanced level of personalization, I use what’s called a Zero-Point Rubric. It flips the traditional model: instead of scoring a teacher-designed task, students design their own learning experiences. The rubric works in tandem with the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) framework and encourages student ownership from the start.

Here’s how it works:

• Students select a standard to focus on.

• They identify a level of rigor using the DOK wheel.

• They draft a plan for demonstrating their learning.

• Peers give feedback before the student finalizes the task.

• I meet with the student to review and approve the plan.

This approach allows students to design lessons, demonstrate mastery within a larger project or pursue personalized extensions of class content, all while staying aligned to learning goals.

What It Looks Like in My Classroom

In my own practice, I’ve found that about five students per class period consistently use the Zero-Point Rubric a few times a week. To support them, I provide state standards rewritten in student-friendly sixth-grade language. Many students keep printed copies in their journals and refer to them regularly.

As they master each standard, they cross it off, creating a visible record of progress and ownership. I’ve noticed something powerful: when given the choice, students often challenge themselves more than I might have through a traditional assignment. They pursue rigor not because it’s required, but because they’re genuinely invested in their growth.

Final Thoughts

Personalized rubrics may require more flexibility from the teacher, but the payoff is worth it. They shift the focus from compliance to creativity, from task completion to meaningful learning. When students help define what success looks like, they become active participants in their own education and that’s when real growth happens.

Shifting Student Pace: A Starting Point for Personalizing Learning

One approachable way to begin personalizing learning is by rethinking how students move through daily tasks. Instead of having every student complete the same assignment at the same time, teachers can offer structured flexibility, allowing students to choose when and how they complete tasks, while still working toward shared goals.

This shift doesn’t require a complete overhaul of instruction or even a reliance on technology. It’s simply a change in how pacing and choice are framed.

Structuring Flexible Pacing

Even without a learning management system (LMS), teachers can implement pacing flexibility. For example:

• Distribute four sequential tasks on paper, and allow students to move forward only after demonstrating understanding of each.

• Provide five or six task options and ask students to complete any four by the end of the week.

In both cases, the teacher maintains control over the content, sequence and standards, but students experience a greater sense of ownership by choosing the order, method or timing of their work.

The key to success is setting clear deadlines and expectations. This model works especially well for educators looking to experiment with personalized learning while maintaining structure.

Leveraging Technology with a Learning Management System

When available, an LMS can make this model even more effective, especially in classrooms with diverse learners and large student numbers. With platforms like Schoology, teachers can automate pacing through folder systems and locked assignments.

What it looks like in my classroom:
In Schoology, I create folders with five or six standards-aligned tasks. Students must complete at least three and meet a certain performance threshold to unlock the next set of learning opportunities. This method pairs well with project-based assignments, offering choice within a guided framework.

A Word of Caution: Don’t Get Stuck Here

While offering flexible pacing is an important step toward personalization, it’s not the destination. Many educators begin here, thinking that giving students multiple prescribed choices equals personalized learning. But true personalization involves deeper student agency: co-creating tasks, designing learning paths and applying knowledge in authentic ways.

Flexible pacing is a strong foundation, but the goal is to gradually release more control to students, transforming them from task completers to self-directed learners.

Final Thoughts

Shifting how students pace their work is a manageable entry point into personalized learning. Whether using paper-based menus or a digital LMS, giving students some autonomy in when and how they complete tasks increases engagement, ownership and independence. Just remember: this is the starting line, not the finish.

Designing a Classroom Environment That Works
How small shifts can create big changes in student engagement.

The classroom environment is one of the most powerful elements of teaching and it’s also one of the easiest to transform without overhauling your instructional practices. Regardless of content area, room layout or technology access, thoughtful design choices can make a classroom feel more welcoming, functional and student-centered before students even walk through the door.

Start with Space: Rethinking the Teacher Desk

One simple but impactful step is removing the teacher desk. Doing so not only frees up valuable space but also encourages educators to rethink what materials truly matter for them and their students. By streamlining your workspace, you naturally shift the focus to the students’ needs rather than the teacher’s “corner” of the room.

Purposeful Flexible Seating

Flexible seating isn’t about replacing desks with couches and beanbags. Every seat, surface and setup should serve a clear purpose. Students need hard, stable surfaces for writing, collaborative tables for group work and areas designed for focus. Lighting, power access and room flow should all be considered when designing these spaces.

A few tips:

• Avoid pushing desks and tables against walls unless they’re intentionally designed as individual workstations.

• Prioritize visibility and movement, teachers should be able to circulate easily to observe and support students.

