Explaining differentiation to parents can be tricky. As a society, we value fairness above almost all things, and a differentiated classroom can look unfair from the outside if the definition of fairness is “sameness.” One important step teachers should take in the beginning of the year is to share their
I know how to teach kids about money. That may sound simple, but parenting is fraught with difficulty, and there are few things I can say for sure I did really well as a parent. Teaching my kids about money is one of those few things. One of the best
Ever wondered how to keep gifted kids motivated? Ever laid awake nights wondering how to keep gifted kids motivated? Ever torn your hair out wondering how to keep gifted kids motivated? Spoiler: I don’t have the answer. The reason there’s no answer is that the intervention will only work if:
How to help your gifted child If you’ve ever worried you’re going to “break” your gifted kid, have I got a treat for you. I’m often asked by parents how they can help their gifted child. Finally, I have an easy, free answer! I’m sharing a new free ebook written
School award ceremonies are a bad idea, but you’d never know it by how many of them there are. Of all the things people warned me about when I became a parent, no one mentioned the interminable end-of-year awards ceremonies. As I’ve learned more and more about the way our
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle is a book I’ve wanted to read for a long time. I love exploring the idea of what builds greatness. I felt like it deserved a read alongside other books I’ve read that I think are related, like David Schenk’s The Genius in All of
There is a problem with reading logs that students are expected to keep for school. There is more than one problem, actually, but I’m focusing on one. I’m giving solutions, too, so hold tight. Reader Q: This is part of my Reader Q & A series, and this question comes
Funky socks change lives, and they can change campuses and families, too. Fundraising is rarely anyone’s favorite activity, yet I want to share this one, because I think it’s such a perfect fit for gifted children’s innate tendency toward social awareness and moral concern. I’ve never shared anything like this
I’m desperately concerned about why children stop reading, and I hope you are, too. Let’s talk about why children stop reading and what we can do about it. Too Few Of Us Read I came across an article recently called Harry Potter and the Death of Reading that was written in
Is my child gifted or just bright? It’s a question many parents ask, and the answer is not an easy yes or no. Let’s explore more about a child whose parent is wondering the answer to this and how best to meet the needs of her daughter. Note: Frequently I
Differentiation Gone Wrong: I’m a big believer in differentiation. I mean huge. I often explore the internet looking for good examples of differentiation. And sometimes, I find examples of differentiation gone wrong. Here’s one such example: I don’t whether it’s nice to say where I got this or not, so
In this episode, I take a real, live high school biology lesson and suggest ways in which I’d approach differentiating it for high level learners. The Backstory I received an email asking me to give suggestions for how to differentiate this DNA structure lab. I decided to take a stab
