I have recently heard from several families who were concerned with the progress reports of their children. Academically able students who breeze through report cards with all "4s" are suddenly faced with "2s" in TAAP. Our program is one of advanced academic skill. I will often be teaching anywhere from 3 months to 3 years above grade level, depending on the students in class. My goal is to challenge high ability students to experience learning in new, real world ways. Since the skills neccessary to do so are above grade level, many of my students are "developing" . Developing does not mean "unsatisfactory" or "low level"- it means that the child is learning new things. For students who are used to excelling in their acaddemics, learning new things can be both exciting and scary. We are working on buillding perseverence and patience with ourselves - understanding that sometimes learning is messy, complicated, and challenging. It's OK to make mistakes, have questions and be "developing". That's the best way to learn!
AuthorJan Morris is the TAAP teacher for grades 4-6 at the Proctor School. Archives
May 2018
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