4J TAG Newsletter

Spring 2022

Jocelyn Mendelssohn - District TAG Coordinator email: mendelssohn_j@4j.lane.edu

Some friendly housekeeping reminders: The Spring TAG (on-site) testing weeks have begun in our K-5 schools and will be wrapped up by May 13th. Building TAG Coordinators are confirming specific dates and times with our 4J TAG Testing Team now. Here are some basic, routine protocols we have in place, just as a reminder: Please remember that in the Spring, when we are seeking a Reading or Math TAG identification for a 3rd through 8th grade student, we use the results of the SBAC testing + classroom based evidence to inform that decision, among other pathways. In the Spring, TAG Testing for Reading or Math for grades K-2 will be done by our TAG testing team at school using the TerraNova. Testing for Intellectual Giftedness (IG) is done with the Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability (NNAT) on site, K-5. At the state level, there are new rules on the way that will shape how we identify students as needing to be served by a TAG plan that allows for greater inclusivity and breaks down barriers. More information will be forthcoming this Summer. I'll update everyone when I learn of the changes.

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. 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 cum. 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 our first spotlight topic: Differentiation! Keep scrolling...

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 gurus 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.

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. Click HERE for more.

What a clever collection of ideas for both students and teachers AND parents! Boredom be gone!

This website is chockfull of ideas for teachers who have learners 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.

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.

Jocelyn Mendelssohn

K-5 Health TOSA + District TAG Coordinator

mendelssohn_j@4j.lane.edu

text or voicemail:

541-913-8738

I'm excited to serve the students, teachers, and families of 4J as the new TAG Coordinator and the K-5 Health TOSA. For 18 years I taught 5th grade in a general education classroom, but learned very quickly that differentiation for the WIDE range of learning levels was a top priority, and that I had a lot to learn as a newbie. I've learned from my mistakes and celebrated a good number of successes as a teacher. It's all very humbling, right? 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 to getting into schools and think-partnering with teachers who would like that kind of support. My wish for everyone is a healthy, sane, 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.

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