It's amazing how a singular moment adds so much clarification to your teaching life.  This was one of mine. 

I had been teaching for five years in the PYP and I felt still unsure of my practice.  I knew how inquiry was described on paper, but struggled to make it come to life.  Everyone else around me thought I was right on target, because my room "looked" so inquiry driven.  Deep inside, I knew something was missing. 

In a room of 100+ participants, I finally understood what inquiry looked and felt like in the presence of Kath Murdoch.  I had read her works, but it's something completely different to engage, question, and apply in-person.  It was this moment that transcended my practice. 

I can't say I'm an inquiry expert yet, because I'm still growing and learning.  But, I can say that I am much more confident than I was yesterday, which is the start to agency happening in my practice. ​

I had the best time at the University of Liggett School with Mike Medvinsky.  It was amazing to see the master at work and to share some ideas about pedagogy.  

We spent some time in first grade to see their writing process and how they document their ideas in See Saw.  It was magical to see such young ones owning their assessment practice.

It is evident that all members of the learning community engage with the learners on a regular basis.  Relationships have been established through regular interactions, such as Mike conferring with a young first grade learner about their writing. 
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​The practices we have shared in the past two episodes apply to all learners.  Some will be overstimulated, while others will be underwhelmed.  No child fits into one specific category, which was part of my apprehension in separating the students into designation groups. 

At the same time, I believe there are some things we can put into place that will support a student with disabilities.  As we know, there is not one size fits all, because there are varying degrees of needs that a student might have. 

​I began my career working with upper primary/elementary learners with mild to moderate behavior needs that stopped them from learning within a general education setting.  Certain triggers would bring out erratic behavior and emotional breakdowns.  These children craved a classroom setting with designed areas they could go to de-escalate, regroup, and return to their academics.  They also needed systematic routines with visual reminders to keep them on track and help them reach their goals. Just like any other child, they craved a role within the learning environment to feel accepted and useful.  

As I continued with my special education certification, I worked with 8th grade learners who had learning disabilities in the areas of math, reading, and general organizational and study skills.  They were reading 2-3 grade levels below grade level, but they had a passion for learning.  These learners required systematic structures and tools to help them meet their academic and organizational goals.

Throughout the rest of my career, I have supported learners with learning disabilities and on the autism spectrum.  Here are some things I have noticed that add great value to their learning success. 

All learners benefit from a flexible learning environment where they are able to work in various locations and capacities throughout the day.  The traditional usage of desks doesn’t work for all learners, even if they are placed within collaborative groups.  Here are some things I’ve used that have made a lasting impact. 

Flexible seating - I recognize that we don’t have endless budgets to buy furniture, storage, and other items for our classrooms.  Yet, some of the most amazing classrooms I’ve had the pleasure of visiting had ambient lighting from garage sales and thrift stores.  Stools were made out of milk crates and cushions from discount stores.  For those who don’t have access to those types of stores, consider flea markets, Facebook marketplace, and finding resources within your school or local community.  

• Prior to the pandemic, I purchased six thick bath mats from IKEA that were machine washable.  A pair of learners would go out in the hallway or in a cozy corner to lay or sit on the mats.  They were in their element and I was able to get more from their thinking than traditional seating.  

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• Students with disabilities are keenly aware of their spatial awareness.  Many of them struggle to be in close proximity to others.  By providing alternative seating options, I found they were able to focus more easily.  At the same time,  I had some students who couldn’t handle the continual changes within the learning environment.  You will know how to best support them.

Designated areas -  one thing I did to support students who couldn’t handle continuous changes was have designated areas in my room that were fixed.  I had learning stations at My small group table to support understanding of concepts.  When learners came to me, they knew what to expect in our experience.

• Additionally,  I had learning centers around the room with artifacts, books, images, and other provocations  from our unit content.  This allowed them an alternative place for them to go to should they get overwhelmed.  Since they were able to tough the materials, it was a calming space that helped them to recenter. 

• Every year, I would always have more desks than students, except the years I was blessed with tables.  I would try to find space for at least one extra desk where learners could go to regroup.  Oftentimes, learners with disabilities get overstimulated by peers.  I would allow them to relocate themselves to advocate for their own learning needs.  When they were ready, they would return to their own desk.  It was not meant to be a punitive tool, but more self-regulatory.