• Think about outlets and charging stations. In today’s digital learning environment, easy access to power can naturally group students and support device use.

Student-Centered Clusters

Students often gravitate toward small groups, even when working independently. Clusters of five or six create an organic sense of focus and community. Large tables are ideal, but you can also create creative work surfaces by stacking two tables to make standing “bar-style” workstations, a quick, cost-effective hack.

Lighting and Atmosphere

Natural light is always the best option, but when that’s not possible, intentional lighting choices can set the tone for learning. Consider setting the mood before students arrive… dim the lights when showing a video clip or start with calm background music at a low “coffee shop” volume. (For a standard classroom, Alexa Volume 4 works perfectly.)

Music can be a subtle but powerful tool. Keep it running in the background; students will only notice it when the room is quiet, and it can create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that mirrors the feel of a modern café.

Flexible Seating Doesn’t Have to Mean New Furniture

Creating a flexible classroom doesn’t require a massive budget. Use what you already have, and let student feedback guide gradual changes. When new pieces become available, swap them in thoughtfully to expand choice and function. The goal is to design a space that supports different learning needs, without sacrificing structure.

Inside My Classroom

My classroom design reflects both function and personality. The walls are painted in bold colors… blue, orange, red, and green… each representing one of the four state social studies standards. These colors also match the folders in our learning management system, creating visual consistency.

A custom-built, eight-foot-long bar table (constructed by our tech class with $200 worth of wood from Home Depot) divides the room into two sections, each with a mounted smart TV. Two additional bar tables, set at different heights, allow for flexible groupings of about eight students per side.

The lights remain off during class, with multiple lamps creating softer, more inviting lighting options. Music always plays quietly in the background, adding to a relaxed, Starbucks-like vibe. USB charging stations and accessible outlets are available throughout the room to support student devices. Much of this setup was made possible through a flexible seating grant.

Final Thoughts

Classroom design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about creating an environment where students feel comfortable, focused and empowered to learn. Even small changes, like rethinking seating arrangements or adjusting lighting, can transform the classroom experience. Start with what you have, experiment and let your space evolve with the needs of your students.

Crossing the River: A Metaphor for Personalized Learning

The shift from traditional teacher-centered instruction to personalized learning is transforming how students engage with content. No longer is the teacher the sole keeper of knowledge. Instead, students are encouraged to explore, create and take ownership of their learning. While this transition may feel daunting at first, it doesn’t require an all-or-nothing leap.

One helpful way to understand this continuum is through the “river crossing” metaphor, a framework for gauging the level of personalization in a classroom. Importantly, no level is inherently better than the others. Each has value, depending on the task, the content and the learners themselves.

Level 1: Structured and Uniform

Students are all given the same task: build a wooden bridge to cross the river. The objective and method are both teacher-directed, and every student completes the task in more or less the same way. This level reflects a traditional instructional model, where clarity and consistency are prioritized.

Level 2: Structured Choice

Here, students are still asked to cross the river, but they can choose how: a bridge, a raft or a dam. The teacher defines the task and the options, giving students some freedom within a controlled framework. This is where many educators land when beginning to personalize learning. While offering choice is a step forward, it can still feel teacher-driven when all paths are preselected.

Level 3: Open-Ended Pathways

At this level, the teacher simply poses the challenge: cross the river. Students determine how they'll do it, what tools, processes and pacing they’ll use. The role of the teacher shifts to that of a facilitator, offering guidance while allowing students to explore and iterate. Entrepreneurial project-based learning thrives in this space, especially when anchored by a compelling essential question.

Level 4: Abstract and Authentic

There’s no literal river anymore. Instead, the class explores a broader question, such as “Why do people cross divides?” Students investigate this idea through various disciplines and perspectives, connecting their work to real-world contexts. This level supports authentic inquiry and interdisciplinary thinking, allowing students to approach the learning in ways that are meaningful to them.

Level 4.1: Fully Personalized Learning

This is personalized learning at its fullest expression. Each student crafts their own essential question, selects the standards they aim to demonstrate and works at a pace that fits their needs. The learning is entirely student-driven, with the teacher acting as mentor and guide. It requires deep trust, thoughtful scaffolding and a classroom culture built on ownership and reflection.

Final Thoughts

Each level has its place. The goal isn’t to rush to Level 4.1, but to become more intentional about how and when to shift across levels depending on the needs of your students. Sometimes structure is necessary; other times, freedom unlocks deeper engagement.

Simply asking students which level works best for them is already a step toward personalization, and a meaningful one. When we involve students in shaping their learning experience, we model the very thing we hope to teach: ownership, agency and purpose.