Gifted and Talented Education-GATE

Johnson's Teachers support GATE Students by:

nurturing their potential
challenging those with advanced learning capabilities
differentiating for all needs
addressing all curricular areas
empowering students to advance themselves without prompting
raising awareness that the utilization of differentiated instruction and empowerment is key

How do we differentiate at Johnson?

The staff at Johnson believes each child is unique and deserving of a rich educational environment. We recognize that each student is a unique individual with different abilities, interests, and learning styles. We believe in a student-centered approach, which provides an atmosphere in which a child’s social, emotional, and intellectual needs are equally important. Johnson's ultimate goal of education is to provide each student with the skills and knowledge that will enable him/her to aspire to the highest level of achievement in his/her chosen endeavors.

To meet the needs of gifted learners, from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, Johnson teachers, provide a differentiated curriculum that will compact, enrich, and/or accelerate the regular curriculum. Differentiated instruction is not a single strategy, but rather an approach to instruction that incorporates a variety of strategies. Differentiation is not just a “gifted” word. Every child has the right to learn, and that rate of learning is not universal for all children. However, all students need high expectations. Differentiation is providing and planning pathways according to the needs and readiness of your students.

Differentiation

Depth/complexity (and relevancy)
Alter the pace and style as necessary
Use high level questioning (think Bloom’s!)
Provide guidance to students’ curiosity
Allow students to choose content, allow group brainstorming
Allow students to show creativity and encourage perseverance
Encourage students to show what they have learned through products
Allow students to prepare and research alone or together