Chill Out Zone -  we all have bad days.  For those who are struggling to articulate or identify their needs, this can happen more than not.  One thing I learned while implementing restorative circles was to have a chill out zone.  This was a place where learners could emotionally cool off and reflect on their needs.  This allowed learners to take action before the situation escalated into an explosive situation.  I noticed that many learners appreciated this space.  To reduce learners from over abusing this area, I would have them complete a reflection of their thinking process.  After doing it once, many didn’t want to do it again unnecessarily.

When I think of myself, I get overwhelmed in a classroom that has too much stuff up at one time.  I’ve always been that way; it’s probably connected to being an English language learner.   Here are some things to consider. 

Less is more -  if you are struggling to learn big concepts, the volume of materials on the wall will greatly inhibit the input and output of ideas.  Just like your language learners, get your learners with disabilities to participate in creating the anchor charts.  Make sure to have the current charts up on the wall.  

Visual Schedule- many learners benefit from visual schedules to guide the work flow.  The schedule identifies what a learner must complete in a given time and some things they may do. This allows for some learner agency while keeping them on the learning target.  I’ve had a lot of positive experiences using visual schedules, but they require a lot of pre-planning and understanding of where the unit of inquiry is headed while providing some elements of choice.  It is a delicate balance. 

Every learner, myself included, wants to feel included.  A great way to incorporate all of your learners is through specific roles within the community.  It not only provides basic life skills, it prepares them for their  future as contributing members of society. 

Jobs - I spoke a lot about the importance of jobs in the episode about language learners.  If I were to add anything else is that it provides a purpose. A child with a disability is keenly aware that they learn differently.  At a time when you just want to fit in, a job can provide that sense of normalcy.  A learner gets to prove to everyone else that they can do the same job with excellence despite their differences. This is a game changer.  

Helpers - all children want the opportunity to help out in the classroom. I tried to have some  office hours after school or during lunch.  This wasn’t every week, but I tried to find times where students could just serve in the classroom.  All children have something to offer that you don’t expect.  Once again, this is allowing your learners with a disability to give back and demonstrate their abilities.  To be honest, I’ve seen many teachers offer these opportunities only to their gifted learners, which is a shame. 

As always, I spoke too much and your brain is on overload.  I know the things are not revolutionary, but may simply serve as a reminder of ways to include all learners into the process.

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​Now that we’ve designed the learning environment for the language learner, let’s talk about the gifted learner.  I don’t like this designation, because I believe that all children are gifted in their own unique way and the PYP allows it to shine.  I know everyone who is listening totally agrees with my summation.  

We can picture specific learners in our class who are eager to learn everyday.  They are always present at school and voracious to learn.  They hunger to acquire knowledge and are naturally curious about the world.  Doesn’t this sound like every student you have?  Of course.  The difference is gifted learners regularly go above and beyond what is “required” for themselves and they are usually seeking ways to improve.  

How are you arranging the environment to bring about the capabilities of your gifted learners, so they are not forgotten while you support other learners? 

Roles have often been used to help learners to develop in a variety of ways while working in collaborative groups, accomplishing tasks, and assessing learning.  By providing roles to your gifted learners, you are providing them specific targets that feed in their need to excel and become better.  Let’s take a deeper look at what this might look like in your classroom. 

Jobs - I have merged jobs and classroom economy for most of my teaching career.  It helps to build learner awareness of their role within a community and the positive and negative consequences of not fulfilling one’s roles.  

• While living in Dubai, I labeled each table group based on the various regions of the city and their rent was relative to how close they were located to the point of instruction.  Each child had a specific job and were compensated based on present day salaries per month.  They were required at the end of the month to pay rent for their spot.  Each month, they could relocate if a space was available.  If a student did not perform their job, they would be given two warnings and afterwards, they would be terminated.  At the end of the month, if they didn’t have enough money, they would be evicted from their group.  I had extra desks around the room for them to go.  This not only taught them responsibility, but the reality of financial literacy. 

Helpers - at times, you may have a gifted student who is a bit socially awkward.  They relate well with individual peers or a small group, but have anxiety relating to a large group.  This is natural in the development process, so how can we offset it?  One thing I noticed, especially with gifted girls, is that they love to help. I would allow anyone to be a helper after-school one day a week and for some recesses and lunches.  We have to get a break too!

