I'm Julia Lyles, an elementary teacher at
Heritage Elementary in Shelbyville, Kentucky. I've been an educator since 2014. Midway through my first year in teaching, I began implementing personalized learning math for my classroom of third graders. My student's daily access to technology was limited, so I evolved a "paper and pencil" way of meeting all of their needs. By my second year, my district's 1:1 initiative meant all students now have a device of their own (Chromebooks), so technology obviously became a strong engine to enable personalized learning to work well. However, I'm thankful I had the prior school year to experiment, fail, reflect, and try again in a half-analog, half-digital model. While technology certainly makes things easier for myself and my students, I value key components to make personalized learning endure: creating a self-directed learning culture, moving from a classroom manager to a roomful of student coaches, and establishing expectations that all can succeed.
