campus of Valpo and I’d met a girl now
at the time I was a political science
major pre-law she was a business major
and things went really well in fact she
loves Scrabble that was a huge plus and
we clicked really well but that next
semester I had to break the news to her
my terrible secret actually I wanted to
be a teacher now for those of you it
doesn’t take a business major to
understand that from being a lawyer to
being a teacher that’s one-fourth of the
income in fact I charted it out over 40
years of working that’s a net loss of
four million dollars now my fear was in
pain in fact she smiled her mom was a
teacher a very good teacher and things
went really well in fact I graduated
from Valpo with degree in classics in
Latin and a degree in education I became
a Latin teacher and then a few months
later I got married a few months after
that I became a teacher and I can tell
you because of her and because of
teaching the last 12 years have been the
best of my life now I’ve learned a lot
in the past 12 years about teaching in
general in fact I’ve been in a lot of
circles I coach I talk to a lot of
teachers there I go to conferences I
mean with teachers and I find that in
teaching in general it’s a great skill
to have it’s universal I look around
here I’m sure all of you have had to
teach someone something in the past year
is that fair yeah because it’s just
natural whether you’re a parent a coach
working with someone else in your job to
train them it’s something very natural
that we all have to do and what I found
these past 12 years there’s some very
basic lessons about teaching and I think
we could all benefit from them things
were doing wrong things we can fix I’m
gonna start talking about some of those
today so the first thing I want to talk
to you bout is a Latin quote I am a
Latin teacher so please indulge me what
you’re looking at behind me as they
quote from Caligula that is a real rough
customer here actually it’s not a quote
from him but it’s actually one of his
favorite well
we learned this from the historian
Suetonius and it really does show a
discipline strategy some teachers are
using now Caligula he inspired fear in
the people and they followed him and I’m
willing to bet you know some teachers
that inspired fear in you and it was an
effective strategy for discipline
perhaps but I worry that in education
we’re putting discipline above teaching
and I know I’ve seen in fact a friend of
mine on the first day used to tell
students if you talk too much I’m
throwing you out that window now I don’t
think I ever did that we probably would
have heard about that but imagine that
as a disciplined strategy no learning
too can take place if we look at
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs if a student
feels unsafe is not fed or have other
needs they can’t realize
self-actualization learning cannot take
place so my first thing I want to
indulge you just earned
I’m sorry impart upon you if you’re
going to teach make sure the students
aren’t afraid it’s the most effective
strategy don’t put discipline above
teaching now I want to go to the other
side of things here I haven’t been in
education for 12 years I have seen this
quote all too often probably about 20
times at conferences meetings and it’s a
great quote but I find it’s probably
miss applied as often as it’s
misattributed in fact Maya Angelou never
said those words she said it was her
favorite quote the original author was
Carl Buner a high-ranking official for
the Church of Latter day Saints now not
the source you would expect but I think
it’s still great advice the problem I
see is that an education and we often
look at this and think man if the
students are feeling good I’ve done my
job in fact I spoke to one teacher and
he even said you know this semester but
the students aren’t really learning
anything but we’re having a good time so
I wished I’d said I’m going to say to
you now no you’re not in fact if all we
worry about is making students feel good
we’re not teaching them we’re
entertainers at that point I think
entertaining is a great tool and our
toolboxes teachers if we can keep the
kids happy and entertained it’s a great
conduit for learning because when
students feel happy they feel creative
they can express themselves it’s a safe
environment but again all of education
is about balance
not too much discipline not too much
entertainment but hitting that sweet
spot in between now my time at Valpo I
also have the opportunity to take a
course on the teachings of Paul one of
my favorite quotes is behind me here
it’s from second Corinthians I adore
this I think any institution of learning
should have this inscribed on a wall
somewhere look at the aspects of it
number one I’ve become all things to all
people that I might save some all people
I know in education every day the kids
to walk through that door I have kids
with behavioral emotional needs who are
visual learners who are audio learners
kinetic learners you see those kids are
always kind of moving around they need
to do that to learn I have kids from
different races from different religions
I have kids from all sorts of
backgrounds and all sorts of personal
baggage every type of kid will walk
