Below is a summary from the top-tip segment on Gifted and Talented strategies given by Ian and myself.
1. Know who your students are (use the school tracker system and update your records with the new G&T lists when published.)
2. Seating plans. Always plan for where your G&T students are seated for every activity. Consider the location in the classroom and who you want them to work with and why. Paired or grouped with other G&T students can be the right arrangement for some activities but completely wrong for others.
3. Activities. Will you plan different activities for the G&T students? If they are doing the same activity then how will you stretch and challenge G&T student within that activity? Ensure you use differentiated Learning Objectives. Plan questions in advance to stretch G&T students as part of you lesson planning – use Blooms Taxonomy.
4. Language. Develop academic language skills of the G&T students which can be barrier to success at the highest level. Ensure there is easy access to dictionaries and thesauruses (don’t assume they have them just because they are G&T). Build this development into your planning – it won’t happen ‘naturally’.
5. Roles and group work. Variety is key. We know that establishing specific roles for group members is key to participation and progress but you will have to consider the roles taken by G&T students. It is too easy to simply put the G&T students as ‘group leader’ – a role they can become fed up with. Consider having one group of all the G&T students, or creating your groups based on common interests. Consider letting the students choose theor own groups and roles – this however needs to be managed carefully for obvious reasons.
6. Extra-curricular. Be aware of national opportunities (e.g. does De Villiers Park run a masterclass for your subject?). Do your extra-curricular activities fully stretch and challenge the G&T students? Do they have real outcomes? (e.g. through competition).
Learning and Teaching at Abbot Beyne 