3 Things High School Teachers Plan To Work On in 2016

The New Year might be a good time for high school teachers to reflect and think about how they'd like to improve professionally.

That's something educators should never stop doing, one teacher told U.S. News on Twitter.

@alipannoni The day a HS Educator loses the drive to improve is the day they should retire - improvement in 2016 #educhat

-- Wendy Sprenger (@WSprenger) December 21, 2015

U.S. News reached out to high school educators to find out what they plan to work on in the New Year. Their thoughts are below.

-- Implement student-driven learning: Some teachers plan to focus on personalized or student-centered learning in 2016.

"The more and more that I'm around high school students, the more I'm impressed by what they are able to accomplish when we pass them the ball more often or when we allow them to take projects -- take ideas -- in whatever direction they can and let them run with it," says Jeff Shea, a social studies teacher at Belmont High School in Massachusetts.

"I'm hopeful that in 2016, I'll be able to do even more of that than I did this year," says Shea, who was also the 2015 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

Shea wasn't the only one. The educator on Twitter said she plans to work on student-centered learning too, among other things.

@alipannoni Student centered learning, critical thinking, research skills, collaboration and PBL . AP Capstone Program.

-- Wendy Sprenger (@WSprenger) December 21, 2015

Get [tips for transitioning to project-based learning.]

@alipannoni After 28 years, I have learned the more control you hand over to students, the more they thrive - student centered learning.

-- Wendy Sprenger (@WSprenger) December 21, 2015

-- Use technology : "The more I use it, the less 'paperwork' I have to do, so it's allowed me to plan more aggressively and thoroughly," said Matt Brannagan, a social studies teacher at Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, via email. He plans to continue to work on incorporating technology into his instruction in the New Year.

"One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in my six years of teaching is how to successfully integrate technology into my curriculum," he said. Even though his colleagues see the 30-year-old's youthfulness as an indication of technological savvy, he struggles with finding ways, other than simple things such as using the Web for research for projects, to really use technology.

This year he tried to "flip" his classroom using technology, like YouTube videos and blogs, to allow students to take ownership of their learning outside of class. That allowed him to use class time to do enrichment activities, spend less time lecturing and make his classroom more interactive.

Know [what questions high school teachers should ask about new tech tools.]

-- Build on what works : "How will I improve next year? By continuing to do what I have always done: teach the best I can, reflect on what I did and didn't do and how the students responded and learned. Then start all over again," said Howard Herrnstadt, an English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher at High Point High School, another Maryland school, via email.

"We learn by increments and add and subtract elements incrementally," he said. "I have seen young teachers who are very good. If they continue to reflect and grow as educators they will become great teachers. If they feel too swamped by administrative burdens and micro-management they might well leave the profession. The children will lose and not even know it."

Herrnstadt is very proud of what he does, but he called himself a "good average teacher" until an educator he admired called him a "master teacher."

"I decided to take his word for it and the pride and confidence boost that he offered me have only made me better," Herrnstadt said.

"I think that in many ways, this year I am teaching and managing my classrooms better than ever," he said. "Will I reach some sort of perfection? Absolutely not."

Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.

Alexandra Pannoni is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at apannoni@usnews.com.