Motivating advanced students is a fun part of the teacher’s job. The super smart advanced students adds a spark of intellect to the classroom. Ensuring the advanced students are always motivated and engaged in learning keeps every teacher on their toes.
Differentiated Learning Strategies & Technology
Using differentiated learning techniques helps advanced students maintain interest in projects and lessons. Always give students options when presenting assignments and projects. Advanced students will typically choose the hardest and most complex assignments that other students will widen their eyes in horror at. Give the smartest students huge challenges and they will thank you for it.
Also prepare lessons that using many different modalities of learning. Use visual elements, reading, writing, and listening too. Use as much technology in lessons as possible so students learn how to use it and so they don’t get bored with lessons that mostly involve just listening. Advanced students like to actively use their minds and their skills so work to get state-of-the-art technology for your classroom.
Peer Tutoring
During team work projects when advanced students finish early ask them to work as peer tutors to other students if they wish to. Let advanced students share their knowledge with others. They will gain skills of communication and mentoring and other students will have a reliable source of help and knowledge.
Independent Projects
Give the entire class an independent project assignment. This will allow advanced students to shine and build their research skills. They will make full use of their curiosity and intellect. Give a range of project assignments and also give the option of choosing their own topic (which must then be teacher approved). Typically advanced students will pick their own topic and then go full speed on research to create an in-depth project.
Assess Student Participation
Keep an eye on the participation levels of all students. If advanced students appear withdrawn and are not participating in assignments be sure to call them out to the hallway for a chat to find out what is going on. Lack of joy in schoolwork is a sure sign something is amiss with advanced students. They typically have a large amount of enthusiasm for schoolwork.
Talk to a student who is withdrawn privately out in the hall and ask them if everything is okay. Sometimes students have very serious family problems or other issues and if someone notices they are not themselves they can get some help down in the Guidance department or from the school psychologist.
Vocabulary Development
Advanced students are on a quest for knowledge. They enjoy learning new words. So whatever subject you teach try to have a few new vocabulary words on the board at least a few days a week. It is also fun to post some foreign words or phrases on the board too. Latin words may be used in future careers in medicine or law. The Spanish language will be of great help to students going into teaching, social work, or medicine too. So find fun ways to incorporate vocabulary into every lesson.
Rewards
Give all students rewards such as posting their name on a special bulletin board for announcing the top 3 test scores. Advanced students are used to a lot of accomplishment and they like to receive praise for it too. So
post lists of who made the Honor Roll, and use the classroom walls to post students work.
Also, bring in occasional rewards like journals, interesting pens and pencils, and other school related items to give out to students with academic achievements.
Working with advanced students is always a rewarding experience for teachers!