TL;DR: Many gifted children aren’t challenged at their just-right level. One of the major challenges in giving students the work they need is a misunderstanding of how to help. Gifted children need to be challenged and taught the executive functioning skills needed to succeed. Underchallenged Gifted Children In my previous post, I talked about the underchallenged gifted child. These are … Read More
Fostering a Safe Learning Enivironment
TL;DR: We need to foster a safe learning environment for students and ourselves. Focus on the students, not your subject area. Ask what’s going on before you correct a student. Write a welcoming message on your board daily and greet students using their name. Check in once a week with kids to see what you might want to change in … Read More
3 Key Beliefs to Guide Your Instructional Practices
TL;DR: 3 key beliefs to guide your instructional practices include differentiation, accommodation, and modification. Build in structures to your instructional practices so students can have more opportunities for voice and choice. “Equity and Inclusion Just Got Better” Blog Reflection Questions: What is the one thing you will try to do in your classroom to make it inclusive? How does being … Read More
Can Learning Science Help Close Covid Learning Gaps?
TL;DR: Learning new skills or content is hard, and COVID has made it even harder. But learning science can help. When learning something new, information enters our working memory system, but often isn’t stored in long-term memory. Passive learning strategies (like re-rereading material) do not help us retain information, but retrieval practice does. Retrieval practice involves the recollection or resurfacing … Read More
Elementary Gone Grid: Blog Series Overview
Elementary Gone Grid: Blog Series Overview Everyone knows The Grid Method Mastery Learning Framework is changing classrooms around the world. But what does it look like at the Elementary Level? This blog series shares the basics of implementing The Grid Method at the elementary level and how to create the most effective elementary grids! Posts in the Series Elementary Grids: … Read More