Gifted Strategies Are Just Better Teaching

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Mastery Done Better

TL;DR: Using strategies that support gifted students can support all students in your classroom. While at the Teach Better conference, I attended several sessions that would work well for gifted students, including using Depth of Knowledge and the Grid Method as well as finding ways for students to look at math creatively. Gifted Strategies Are Just Good Teaching These are … Read More

The Belief of a Gifted Label

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better

TL;DR: Gifted students’ love of school varies. They have different abilities, interests, and needs. Gifted students need to be supported, challenged, and develop grit. The beliefs of a gifted label and the facts of a gifted label can sometimes be two very different things. When a child is deemed to be “gifted,” people liken this to an achievement like earning … Read More

The Best Way to Challenge Gifted Students (and all students, for that matter)

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiate Better, Lesson Plan Better, Reflect Better

TL;DR: To challenge gifted students, you can accelerate learning or go into more depth. We must engage their minds in higher levels of thinking. Consider Bloom’s Taxonomy when asking students questions. How to Challenge Gifted Students There are all sorts of strategies for challenging gifted students. Sometimes we accelerate or go fast. Other times we go more in-depth meaning rather … Read More

The Frustration of Being Underchallenged

Teach Better TeamBlog, Differentiate Better, Engage Better, Lesson Plan Better

TL;DR: Gifted students are often under-challenged. Under-challenged students are not given the same opportunities to learn and grow. There are ways to serve our gifted population that are beyond differentiation. Todd’s Gifted Rants: The Frustration of Being Underchallenged You know how to speak English very fluently. It comes very naturally to you, and you find it quite easy to speak. … Read More

What’s Happened to Us? | Brian Butler | Common Assessments

Tom SchimmerThe Tom Schimmer Podcast

In Don’t @ Me (3:50), Tom opens this week by questioning why we’ve collectively become so brazen and disrespectful towards others. Then, Tom is joined by friend and colleague Brian Butler (16:03) for a conversation about why gifted education should be the floor for all learners if we are to achieve true equity in our schools.  Finally, in Assessment Corner … Read More