GREAT THINKING THURSDAY
For Klein ISD Educators of Gifted Learners
August 30, 2018
HQT: Relationship Driven: Building Trust and a Sense of Security and Belonging
Social Emotional Learning: Important Questions to Ask Your Learners
July 30, 2018
Resilience and motivation come from having a sense of purpose, believing you have value to others, and engaging in acts of service that confirm that value. When these point in a positive direction, children gain momentum and positive accomplishment; when they don’t, we see downward spirals and increasing distance from college, career, community, and life success.
Understanding who students are on a deep level also helps us be more understanding and supportive. In his article “Improving Teacher Empathy to Improve Student Behavior,” psychologist and school-climate expert Robert Brooks explains that teachers increase their empathy by asking themselves, “What words do I want my students to use to describe me?”
QUESTIONS TO DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS
These settling-in questions can be addressed in similar ways as the start-of-school ones, during the second and third weeks of school.
- When do you feel competent? How often?
- When do you feel you are being listened to?
- When do you feel your voice is respected?
- When do you feel cared for and about?
- When do you get a chance to be a leader?
- When do you feel most safe/unsafe?
- When do you laugh at school?
QUESTIONS TO USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Use these questions throughout the school year, followed by supportive discussions, to continue to get to know your students, build their reflection skills, and positively influence their resiliency.
- What is your contribution to the school?
- Who believes you can succeed?
- What happens in school that makes you afraid? Frustrated? Defeated?
- When do you feel challenged and supported?
- What inspires you in school?
- Who helps you bounce back from setbacks?
- Who is always happy to speak with you?
- When do you feel it’s OK to make a mistake, or show that you don’t know something or how to do something?
SAVE THE DATE: GT SUMMIT: SEPT 29 2018
CALLING ALL EDUCATORS AS PRESENTERS!
Creativity and Instructional Strategies: SCAMPER
- everything new is a modification of something that already exists.
- each letter in the acronym represents a different way you can play with the characteristics of what is challenging you to trigger new ideas.
Creative Cereal Box Lesson with SCAMPER
GT LEARNER CHALLENGE: SCAMPER CREATIVE LIT RESPONSE QUESTIONS: RESPONDO!
PSAT-NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR-SCHOLARSHIP RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITY!
ENCOURAGE YOUR 10TH-12TH GRADERS TO SIGN UP TODAY!!
Junior Level students are eligible to compete for the National Merit Scholars Program! Please encourage the class of 2020 to attend these sessions!
Are you interested in sharing your expertise with student study groups? You can VOLUNTEER here!