Looking for a quick differentiation technique any teacher can use? I made this one up, and it’s worked really well for me for years. I call it “Scholar Extension Opportunity.” Scholar Extension Opportunities (SEOs) are optional opportunities for students to extend their learning experience. They may include creativity, product complexity,
I received an email from a parent who had asked the high school to allow her 9th grade daughter to enroll in AP English, rather than in Honors 9th Grade English. The school declined, and the parent wanted my suggestion on what to do. Note: Frequently I get questions from parents
Our kids can’t cut. It’s costing us a lot of money. It’s costing them a lot of learning. Normally, I don’t write articles for the website with lots of citation to research, saving that for journal articles. However, I’ve put some in here because I think it’s important to recognize
As of this writing, the mayor of New York is considering a proposal that would completely dismantle the school district’s Gifted & Talented program in the name of equity. A committee found that the system is inequitable, and in their report they advocated the destruction of services for gifted children
The spread of one-to-one devices in schools has meant that some people believe we’ve waived a magic wand and solved the differentiation problem. It’s easy! Simply plug the kid in and let the computer program pace and level their learning. Mischief managed! This is wrong thinking, and here’s why.
As a teacher, one of the most important skills my students need to develop to have healthy relationships with their peers is to learn how to offer an apology. A mumbled, “Sorry” with the head down and the toe of the shoe scuffing the floor is not what I
Sheridan Speaks This interview with a gifted kid is a series within a series. In it we meet the middle of three generations of a gifted family. In this installment, Sheridan, a young professional with a gifted daughter and gifted mother, shares his thoughts with me (and you). When did
I’m not just saying this because I love Lisa Conrad, although I do. I think #gtchat is a fantastic resource for both parents and teachers of the gifted, and it’s time I gave it a little love. It began as solely a Twitter chat that happened once a week (with
I wrote about creating a tiered lesson plan, and here I’m sharing a template teachers can use themselves. I created this template for myself because none of the ones I found met my needs. Using the Tiered Lesson Plan Template When I’m creating a tiered lesson plan, I begin by
Have I got a mega list of teacher resources and ideas for you today, my friends. On July 16th, 2019, I was in Houston (Katy, to be precise) facilitating a GT professional development for the Houston GT Co-op. There were 300 awesome teachers there. I asked them all to
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a book I’d had recommended to me frequently, and as part of my 101 Goals in 1001 Days, I was plowing through some business books I’ve in my TBR (to be read) pile. The basic premise of Atomic Habits The fundamental idea of the
Look, I get it. We want kids to read. We want to avoid the dreaded “summer slide.” We want kids prepared for the work they’re going to have. But Friends, there’s a better way than packets and assigned tasks that go undone, leading students to start a new year behind
