Bellevue East HAL Services
Information for Teachers
What is High-Ability Learning?
Students identified for HAL services at Bellevue East have been through a screening and identification process at some point in his/her educational journey. Typically, students who are identified show superior reasoning, advanced language, and require little repetition to learn something new.
What is High-Ability Learning?
The Nebraska Department of educations states:
• general intellectual ability
• specific academic aptitude
• creative or productive thinking
• leadership ability
• visual or performing arts
• psychomotor ability
To learn more about how BPS identifies high-ability learners, visit this link.
Power Teacher Information: Who are my High-Ability Learners?
District-wide we are now identifying students for HAL services based on a strength in either a quantitative and/or verbal domain. All incoming freshmen, beginning this year, should have information specific to his/her domain of strength. sophomores and juniors may have some information (and more will be added over the course of the year); however, most seniors will not have any extra information.
- In Power Teacher, select the backpack on the start page, and select individual students. If a student is identified as a high-ability learner, he/she will have "HAL" on the screen under his/her picture.
- Through Power Teacher, there is more detailed information available for each student. Follow the steps in this document to check out suggested modifications and the domain of identification.
Meeting with Students
With students, we discussed some of the following:
- We will be offering Seminars over a variety of topics that are pertinent to gifted teens.
- We will also continue to offer guest speakers from career fields; many times those speakers have internship (sometimes even paid internships) opportunities for students.
- There are also a number of academic competitions that are available to you; check your email and read these newsletters.
We are here to support YOU!
Myths - Perception vs. Reality
Myth: Gifted students don't need help; the'll do fine on their own.
Truth: Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well-trained teachers who challenge and support them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many gifted students may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.
Myth: That student can't be gifted! He/she is receiving poor grades.
Truth: Underachievement describes a discrepancy between a student's performance and his actual ability. The roots of this problem differ, based on each child's experiences. Gifted students may become bored or frustrated in an unchallenging classroom situation causing them to lose interest, learn bad study habits, or distrust the school environment. Other students may mask their abilities to try to fit in socially with their same-age peers and still others may have a learning disability that masks their giftedness. No matter the cause, it is imperative that a caring and perceptive adult help gifted learners break the cycle of underachievement in order to achieve their full potential.
Senior Seminar: College & Scholarships
Thursday, Oct 8, 2015, 02:45 PM
D-19
Bellevue East HAL Facilitators
Megan Kinen, District K-12 HAL Facilitator
Twitter: @kinenhal