through that door and I have to teach
them all at once and that’s why I like
the other aspect of this I have to
become all things in fact good teachers
know this we call this differentiation
what that means is we differ our
teaching strategies over the course of
each day sometimes in the course of each
class period I may teach my audio
learners at one point flipped around my
visual learners I may be more personable
get down to someone’s level and then
maybe I’m more sterner I have two very
things that’s what good teachers do I
become all things and then finally we’re
only gonna save some I think an
education we put too much pressure on
ourselves sometimes that we have to save
everyone in fact I’ll tell you one story
for my early days of teaching this young
girl she was a troubled child she would
come in she would talk back to me and
I’d have to kind of deal with that her
grades were subpar at best and then
something happened
midway through the semester her grades
turned around she was interacting in
class positively she was kind and then
one day she came by to ask me a question
I couldn’t help but ask what had I done
what differentiation hi employ that
saved her I asked her I said so so
what’s happened you’re doing a lot
better now and she simply hooked up and
kind of smiled she said my other parent
has custody now
an education we can’t control some
things we have to let that go no matter
what we do or what we try some students
we can’t do things to save them and I
think there’s a spirit of forgiveness
that permeates education that needs to
we need to let some of that stuff go
however I do find right now that in
education there is a certain demographic
we’re not differentiating for a certain
group of students that in fact surveys
have shown over 70% of teachers say they
feel like these students aren’t getting
what they need and those teachers don’t
know what to do
those are gifted and talented students
now I have to give a few caveats here
when most people think about gifted and
talented students and in Indiana we
actually call them high ability students
people think I wants the smart kids he
wants to tell us to say that they’re
fine no no they’re not
in fact I’ll tell you a few things about
if you look at the definition this
stretches beyond math science leadership
creativity being high ability is more
than just being the smart kid I should
know I was one when I was in elementary
school I found myself being very bored
in the back of the class I did act out a
little bit at medically but more or less
I just want to do more than what was
being done in the class now I found out
later on had to test myself for a class
what my IQ was unsurprisingly I was
average I still have I’m not one of the
smart kids but I was high ability they
tested me I was high ability and
creativity which is why I love being a
teacher the creative lessons each day
that I can employ it makes me very happy
but what we’re finding as many of these
high ability students aren’t getting
challenged in the classroom like they
need to if you look at the final part of
this definition it’s not about changing
everything to meet the needs of these
students it’s offering them something
differentiating the curriculum to offer
them something that will help them I
want to give you an example from The
Fountainhead if you’ve not read the book
don’t worry I’m not gonna spoil anything
but I’ll give
a few notes about it it’s about an
architect named Howard Roark when he was
in school the Dean calls a man and the
Dean says you’re not going along with
the curriculum the curriculum has you
drawing certain things and doing certain
thing he refused to do them in fact
you’re willing to go beyond the
curriculum well Howard I already knew
the curriculum and he was wanting to go
beyond that at this point and the Dean
simply looks up and says who’s going to
let you go beyond the prepared
curriculum we’ve given you and he gives
this as his response it’s not a matter
of who’s going to let me it’s who’s
going to stop me and all too often in
education is the teachers who are
stopping students from learning because
we’re slaves to curriculum we don’t want
to go beyond it because we want to make
sure all the students are learning at
the same pace now keep this in mind as
we consider that right now high ability
students in kindergarten enter knowing
35 to 40 percent of all the material on
day one now you imagine how frustrating
that must be sitting there knowing all
the material but being forced to go
through it because that’s the process
that’s the assembly line that education
has become is any wonder that many of
these high ability students what they
decide to do then they act out they’re
bored they’re frustrated some then think
I’m gonna bother doing this and that
giftedness that’s in them and Nate
we don’t see it at all so that’s the
issue I see in education and a don’t you
consider this image an education right
now I see a lot of floors and a lot of
ceilings now if you don’t know what I
mean when I say floor and ceiling
consider this the floor is typically the
minimum amount of achievement a student
needs to pass so let’s say we’re all
taking say a quiz on the countries of
South America now maybe the teacher
