So you spend some time making videos. Great. Getting your kids to watch them is the next step or they are completely useless to you and to them!

Once I started the flipped out process (and I am not referring to my new obsession with making videos or getting angry with technology when it does not do what I want it to…) I was pumped! See previous posts. I flipping love this!

Were my students as pumped as me? Not really. That’s how it goes I suppose…like any middle school teacher, I resorted to trickery…at least I hope that other teachers trick their students into learning…

Here’s how the conversation went in class:
This weekend, I will post a video on our new website that I am totally stoked about! In it will be instruction for a new skill. On Monday, if you have watched the video, you will be allowed to demonstrate that skill to me. I will know if you watched the video because I will put a secret word in it. *I made this sound very foreboding and mysterious…they love that stuff and ironically, so do I*
You will write down the secret word for me on Monday and then will be allowed to demonstrate your new skill. Don’t tell anyone else the secret word! If you do, you will not be allowed to demonstrated your new skill. I will find out if you share the secret word because you all are middle schoolers and one of you will snitch. It will happen.

It worked like a beautiful sterling silver charm. Monday morning I have kids coming up to me left and right wanting to show me their secret word that they have folded up on their paper 15 times so no one else will see.

Teacher amusement tip:
Pick secret words in a theme and make them rather obscure and not at all related to the material in the video.
Example: The Percussion Class theme is tropical fruit. Apples are boring, but papayas are interesting. Bonus: they learn how to spell a new word (or you can laugh at their terrible spelling skills…it is a win/win)

Tell me about your flipping successes! What are your secret tactics? I do love secrets 🙂