criticfor.blogg.se - What is pitching from the stretch

However, working at a faster pace is also something higher attainers value and benefit from, eg in Maths.

It can be better to explore a subject more widely or deeply. This means it is not inherently better to cover a set curriculum faster, or enter exams early. You don’t accept mediocrity you insist on excellent behaviour you pay attention to details of the subject content, delivering and expecting clarity and precision pushing students to find ever deeper levels of meaning.Īcceleration through depth before speed is a good mantra. It’s a set of teacher attitudes that means you are driving standards in all areas. The Rosenthal Pygmalion effect – as featured here – is powerful: expect more, you get more and vice versa. Modelling earned fluency through hard-work and self-belief is powerful. It is also a challenge for teachers who may not be 100% confident with the most challenging material. It’s really important to challenge fixed mindsets in higher attainers. Too often high attainers are regarded as having special gifts – which negates the need for them to also work hard. These two sets of research findings are powerful.

Providing appropriate scaffolds for other students flows from this but teachers need to have the courage and confidence to challenge at the top end, relentlessly. I think teachers should consider the curriculum and plan activities based on the capabilities of the highest attainers as a total priority – lifting the lid as the image suggests. Too often teachers’ concerns about the struggles of weaker learners lead to content being softened this is no good for top-end challenge. This requires a deliberate shift in attitude. Teach to the top make the high attainers drive you.

Extra Challenges: Things you build into an overall scheme of work and use occasionally.

Routines/Habits: The things you do all the time, in every lesson.

Attitudes: The belief and mindsets teachers need to have themselves and inculcate in their students.

The secret to doing this well is to think about it in three areas of teaching practice: This blog is based on the CPD I usually deliver on this topic. I also think that, if you crack this, you crack most other things too the bar is raised for everyone. I’ve also covered this topic The Anatomy of High Expectations.Īs I’ve said previously, I firmly believe that too many students are systematically underchallenged at school, especially in the years furthest away from high-stakes tests. I no longer think that Gifted and Talented is a helpful label – it never was – but the principles are the same. One of my early blogs was ‘ Gifted and Talented Provision: A Total Philosophy‘ and it remains one of the topics I am asked to talk about most often in CPD sessions. Teaching to top has been a long-standing principle of effective teaching from my perspective.