Searching for Balance

Embracing the tension of direct instruction and creative freedom

Earlier this semester, I led my school's first Professional Learning Community (PLC) meeting. Administration asked me to share updates about Project Leo, hoping teachers were now ready to expand their classroom practice with new tools after settling into their routines. Drawing from my own experience that the most valuable PLC sessions provide immediately applicable tools, I opened with one of my favorite protocols: tug-of-war.

In my 15 years of teaching, I've constantly wrestled with two competing approaches: direct instruction versus creative freedom. Should valuable class time prioritize lectures on essential content, or should students have space to apply their learning through creative projects? As a new teacher focused on survival, I defaulted to lecturing. Later, exposed to "innovative" and progressive teaching methods, I swung to the opposite extreme, embracing Project Based Learning and what I called Just-In-Time Teaching. This semester, teaching AP Calculus with Project Leo has finally helped me find balance between these approaches.

To explore this tension with colleagues, I posed a question to our PLC: Where does student transformation truly happen—during direct instruction that builds fundamental skills, or during creative application of that learning? The tug-of-war protocol proved perfect for this discussion. Teachers spread across the spectrum, from our engineering instructor on one end to a math teacher on the other. Our rich discussion led some to shift their positions and helped me realize that each teacher needs to find their own sweet spot for their teaching style and students' needs.

This experience highlighted a crucial insight: EdTech has largely failed schools, draining resources while chasing solutions to undefined problems. The industry's failure stems from rarely having these fundamental pedagogical conversations. Instead of asking "What do teachers really need?", EdTech companies rely on consultants to build businesses that exploit education's siloed nature.

When I asked veteran teachers in my book club about their teaching goals, their answers were revealing:

"I want my students to get lost in their work."

"I hope to see students who no longer view themselves as children, but as adults."

"I aim to be a leader that isn't seen in the classroom—as Lao Tzu said, 'A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.'"

These responses show that teachers want more than classroom control. Yet today's school operating system remains fixated on compliance, points, and grades—treating students like empty buckets to fill. Major EdTech players are incentivized to maintain this status quo. True classroom transformation will only happen when we support teachers in finding meaning in their work, not when we simply funnel money to EdTech providers that burden already overwhelmed teachers.

Next week brings a new challenge: I'm taking over five new classes with four new preparations for the second semester. Meeting new students in January means quickly understanding their knowledge gaps and how to move them forward. Fortunately, I have a platform designed for exactly this purpose. I look forward to sharing how these new tools help me gauge student mastery daily and adjust my teaching accordingly. I invite you to join me on this journey.