Triumphs and Tribulations of the Flipped Classroom: A High School Teacher’s Perspective

Introduction

I have been teaching ninth grade Global History and Geography at Tapestry Charter High School for the past five years. Tapestry is an Expeditionary Learning School (EL). The Expeditionary Learning model is unique in that it connects academically rigorous curriculum with real world issues and current events. As a teacher in an EL school, my students utilize case studies, projects, fieldwork and service learning as a means of learning their global history. By engaging in “learning expeditions,” students learn in authentic and meaningful ways to produce high quality work (Expeditionary Learning, 2013). EL is a great way to harness students’ curiosity about the world around them, while improving their academic skills and content knowledge through a variety of teaching methods. This year, I have expanded upon the teaching methods utilized within the Expeditionary Learning model with my attempts at using the flipped classroom approach.