Jessica Cavallaro 
Table of Contents
Agile classrooms function through the use of kanban boards. These boards are typically separated into four columns; “Backlog,” “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done.” These boards were created to make work visible and efficient in the workplace. Kanban boards can benefit all levels of a school but are particularly helpful for the classroom teacher who is always fighting against the clock and needs effective ways to check in with students and manage their own workflow.
Open Communication with Students
The main function of a Kanban board is to open lines of communication and transparency between working teams. Here we will discuss two major ways that Kanban boards will help teachers more efficiently communicate with students to free up time in the classroom.
Kanban Key #1: Definition of Done
When setting up a kanban board with student groups, one of the first steps is for each group to define their “definition of done” This means each group must brainstorm and communicate what a finished product looks like before it is handed to the teacher, The teams codify this mutual agreement by writing this definition on their board for all to see throughout the project.
By taking time before the work starts to define what “done” looks like, each group sets the norms of work for the entire project; students must consider that group work reflects on all of them and that each person is responsible for the entire group.
Having this conversation at the beginning of the project helps students vent their frustrations or negative feeling about group work. Inevitably, some students always feel like they “carry” others, while other students recognize that they can blend into the background. The definition of done ensures that all students talk through their feelings, express themselves, and set the tone of work before it is turned in to the teacher.
Taking the Sting Out of Peer Review
For the teacher, this practice is hugely beneficial. Instead of students coming to speak to the teacher about fellow group members, the conversations need to be within the group. The “sting” of peer review is also removed because students can ask each other, “Does this work meet the Definition of Done?” The position of the teacher shifts from being the decision maker or judge of who did what work and where the miscommunication happened to the facilitator of the team’s communication strategy. The definition of done holds them accountable to the group to ensure all group members feel comfortable with the work before it is turned in for a grade.
Kanban Key #2 Pull Work Forward
When students first set up their kanban board, they will break their project into increments or small tasks that can be completed. This is called building their Backlog Building the Backlog helps students visually understand how much work must be completed and better understand how to manage their time. To pull a task out of the Backlog and place it in “To do,” the group must communicate and decide what tasks will be completed each week.
Pulling tasks from the Backlog to “To Do” and then “Doing” means that all group members know that certain tasks are being worked on. Even if a student is absent, they can come in the next day and see on the board what work was begun or completed when they were absent. It is a highly efficient way for groups to communicate, and work can be transparent.
Taking Pressure Off Teachers
Teachers benefit from the visual aspect of the Kanban Board because they, too, can, in mere seconds, see how much work is being done, how fast or slow it is moving, and if there appear to be stuck groups. The teacher can easily assess which groups may need special attention, a motivational talk, or clarification on the project. It also helps alleviate the internal struggle of a team that often ends at the teacher’s desk.
Students can no longer claim that they did not know something was due or that others were working on certain tasks because all work is visual. Teams must communicate when pulling a card. This takes the takes of being the intermediary off of the teacher’s plate and helps students learn how to resolve conflict themselves.
Kanban Key #3: Alleviate the Teacher’s Cognitive Load
Kanban boards are also incredible tools for busy teachers that often feel like they can never get to the bottom of their To Do list Teachers have more on their plates than ever, and it often feels like we are not making progress as new tasks are constantly piling up.
The Kanban board helps teachers visually see what work is happening and helps them focus on one task at a time. Any work that must be done can be added to the Backlog and pulled across the board as it gets done. This works for basic tasks that we complete each week, but also for lesson planning. It helps us organize our thoughts, break a large task into smaller increments, and manage our time effectively. All teachers’ heavy cognitive load can be significantly alleviated by putting tasks on a kanban board, allowing teachers to use their precious short-term memory for more than shuffling the daily” To do” items around.
In Conclusion
The Kanban board is also highly effective for lesson planning large units and keeping track of learning outcomes and standards. By color coding assignments, assessments, or opportunities for hands-on learning, we can better assess the effectiveness of our unit plan before we implement it. There are even specialized Kanban boards built to help teachers lesson plan in ways that encourage more opportunities for student-directed learning and agile classrooms.
The secondary benefit to teachers using a kanban is the quiet modeling of what organized thinking and time management look like for students. Most of our students are developing their executive functioning skills, which help them stay organized, on task, and plan for the future.
When they can observe adults using tools to organize their lives, it benefits them in a way that direct lessons may not. They observe that this is valuable to a person they look up to and see that learning how to use the Kanban board benefits them outside of the classroom.
