When your bright and gifted students and moving beyond the curriculum through achievement of the outcomes or even when they are moving within the outcomes, we need think more creatively as to how we can support them so they develop skills as future problem solvers and creative thinkers.
Weekly self check
Rather than continue on with lessons with only teacher feedback, make time regularly for students to review what they have achieved and from there, change how they are working on a project or solving problems.
There is a lot of new research that show that students thrive when they are given more control over their learning, not just academically but also personally.
We want our students to leave school feeling that there is more than just report cards & assessment results. We want them to see that they have the power to change the outcomes of their learning but without giving them the opportunity to reflect on their progress and explore different ways to learn – they will never know how.
So what can a weekly self check look like?
- 5 minutes of reading back over the learning done throughout the week, highlighting what has worked well & what hasn’t
- Discussing what they have enjoyed learning & why
- Discuss why they haven’t enjoyed learning – was it the style of learning or the content?
- Look at options as to how they can change their feelings if they are not happy with their learning.
- Be flexible as a teacher to allow for different learning styles – the end goal can remain the same so don’t think you have to do more – you are just allowing students to be like adults in the real world!
I’d love to hear about any teachers or schools who are trying to implement this & how it works for you.
Gifted Education Musings 