decides that 60% is the passing rate if
you get 60% of those countries you’re
passing that’s the floor the ceiling
well you get all of them what about
going beyond the ceiling
are we accounting for those students the
one in the countries of Central America
that may want to talk about the
political disparity in some of these
countries the poverty that afflicts them
we don’t account for the ceiling in
education and in fact if you look at the
definition of ceiling in the dictionary
it says it’s an imposed top limit what
kind of imposed limits are we putting in
education right now I think it’s not we
have a conversation about some of those
limits one all mention is identifying
our high ability students right now many
schools they’re identifying their
students with teacher recommendations
now that’s okay but who are they gonna
recognize the teacher pleasers are they
gonna recognize the kids with a high GPA
s consider this a student from a poor
household who doesn’t have all the setup
the structure that maybe a more affluent
child has who has that support system
maybe their giftedness can’t show
through the way a student from a more
affluent population can’t consider the
statistic among high ability students
those were minority or from low
socioeconomic backgrounds are two and a
half times less likely to be identified
because these things are teacher driven
they should be test driven I know
standardized exams get a bad rep but you
know what they work and in this case it
will save those students there’s no bias
in these tests it gives them that golden
key to get the education they require I
see another ceiling we’re building over
these students it’s it’s preparation for
teachers I mentioned earlier seven out
of ten teachers over 70% of teachers
don’t know what to do for their students
these students are not being challenged
enough these high ability students don’t
have
the challenges they need to excel
teacher preparation professional
development for high ability students
you don’t see it that often I know in 12
years of education I have not seen it
advertised to me I had to go out and
seek it out myself
finally we tell you a story I mentioned
before that I was in a high ability
middle school it was called the logos
program the highlight of it was that are
you ready for this there were no grades
now imagine that the principal medicine
the first day she said here’s my issue
with grades in your previous classes if
you got an A you thought you did
everything you could that you were
perfect
not anymore we’ve lifted the ceiling go
as far as you can go excel as high as
you can
we’re not gonna label you with an A and
stunt your growth and that lives with me
even now at age 34 so as we consider all
these ceilings III want to talk about
just what we tell our message to these
young children I know we talk to young
children we say reach for the stars and
then his teachers we build ceilings to
prevent them from grabbing them so
consider this story again my middle
school I was in sixth grade my parents
planned this trip to Dayton Ohio now
they were there on business and while
they were there I was in sixth grade I
didn’t wanna hang out with my parents so
while they’re taking care of things I
decide I’m gonna go work out I go to the
workout room I break a sweat it’s cool I
go back to my room throw myself in the
bed it’s the 90s start watching the
x-files and it’s still on today uh no I
I find myself watching about 45 minutes
hen I’m like I’ve seen this episode
before I’m gonna get a shower as I’m
walking to the shower I look over and I
notice
those aren’t my parents things I’ve been
a sweaty mess for 45 minutes in the
wrong room now I’ve brought this
anecdote up to my students before and I
asked them critical thinking what do you
do here the answers I get some I mean
it’ll say I’d be so furious I start
throwing the bags out the window much
okay
then another said well you know I’d be
really nervous I’d be afraid what if the
people in the room come back and they
see me leaving their room I’d hide under
the bed again okay and what do you
expect to do with that well then so one
they come back to go to sleep I’ll sneak
out and leave some simply say who cares
I finished watching The X Files and get
my shower I’d ignore the entire
situation well most of them agree you
get out of there within 10 seconds and
find your parents which is exactly what
I did we resolved the situation although
we never stayed in a hotel in Dayton
Ohio Frick and and I think this is a
great example of what we do in education
I know in my experience I’ve seen
students that are high ability that know
an awful lot and hear the reactions you
can typically have no again you could
have anger if you like I can’t believe
the student thinks they know more than
me when they probably do and you think
uh I’m so frustrated err trying to break
my curricula teach 30 people why can’t
they just go with the program we’ve seen
that doesn’t work these students get
left out excluded you could be afraid as
I said in my example and in fact I’m
gonna make a confession to all of you
right now I’ve been teaching for 12
years there have been numerous students
that know more about Latin in English
than I do
