WAETAG has complied some handy resources for teachers who are wanting to better understand and support their Highly Capable learners. Many of these resources have been shared by educators across the state. We will continue adding to this resource list as new materials become available.
Do you have a tool or resource you’ve created that you find helpful? Share it with our community! Send us an email and tell us about it.
Gifted and Talented 101
These tools are helpful for:
Beginning Teacher Support: Whether you’re new to teaching or just new to teaching Highly Capable students, these resources are a great place to start gaining understanding and ideas for how you can better meet the needs of your students.
Building Confidence: We know it can be difficult to address the needs and nuances of students with specific needs. These resources are meant to help you develop a general knowledge of what makes gifted and talented learners unique and how to take action to show you are an understanding advocate for this population of students.
Dispelling Myths: As a novice in working with gifted and talented learners, it is important to avoid the pitfalls of believing common myths surrounding what it means to be gifted. These resources provide some basic information that can help you explain common misunderstandings to colleagues and alleviate some of the pressure your students may feel about their own Highly Capable label.
Gifted Myths
This free PDF addressing all 10 myths of gifted education is a great resource to share with parents and team members.
HiCap Plus Professional Learning Modules for Educators
Take advantage of OSPI’s free module on Pedagogies and Strategies that Enhance Learning for Highly Capable Students.
Planning for Learning
These tools are helpful for:
Developing Curriculum: Several of these resources are curriculum frameworks or templates for teachers who want to design lessons and units that incorporate common strategies and themes that are proven to best support gifted and talented students.
Communication Aids: Learning Plans help guide conversation about student services and progress with parents and colleagues by providing language to explain the specific methods being used to support the development of your Highly Capable students. They provide useful talking points when explaining what “gifted” means, why we should meet students’ unique needs, and why the general classroom setting doesn’t always cut it.
Documentation of Student Services: It is important to maintain a continuum of services appropriate to the needs of each gifted and talented student. The use of a learning plan documents a students services and progress year to year to reduce hesitation of appropriate placement in future coursework.
A Teacher Planning Guide for Project Based Learning
A sample from a teacher’s planning guide for a genius hour project that is based on the Buck Institute’s Gold Standard Project Design Elements and Teaching Practices.
Student Learning Plan Template
Download, cutomize, and utilize this Student Learning Plan PDF, created and shared by Karen Fradley from Sedro-Wolley School District.
Project-Based Learning Project Planner
Download, customize, and utilize this Student Learning Plan PDF, created and shared by Karen Fradley from Sedro-Wolley School District.
