Differentiated Learning: What do we do with those students who are already proficient?

I'm embracing my inner vulnerability and writing this blog post about something that is very much still in progress and quite frankly out of my comfort zone. In her book, Daring Greatly, Brené Brown describes vulnerability as "uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. It's that unstable feeling we get when we step out of our comfort zone or do something that forces us to loosen control." This semester as part of my coaching role, Anna has asked me to use my classroom as a 'lab classroom' to try out some strategies for extending kids in math. I began doing a self-study after being inspired by a Cult of Pedagogy podcast, How to Create a Self-Paced Classroom. While I am giving this framework a go in my my math classroom during my current unit of study, this post is a reflection upon three pieces that I am paying close attention to so far. I am tracking six high achieving and highly able students while implementing the model. I will do more writing about the self-paced framework itself in the near future. In the meantime, I highly recommend the Modern Classroom Project's free course. Maybe a February break project?

I've been asking myself, "How are these students displaying their abilities? Are these students actively wrestling with problems and content at their level?" Through observation, anecdotal notes, and surveys, as well as refining and reflecting on my own teaching practice I hope to further differentiate my student's experience through this study.

Highly able and high achievers come in many shapes and sizes but they have one thing in common, they meet the grade level standards "too fast." Sometimes these students are highly visible. Picture the student who completes all assignments in a timely fashion and aces all assessments. Some are less visible. Picture the student who doesn't have the fluency they need, instead trying to make everything perfect. Or the student who struggles to think linearly when constructing an argument.

I believe that highly able and high achieving students need self pacing, deeper and more advanced content, and opportunities to collaborate with other strong students. These students thrive on the teacher being a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage." And they, along with all their peers, need differentiation to grow in the ways that are unique to them. As this can be overwhelming for us busy teachers I am trying to practice using pedagogies, systems, and frameworks that will do the work for me.

3 ways I am trying to differentiate learning for these students:

1. Extension activities are embedded into key competency lessons, revision days, unit ends: All students begin with the grade level instruction to ensure that there are not any holes in their learning, they aren't missing vocabulary, or other conceptual understandings. While other students spend their days wrestling with grade level work, high achieving and highly able students spend more time extending, transferring, and/or demonstrating learning at a higher or deeper level through extension activities.

2. Consistent and timely feedback on frequent Mastery Checks: Like exit tickets students are asked to show that they have mastered each and every competency at the end of a lesson. This group of students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning at a higher level. After practicing the skill through extension, and challenge activities students can opt to take the challenge level mastery check. As students only move onto the next competency when they have shown mastery I am forced to stay on top of my feedback and next steps through these checks. While this traditionally has been easier for me with grade level and struggling students it is now becoming an important aspect for my higher students too. As the checks intentionally only contain a few questions, it stays manageable. Through public pacers classroom peers see that even the strongest mathematicians revise their work as a part of the learning process after these checks are returned.

3. Self chosen goals with time and support structures: Autonomy and choice drive a learning orientation and growth mindset in students. Every Wednesday is goal day in my math classroom. Students have self identified goals (with my coaching of course) and are in the drivers seat as to how they will learn, practice, and even demonstrate what they learn. This is a wonderful time for high achieving students to follow a particular interest or need in math, push themselves to solve challenging problems, and/or attend to one of the math practices. Students in my room have goals around vocabulary, problem solving, skills from past units, and constructing and critiquing arguments.

When I slow down, observe, look at data my coach, Tricia has taken, and reflect I can serve my highly able and achieving students just as well as any other students in my room! I will take that as a win! I have a long way to go but this reflection has been a good point of finding a few little successes and next steps for me.

Do you have other ideas for keeping your fastest learners motivated, engaged, and learning the skills that they need? I would love to hear from you in a comment below.

Sybil (halls@isb.be)