Your students have most likely spent years learning in a traditional classroom. Suddenly flipping your classroom without a clear set of expectations might set back your student’s success or cause you to give up and return to traditional classroom methods. Avoid pitfalls by taking the time to plan and prepare before the big day and by applying these six helpful tips.

1. Set a Date 
   The last thing you want to do is surprise your students with a sudden Classroom Flip. Set a date of at least a month in advance so that you and your students can prepare and get excited about the big day.
2. Market the Flipped Model and Get Students Excited
   Not everyone likes change, including students and parents.  It’s important to be excited and positive about flipping your classroom to get your students and their parents on board. Involve the students in planning and preparing for the flip day and offer an open discussion on how the students feel about the flip and what your expectations are. Continue communicating with students everyday after the flip to ensure its continued success.
3. Get out of the way
   As a student-centered pedagogy, the Flipped Classroom Model puts the teacher on the sidelines. Get out of the way right from the first flip day and watch the magic happen.  By creating an environment where students learn from each other and at their own pace, the teacher becomes a guide, offering more time for individual and small group guidance.
4. Make sure everyone has access to the Internet
   If even one student can’t access a pre-recorded lecture, the Flipped Class will fail.  If students do not have Internet access at home and cannot use the library on a regular basis, provide that student with class time to view the material online.
5. Use Flipped Model Assessments
   Because of all the teamwork and collaborative learning that takes place in a Flipped Classroom, teachers need teamwork friendly assessments.  Hundreds, maybe thousands, of teachers have embarked on the Flipped Journey, and increasingly they are choosing EDUonGo as their platform to flip their classes.
6. Give Students a Reason to be Prepared
   In a Flipped Classroom, students should walk into class already instructed on the day’s topic. To help ensure students do their “homework” one hundred percent of the time, give them an incentive. First of all, keep your video lectures short, ideally 5-7 minutes. Also consider gamifying your classroom. By offering an environment where participation and assessments lead to levels won and titles given, students will show up to class excited, motivated, and well prepared. To learn more about gamifying your classroom, read our Teacher’s Guide to Gamification.