4J TAG Newsletter
For Teachers & Parents
Jocelyn Mendelssohn - District TAG TOSA email: mendelssohn_j@4j.lane.edu
TAG Coordinators: At the state level, there are new rules on the way that will shape how we identify students for TAG that allows for greater equity and inclusivity, breaking down barriers for historically marginalized populations of students. More information will be forthcoming.
Another friendly reminder: If a student is identified as needing to be served by a TAG plan, it is district policy that there is a 30 day window to have a TAG plan written, signed by parents and returned. That plan should include the differentiation strategies used to meet the instructional needs of that student's assessed level and rate of learning. Teachers and building TAG Coordinators can work on this together. Once returned, that TAG plan is to be copied with one copy going back home and the other used by the teacher to support differentiation planning, and then housed in a student's orange TAG folder that lives in their cumulative file in the office. And as always, being the dedicated teachers that we are, we serve students to meet their level and rate of learning - TAG identification or no TAG identification. What a great segue to one of our spotlight topics: Differentiation! Scroll down for more.
Looking For Teacher Resources to Extend Learning?
Below you will find supplemental, non-curricular supports to meet student needs for "more" in MATH!
You'll find tasks, puzzles, and lessons for the whole class, a small group, or individuals. There is something for everyone!
Mathigon provides a plethora of math activities and lessons to take students into deeper and more complex exploration. Meant for small groups or individual work.
Ian Byrd's "Byrdseed" resources help teachers create a culture of curiosity for the whole class or even individual students.
Looking for math games that allow for student choice, are driven by mathematical thinking tasks, and playful? Click the image above and explore.
Are you sure you're differentiating your instruction? Watch this short 3 minute video and do a quick self-check. As teachers we are certainly life-long learners. We can all grow our practice and further develop our skills - just like our students!
Skillful Differentiation in the Classroom:
Is it actually "differentiation" or is it merely "different"?
Carol Ann Tomlinson is one of our nation's legendary differentiation experts whose workshops, books, and videos have helped teachers improve their skills when it comes to genuinely meeting the diverse needs of their learners through differentiation. In the video linked to the left, you'll be able to do a self-check as to whether you're genuinely differentiating the learning for your students or not.
An overview of what Differentiation IS and IS NOT is clearly outlined here in this Reading Rockets article written by Carol Ann Tomlinson herself.
It's the current intention to have professional development for 4J teachers in the 22-23 school year that would support growing our differentiation skills in meaningful and effective ways that increase student engagement and -- a love of learning! Stay tuned for more information to come.
Click the image above to access Lisa's free resources and more!
Want to learn more about Differentiation and Depth and Complexity? Check out her asynch courses! There is so much to learn.
Lisa Van Gemert: Gifted Guru!
Gifted Education Specialist, Lisa Van Gemert, is an excellent resource for those trying to grow their understanding of giftedness in general, improve their instructional practices, dive into Differentiation, understand perfectionism, or deepen their knowledge of Depth & Complexity. Lisa's written the books. Her online asynchronous courses at giftedguru.com are engaging, differentiated (!), and actually fun! Her Differentiation course should be required for all TAG educators, and the Depth & Complexity course is just as powerful. I highly recommend all TCs, teachers, and parents discover what Lisa has to offer.
Click the images above to explore Ian's brilliant, differentiated offerings available to teachers and students!
Brilliant, Bewildering Ian Byrd!
Gifted Educator Extraordinaire, Ian Byrd, (an Oregonian by the way) is the founder of the site "Byrdseed" used by teachers all over the world who are looking for resources for not only gifted learners, but anyone wanting something deeper and more interesting to explore. His approach to easy online PD for teachers is engaging, clever, and just in time. He also created Byrdseedtv that provides thought provoking, puzzling, interesting challenges to learners wanting something more, something out of the box, and something not only challenging but FUN! Short videos combined with low-floor/high-ceiling tasks makes for excellent differentiation options for advanced learners, and even the entire class. He has a whole bank of differentiated lessons for teachers as well. Some are free and some are paid. Sign up for his free Friday Puzzlements email and you and your students will be glad you did.
Ian Byrd
Looking for differentiated Math activities and challenges?
Check out Ian Byrd's own Lesson Plan collection! You can browse by technique, content area, or scroll down to see them all. There are multiple pages of lessons and ideas to enrich the mathematical thinking in your classroom! You'll also find Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Cross Curricular gems as you go through the lists. Let us know what you like so we can share our favorite "Ian Ideas" with one another! Try one lesson this week and if it's great, tell a teaching colleague next door!
Differentiation Myth Busting!
We've all learned a thing or two from the educational website Edutopia thanks to it's research based information for teachers and it's focus on best practices. This article by John McCarthy, Educational Consultant and Advocate, will help dispel some myths about Differentiation and perhaps put one's mind at ease. Differentiation IS doable AND vital to our instruction. In fact, "Most teachers differentiate their instruction intuitively because not all students are the same. For those willing to commit to DI, the next step is intentional differentiation." Click the image above to access John McCarthy's hopeful advice and guidance on we can better differentiate instruction.
Teaching a Broad Range of Abilities in One Room
Since we're on the topic of Differentiation, let's explore what Todd Finley has to teach us about trying to meet the needs of a broad range of learners in a regular classroom in this additional Edutopia article. Although much of Todd's work is in secondary, the need for Differentiation at the 6th - 12th grade level is just as important as elementary. This piece is chock full of valuable resources linked throughout that can be useful for teachers at any grade level. If you're intimidated by differentiation, the key is to begin slow, know your students, be open to student choice, embed assessment in every class, and offer respectful scaffolding to all can access the learning. We all have to start somewhere.
What Role Does Vulnerability Play in our Classrooms?
