Webinar - Differentiating for student academic success: the bright student in 6-12 with Victoria Tusken
Takeaway #1:
Bright students are those who understand the material more quickly than the average student, so they do not need multiple lessons on the same concept, which Tusken calls "drill and kill." As a result, they might feel bored or disinterested in the classroom. Teachers often will use their bright students as tutors for the struggling students, but this gets old to the bright students if overdone. Even bright students need help in class - help to stay engaged, and bright students are engaged by complex and in-depth learning (not more work). They will be naturally curious about topics they are interested in, so teachers should preview and pre-assess material often, answer student questions, and provide them a variety. If we only work in a student's Known zone, they will not learn from us, just as if we only work in a student's Frustration zone, so we must meet every student in his Zone of Proximal Development.
Previewing and pre-assessment are essential in teaching bright students. This can be done prior to a new unit to see what they know, but it also serves to signal to the student what they can expect, and their natural curiosity may take off. Thus it is helpful to reference future information in regular lessons even though the whole class does not need to know it right then. In this regard, bright students may anticipate future information and ask questions about it - do not defer the question because as their teacher, we should want to engage them rather than shut them down. Finally, Tusken gave advice for providing a variety of content, presentation, and product in the classroom. She suggests tiered assignments for variation of content, in which assignments are given based on student readiness. This is a lot of work on the teacher because we have to develop multiple assignments, but our bright students will appreciate it. Again, bright students need different work, not more work. Tusken suggests providing a menu of products for students to show what they know; this way bright students can choose based on their interests.
Takeaway #2:
Because bright students are able to coast by without much effort in a general classroom, they may not have as developed a work ethic as teachers may expect. For many bright students, a task that requires a lot of work will cause them to shut down because it makes them feel less smart. Some of the most important things teachers can do for bright students is teach them organizational skills and sharpen their work ethic. This is not accomplished by giving them more to do, but by encouraging and challenging them. In tiered activities as mentioned above, assignments should have checkpoints and expectations step-by-step that can motivate students to complete each part. Encouragement is also key. By telling students they are bright and should have no trouble actually negatively impacts them because they may develop a need for perfectionism. Instead, we should encourage a student's potential and help them develop a work ethic to reach it. Tusken also says growth mindset is super important. Students may feel uncomfortable with having different assignments from their peers, so by teaching students how to learn for their own personal growth and helping them realize that everyone comes from different starting points, we can foster a motivation in students that will help them when they are faced with challenges in post-secondary education.
You can view this webinar on the KDP website, free for KDP members.
Bright students are those who understand the material more quickly than the average student, so they do not need multiple lessons on the same concept, which Tusken calls "drill and kill." As a result, they might feel bored or disinterested in the classroom. Teachers often will use their bright students as tutors for the struggling students, but this gets old to the bright students if overdone. Even bright students need help in class - help to stay engaged, and bright students are engaged by complex and in-depth learning (not more work). They will be naturally curious about topics they are interested in, so teachers should preview and pre-assess material often, answer student questions, and provide them a variety. If we only work in a student's Known zone, they will not learn from us, just as if we only work in a student's Frustration zone, so we must meet every student in his Zone of Proximal Development.
Previewing and pre-assessment are essential in teaching bright students. This can be done prior to a new unit to see what they know, but it also serves to signal to the student what they can expect, and their natural curiosity may take off. Thus it is helpful to reference future information in regular lessons even though the whole class does not need to know it right then. In this regard, bright students may anticipate future information and ask questions about it - do not defer the question because as their teacher, we should want to engage them rather than shut them down. Finally, Tusken gave advice for providing a variety of content, presentation, and product in the classroom. She suggests tiered assignments for variation of content, in which assignments are given based on student readiness. This is a lot of work on the teacher because we have to develop multiple assignments, but our bright students will appreciate it. Again, bright students need different work, not more work. Tusken suggests providing a menu of products for students to show what they know; this way bright students can choose based on their interests.
Takeaway #2:
Because bright students are able to coast by without much effort in a general classroom, they may not have as developed a work ethic as teachers may expect. For many bright students, a task that requires a lot of work will cause them to shut down because it makes them feel less smart. Some of the most important things teachers can do for bright students is teach them organizational skills and sharpen their work ethic. This is not accomplished by giving them more to do, but by encouraging and challenging them. In tiered activities as mentioned above, assignments should have checkpoints and expectations step-by-step that can motivate students to complete each part. Encouragement is also key. By telling students they are bright and should have no trouble actually negatively impacts them because they may develop a need for perfectionism. Instead, we should encourage a student's potential and help them develop a work ethic to reach it. Tusken also says growth mindset is super important. Students may feel uncomfortable with having different assignments from their peers, so by teaching students how to learn for their own personal growth and helping them realize that everyone comes from different starting points, we can foster a motivation in students that will help them when they are faced with challenges in post-secondary education.
You can view this webinar on the KDP website, free for KDP members.