• This allowed those gifted learners a place where they could just breathe and do some good in my classroom.  I would have them set up and take down bulletin boards, organize my class library, tidy the classroom, cut out laminating, and help prepare materials for upcoming lessons.  This really helped the learners to feel that they had a purpose and could “help” the teacher in a special way.  I was one of those shy kids in helping the teacher, so I know how important those unique opportunities to help really matter. 

Leadership - our gifted learners are born leaders. They love to organize and sustain group work.  But, a big part of becoming a leader is not always being in charge of a group.  A true leader…
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• listens to everyone’s ideas and helps the group to come to a consensus that will reflect the group’s wishes.  
• Takes ownership of their mistakes and rely on the group to help them to solve them.  
• Understands the needs of each group member and leverages their strengths
• Don't take credit for the work, because it’s a shared effort.

​All learners need visuals to guide their understanding of big ideas.  This is why we use anchor charts, unit walls, word walls, wonder walls, etc.  At the same time, all of this space can be quite visually overwhelming for a gifted learner unless there is a specific purpose for each space.  How do we create a connection for them? 

• Don’t Overstimulate - Less is more, which is the philosophy I have taken away from my many years in the PYP.  I was happy to ditch all of the pre-printed bulletin board sets I received along the way through my career.  As we have transitioned towards this movement, many teachers have replaced them with handmade anchor charts.  This has the same effect as the pre-packaged materials from a teacher supply store.  

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• As we put up anchor charts and other work, be sure that it’s authentic and related to the purpose of the current unit of inquiry.  I walked into a teacher’s classroom and they had close to thirty anchor charts up on the wall.  When we chatted about the display, I discovered that some anchor charts were used three months prior and left up for student referral.  What they didn’t realize is that many anchor charts can be quite overstimulating to their learners, because they don’t know where to place their energy and thinking.  Remember, less is more. 

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• Have a Purpose -  when putting up all of the visuals, consider the purpose.  This helps all learners, but your gifted learners are driven by purpose.  Their minds are continuously trying to unravel mysteries and puzzles.  They need to know why your visuals are on the wall and how they connect with each other.  Our boards are not meant to be a showcase, but an interactive tool to guide the unit of inquiry.  Hmm...that’s interesting.

All learners deserve to have some options to choose from that will support their development and areas of interest.  You will see in certain areas that some learners quickly finish their tasks regularly and having them take out a book everyday is not the answer.  We have the privilege of challenging their young minds to explore beyond their present capability.  What can this possibility look and feel like in our classrooms? 

• Open-ended Tasks: our gifted learners crave a challenge.  They want tasks that have ample possible outcomes and they will explore each and every one of them until they find just the right one.  They are that thorough.  How are we challenging their young brains to tinker with ideas, go through the designing thinking process, draw diagrams, create models, and so much more?  This can be overwhelming to us if we’ve not considered these processes, so leave it up to them to decide.  Problem solved.  As a team, they will decide which tools to use to solve their problem and it will probably look better than you or I could design.  They have one major advantage to us...they are digital natives. 

 

• Stations: many teachers use small group time as part of their literacy and math block.  Why not leverage this time to differentiate learning tasks that tap into learner strengths?  This sounds easy, but how are we planning for the gifted learner in mind?  One thing that I did was differentiate the focus of each station to reflect different content areas, but they were united in a transdisciplinary work goal.  At each station, I provided some choices that were more directed and open-ended.  This allows agency for all and pushes you gifted learners to apply their understanding in a deeper, more meaningful way. 

 

• Genius Hour: one of my favorite ways to get gifted learners engaged into the learning process is genius hour.  I allow students to study whatever they are interested in for a 45 minute session, 2:00-2:45 on a Friday afternoon for the duration of a unit of inquiry.  They are given a scaffold where they must create a conceptual or debatable question that is worth of research, they must indicate their materials, process, works cited, evaluate their process, create a presentation plan, and reflect on the journey.  All learners benefit from this project, so I assign it to all.  The gifted learner excels in this type of open-ended project, because their multifaceted brain is free to create with no restrictions.  This is where magic happens. 

Is your brain bursting with new ideas?  Take a peek at your learning environment and think about how your gifted learners are being supported everyday.