It's hard to find someone in our field completely unfamiliar with shame researcher & author, Dr. Brene Brown. She's written a good number of books outlining her research on shame, vulnerability, courage, resilience, leadership, and the list goes on. As teachers we know that our students learn best in classrooms where the teacher has created a culture of courage and belonging. Creativity and learning take place when children feel safe to risk and try to learn something new.
Gifted learners are not the only ones who find it especially difficult to appear vulnerable in the classroom, but the truth for all of us is that learning IS inherently vulnerable - by definition. How does our own personal "baggage" effect our teaching? How can we grow as human beings to better serve our learners? Watch this video of Dr. Brene Brown speaking to an audience made up entirely of teachers and see how it makes you feel. Listen to how she describes empathy as the antidote to shame. You just might find yourself inspired and even braver than before.
In this (well worth it!) half-hour video, Dr. Brene Brown, PhD. LMSW, author and shame researcher, addresses an auditorium of teachers and encourages them to create daring classrooms where students are engaged, curious, challenged and thriving.
Tips for parents of gifted kids can also benefit teachers working with students in the classroom...
Check out the National Association of Gifted Children's amazing list of resources and ideas for how to support children identified as gifted as they navigate mental health & social-emotional challenges. It's presented in an easy access list format with direct links. This site is useful for both teachers and parents.
Click HERE for more.
You've seen SENG featured here before, but it's worth another share!
Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted Children is a much beloved website among those supporting gifted education. One contributor to the stress faced by 2e students is misdiagnosis. It's is a widespread issue for the Gifted/Twice Exceptional community. Proper assessment is essential for applying the right social and emotional support in home, work and school settings. They are children first, then they're gifted.
Click HERE for more.
What a clever collection of ideas for both students and teachers AND parents! Boredom be gone!
This website is chock full of ideas for teachers who have students who are hungry to learn outside the box. There is a bank of lesson plans for teachers as well as self-guided study projects for students. There is a wide variety of topics to choose from, as well as different modalities. Articles for adults who work with (and parent) gifted learners will illuminate some of the current realities of students who are twice-exceptional, possess intensities, or are navigating a challenging school year. You'll find a page dedicated to games, TED Connections linked, Activity Plans provided, and a Mensa For Kids blog. Click HERE for more. .... See a sample lessons below!
"I'm Not Who You Think I Am."
You may consider printing out this helpful chart! This document outlines the difference between the appearances we see and then reality when it comes to the behavior of gifted students of all ages. It also shares what the actual need might be underlying the behavior. Click here, or on the thumbnail image to the right to access. (Texas Education Agency / ODE TAG)
Lesson plans from Mensa for Kids that your TAG kiddos can dive into as a small group, or even as individual self-guided work.
Looking for something deeper for an inquisitive intermediate reader that addresses mental health topics?
Here are three middle grade level books that tackle mental health in a story format. These reviews were found at ReadBrightly.com which is the brainchild of Keri Ness Riedel. The summaries include quick quotes by kids who have read the book. The selection of novels is specifically aiming to support kids who are experiencing mental health issues in their families and/or within themselves. Perhaps connecting to book characters can help our kids cope and grow empathy along the way. Some of the content can be considered worthy of a trigger warning, depending on one's lived experience. The site has even more beautiful books to learn about - check it out!
Fans of “sad” books will adore this touching story about tragedy and healing that centers on 11-year-old Naomi (aka “Chirp”), a bird expert and nature lover living on Cape Cod in 1972. An accident forces her mom to stop dancing, and she now suffers from depression. Chirp must navigate her emotions and relationships with her sister, parents, and classmates while watching her mom struggle. When she makes a new friend named Joey, they go on a life-changing adventure together. Olivia, 11, loves this book and recommends it to anyone looking for a fantastic read, “Adventure and a good emotional book like this one can really get you on the couch, getting comfy, and reading!”
This book might be a great fit for a student who is identified TAG and who faces pressure both internally and externally. How to move through anxiety and perfectionism would be considered themes here ......Being struck by lightning left Lucy with genius-level math skills and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). At age 12, she is academically ready for college, but her grandmother insists she attends middle school. Can she make friends? Will she have to hide her OCD, or can she be true to herself? This funny and tender story reminds readers to appreciate diversity and embrace change. Sophia says, “This is my favorite book ever...it is dramatic and heart-warming.”
Here we have a novel that addresses grief in gifted children (or any child!) in such a way that they want to keep reading, even though it's tough content..... 12-year-old Willow Chance has a brilliant mind and a unique way of approaching situations. Her life gets turned upside down when her adoptive parents get killed in a tragic accident, and she becomes an orphan. The book chronicles her journey to overcome grief by connecting with an unlikely group of strangers who become family to her. Kristy, a youth reviewer says, “It’s a touching book that will reach down into your heart and make you want to cry. This book has changed my life and how I think.”
Lane County Behavioral Health outlines their Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health services on their website. Click HERE to learn more.
I'm excited to serve the students, teachers, and families of 4J as the new TAG TOSA / K-5 Health Curriculum Specialist. For 19 years I taught 5th grade in a general education classroom and discovered quickly that differentiation for the WIDE range of learning levels was a top priority - and a challenge. Every year with a new group of students teaches us more about ourselves and more about the rich, complex work of being a teacher.
I would love to support you as you grow your practice and I look forward think-partnering with teachers who would like to enhance their differentiation skills. My wish for everyone is a healthy, successful school year filled with tons of love for learning. Thank you for all that you do for our children in our community. As exhausting as it can be, remember that you are doing the most important work - empowering a love of learning in our youth and helping them believe in themselves.
Jocelyn Mendelssohn: District TAG Coordinator + K5 Health Curriculum Specialist: mendelssohn_j@4j.lane.edu Phone: 541-790-5920