The Hidden Layers of Classroom Teaching
It is time to rebuild the classroom from the ground up to support teachers and students instead of feeding the industrial education complex.
Starting new classes with new students in January requires me to get to know my students as quickly as possible. During our first class back I did what many of us do, asked my computer science students a fundamental question, “what is computer science?” Their varied responses, from “writing code” to “proving program behaviors,” revealed both their understanding and gaps in knowledge after a full semester. During our classroom discussion I helped my students realize that there are many layers to computer science that we can’t possibly keep in our head all at once. But, as we learn more we can focus on the key layers that have the biggest impact.
This moment crystallized something I have been thinking about throughout my 15 years of teaching: the layers of complexity we navigate daily in our classrooms.
During our classroom discussion, my students and I co-created our best definition of computer science: "The practice of identifying which layer of abstraction is most important, and using expertise in that layer to solve a problem." Ironically, this perfectly describes the challenge we teachers face every day.
After years of trying to improve classroom systems, I realized I had fallen into the same trap as many EdTech companies - attempting to build solutions without truly understanding the problem. When I finally stepped back to analyze what classroom teaching actually entails, it became painfully clear why teacher burnout is skyrocketing. Teaching hasn't just become hard - it's become the wrong kind of hard.
Only after teaching for 15 years and trying to innovate throughout the education system in various ways did I have enough information and experience to map out the six distinct layers that create the complex system that is the classroom:
Operating System (the foundational structure that runs your classroom)
Content/Curriculum/Standards
Classroom/Behavioral Management
Pedagogy
Assessment
Communication/Collaboration
I will flush out these layers in more detail in further posts, but these layers become interesting when you insert the EdTech that teachers have to deal with at each layer. At each layer, we're bombarded with tools and platforms, sold and promoted by the many consultants that build out the industrial education complex. These are just some of the tools teachers have to decide between and do 80% of the work to get it into their classrooms.
For basic classroom operations, we're choosing between PowerSchool, Schoology, and Google Classroom - all built on the flawed assumption that points and grades are the key unit of learning. For content, we're navigating between College Board requirements, state standards, OpenStax, and IXL Learning. For behavior management, there's ClassDojo, HeroK12, and LiveSchool. The list goes on across every layer.
But here's the real problem: It's not just about having too many tools. It's that these layers don't talk to each other. Every day, we're performing mental gymnastics trying to create cohesive learning experiences while juggling disconnected systems. We're expected to differentiate instruction, manage behavior, track progress, and communicate effectively - all while switching between dozens of platforms that weren't designed to work together.
After years of trial and error, I've learned to ignore the noise and focus on what truly matters. My classroom operating system now revolves around three atomic units of learning:
Student understanding and knowledge gaps
Engagement levels
Creation and building capabilities
This simplified approach didn't come easily. It took years of experimentation and refinement - time that most teachers simply don't have. That's why I'm excited to share a more manageable and impactful operating system that aligns these layers in a way that actually works for teachers and students.
The operating system in my classroom is built on those three elements, or atomic units of learning. I have found ways to mold the existing layers of classroom learning to my operating system, to bridge the gap from the present to the future.
We don't need more tools. We need a better operating system. We need a system that understand how real classrooms work. Most importantly, we need to return to what matters most: creating meaningful learning experiences for our students.