Missy Rankin

12/2/15

Metro RESA Gifted Endorsement Self Reflection Assessment

Part 1: Paragraph Response Per Item
1. What did you learn about yourself through this
endorsement class? What actions have or will you take
because of what you learned?
Throughout this course, I have learned a lot about myself. I have
always known that I am a control freak. I like to be in control of
all situations in which I am placed in because that is what is
comfortable to me. Being outside of my comfort zone is scary
and not enjoyable. Teaching TAG students has pushed me
outside of my comfort zone, and it has showed me how to push
myself to the next level. It has truly transformed the way I teach
and the group of students I am passionate about teaching.
Teaching TAG students has taught me to take a step back and be
a facilitator of student learning instead of constantly being a
conductor. I have found myself changing the way I teach my TAG
classes (and some on-level classes) due to the ideas and
concepts I have learned in this class. I hope to see the same
growth and transformation through each TAG class I take and
teach.
2. In your opinion as a new expert on high ability learners,
what are at least three important things to share with
other colleagues about gifted/advanced learners and
their needs in a classroom setting?
There are lots of important pieces of information that should be
shared with teachers who will be working with gifted/advanced
students. The first essential piece of information is that these
classes work at a faster pace. I tried to keep my on-level and
advanced/gifted classes on the same pace for the first few weeks
of the school year. I quickly found that this was impossible as
these students learn so much faster (and are often times eager
to work much harder) than on-level students. The second piece
of essential information is that advanced/gifted students really
benefit from projects in which have choice and creativity. This
year, the students in my TAG classes have been doing a monthly
book project outside of school and a multitude of in class
projects. Most in class projects give the students choice within
their topic and the ability to express their creativity. The third
piece of essential information is to make sure you are giving

feedback to the students whether it is done through grades,

praise, conversation, or written feedback. The open line of
communication is essential with these students because they
often put so much pressure on themselves. These would be the
three pieces of essential information I learned this semester
teaching TAG students.

Part 2: List 2 Strengths and 1 Weakness

1. The impact of learning and teaching styles on my
classroom practice and my understanding of students
I believe that this is a strength of mine this semester. This class
has introduced me to a large variety of classroom activities to
benefit the students I am teaching. I have incorporated many of
these ideas, and it has given me the desire to create some new
teaching styles as well. I have been using a lot of technology
throughout this school year as this is something the students
have expressed they have a passion for. I have also found that I
have a better understanding of many of the students once I see
what their learning style is.
2. Ways to accelerate in my classroom to meet the needs of
high ability learners.
I think this has been a strength of mine this year as I am
constantly keeping the class at a very fast pace. We are moving
from one task to the next, making the most of our time in the
classroom. We are always working on a project, reading, and
homework outside of class. While working at a fast pace, I trying
to challenge and push the students to the next level. I want the
students to realize If it doesnt challenge you, it doesnt change
you and push them outside of their comfort zone.
3. Taking into account cultural and language diversity in my
classroom as I meet the needs of gifted students
This would be a weakness of mine so far this year. I have not
done as good as a job as I wish I had at incorporating cultural
and language diversity into my classroom this semester. I
incorporated the book Three Cups of Tea which gives exposure to
the Middle East, but this was just a small part of the semester so
far. I hope to work on this area of growth and incorporate more
cultures and language diversity in the spring semester.

Part 3- Question: What have I learned in this course about gifted

learners and the learning process that has changed my teaching
practice?
Picture representation on the following page