that’s a hard confession for teachers to
make but here’s the key they may know
more about the course material and
that’s not to say I don’t know my
material but I know how to teach them I
know how to provide them opportunities
to continue expand they’re already
exponential growth and that’s what good
teachers do they don’t just plan the
curriculum they make opportunities for
those students now ignorance is another
sin that we can commit here just
ignoring the situation it’s probably the
easiest thing to do
just let the students kind of go along
they’ll be fine I’ve got other kids that
I have to worry about
I’ll let them figure it out themselves
the best solution of course is to say
I’ve got this I’m gonna go to my parents
and tell them I’ve been in the wrong
room for the past hour it’s saying I’m
gonna provide opportunities for this
student it’s gonna give them the best
chance to succeed
I start every day with this quote from
John Wooden I say be prepared to be
honest I’m honest about what I can do as
a teacher I can’t save everyone they’re
gonna be students who know more than I
do and that’s okay but I go in every day
knowing that and I try to provide the
best opportunities for every student I
can differentiate for my high ability
kids and everyone else and I want to
talk about what teachers can do today to
do that now you’re looking at examples
here identification if you’re a parent
you think maybe your child is excelling
in one of the areas we talked about have
a conversation with the teachers with
the principal talk about getting tested
identification don’t just let it teach
your recommendation be the key testing
specifically norm standard testing the
cogut is a great one for early
elementary we look at other instances
we’re looking here at acceleration I’ve
moved kids along a lot in my class I see
a kid a lot and one that’s doing really
well I don’t waste my time
go to Latin 3:00 or Latin to I should
say if your kids doing really well I
want you to get the best experience you
can I don’t want you just sitting in the
back getting nothing from this
experience we need to be much more
comfortable acceleration compacting so
for instance I know if I see a kid over
the course of a two week class and I’m
like okay this kid could probably get
this lesson in about two days well give
them extra stuff to do on the side
compact your curriculum and allow them
to do different things they’re not just
sitting there bored and acting out if we
look up your professional development I
think those opportunities need be made
more often for teachers I know for me in
general I want to know more about those
opportunities that are out there I think
that college is offering it more in
courses having those opportunities
available communicating that to teachers
there are ways to learn how to
differentiate for high ability students
finally extracurricular activities
sometimes a kid cannot excel just in the
classroom they need something outside so
any teacher out there please by all
means do not be afraid to start a new
activity matter how crazy it might be
started you’re gonna reach some kids I’m
gonna give you two last examples here
about how high ability instruction can
really make a difference and
you know this gentleman is Taurus and
Wells he was considered a prodigy at age
two
now throughout his education he was
really just given a very average
education the best that he could get at
the time obviously but he just kept
going along and going along until
finally at the Todd’s seminary for boys
one teacher Robert Hill finally said
look Orson you’re you’re way above the
other kids this is gonna be an ad hoc
education you go off to the side you do
your own thing be creative
blow me away with something Orson Welles
was first play in that class an
adaptation of Sherlock Holmes he then
went on to produce War of the Worlds
then Citizen Kane one of the greatest
motion pictures of all time all because
a teacher was willing to break from
curriculum one last example young girl
Emma crates from Guadalajara Mexico she
comes in to her classes and the teachers
at first think she’s a troublemaker they
are constantly yelling her to to get in
line to do what’s right and then
teachers finally realize she didn’t know
English that’s why she was acting now
now is she making more culture and she
picked up the language she skipped a
grade she was gifted and in fact now
she’s gone under to make a name for
herself and both a private and public
sector this is maria contreras-sweet in
fact under the obama administration she
served for the Small Business
Administration and now she’s moving to
buy The Weinstein Company to have it
helm by a woman to correct mistakes from
the past all because again a teacher is
willing to recognize a high ability
student and not just let her sit the
back of the class to be a troublemaker
so we’re here today to talk about
conversations fine conversations that
you have in your schools with parents
teachers guidance counselors principals
even going to your high ability
coordinator in your district or diocese
can make all the difference because
these are conversations that can shatter
ceilings and without these ceilings are
high ability students can truly flourish
thank you you