December 1

December: We Love a Challenge!

This month we read about equity vs. equality, challenging students and setting high expectations for students. I found it to be a very jam-packed chapter with so many ideas to consider!

Equity vs. equality is something many of us deal with on a daily basis. How do you teach the young students in early primary the difference? I loved the visual they included in this chapter- the boxes for looking over the fence. I think that this would be a great visual for kids to really understand the difference.

 

The next section of the chapter discusses ways in which you can challenge students appropriately through differentiation. There is a quote on page 104 that really stood out for me- “When students aren’t sufficiently challenged, they become frustrated.” I would like to further that thought in that they also often become behaviour concerns due to boredom. The students who are struggling also benefit from differentiation in that they are receiving materials at their level and learning that suits their needs. They also need to be sufficiently challenged, but it would look different from their peers. A great way to differentiate, motivate and challenge students is through personalizing their learning. There are some ideas on pages 107 and 108 that lend themselves nicely to personalized learning. One thing I have learned, however, is that you cannot forgo the basics and the building blocks of learning for a fully personalized program.

 

Ensuring that you are setting high expectations for your students is very important as well. Children, and adults, strive to show you their best, but if your expectations are low, then their effort and work will reflect that. At the beginning of last school year, our staff was introduced to Rita Pierson through a TEDTalk- https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion#t-439357 and I really took what she said to heart. As I was teaching in a Grade 5 class, I decided to try out her idea of building up the students.Throughtout the year, I would tell my class that they were the best class in the school and that they needed to prove that every time we were in the hallways or at an assembly. My students lived up to that challenge in every way and soon other teachers were also commenting on how well behaved and what amazing learners the Grade 5s were. My students were very proud of themselves for their behaviours and their hard work in class and they all improved immensely in all areas.

 

How do you teach your students about the difference between equality and equity?

What are someways in which you challenge your students-those that are struggling and those that are at or above level?

What are your thoughts on Rita Pierson’s TEDTalk on Everyone Needs a Champion? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?


Posted December 1, 2017 by tiebcmembers in category Growth Mindset Coach

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