This post was inspired by a recent question in one of my teacher groups: “How are other 3rd grade teachers filling in the learning gaps for their students? We don’t have options for small group intervention or support programs.”

Learning gaps aren’t new. However the learning gap due to Covid is unique because of the extended school closures, the disparate access to remote instruction, and varying degrees of household supports. This gap resembles more of a chasm, for students of colour. In fact, a recent McKinsey study reports students remain behind in both math and reading, with chronically disadvantaged students being up to a grade level behind their peers.  

Where we are vs Where we should be?
Ensure you've a clear understanding of what your students' abilities are at this moment and where they'll need to be, by the end of the year. 

Diagnose
A diagnostic will highlight exactly where your learner has gaps. It can be a worksheet, a test, and even an oral assessment. If you're able to, offer a choice board for assessments. The objective is to gather as many details as possible. With Math assessments, stress the importance of showing all the work so that they're making their thinking visible. That way, you're able to see exactly where their process goes offline. Humming the chorus to "Step by Step" by NKOTB usually gets everyone's attention in my class (swiftly followed by pleas to stop). Reading comprehension? Try an oral approach for retelling and summarizing. Timelines and photo walls can test dates and key figures. 
Reassure students that this is just a snapshot, of their current knowledge base. Knowing that it doesn't count to their final grade will ease the stress.

Prioritize
What do they absolutely need to know, by the end of the year? What would be nice to have, it you can fit it in? Think of your material in terms of a decision matrix - need to know, need to know, can catch this up later, etc.

Concurrent teaching
Build in about 10-15 minutes for review and reteaching of old material, then move on to teach at grade level.  If they hit a bump during grade level teaching, ask them to make a note; encourage the observation so that they have a grasp on what they need to review.

Look for opportunities to collaborate and cross teach.
Think of your fellow teachers as part of your students' learning team and look for ways to work on concepts in other classes. Learning about The Crusades in Ancient History? Maybe you can assign reading comprehension to a Crusade themed passage, for example. 

Build in small wins. 
It's a great way to measure progress for you and them.

Book this film for professional development or watch online at www.vimeo.com/ondemand/greymatters.
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A recent survey cited "the pandemic and a greater focus on racial injustice as driving the rise in interest in social and emotional learning in their schools."

​Social Emotional learning is not new. At the heart of SEL, is an understanding that a stressed brain is not learning. If our students are coming into the classroom in a state of anxiety or fear or hunger or if they feel the classroom isn't an emotionally safe space for them, they will not learn. Their amygdala is hyper focused on keeping them safe. Learning about the distributive property or the Mexican-American war, or whatever your class is focused on, is not a top priority for that student.

Your teacher training toolbox has to include a few tools to take the emotional temperature of the your students and find ways to get it to a place where learning can take place.  Understanding the basics of how the brain processes emotions can help to move your students out of the stressed stage and into the learning stage. 

Here's a 5 minute strategy to get your students into the learning stage:
​1. High five each other for showing up.
2. Slow deep breathing to calm your nervous system
3. Find something you're grateful for today
4. Share something you're excited about
5. Remind students that most emotions last 90 seconds; it's the rumination that keeps us stuck in the feeling.

Watch Grey Matters on Vimeo today: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/Greymattersdocumentary

Just in case you're wondering how to teach today, remember that your job is to ensure your students feel safe and secure within your learning space.  And especially for your students of colour and/or special education kids. 

This piece on tolerance.org was helpful for me to wrap my head around today, reminding me of my priorities - my classroom, my students, and their well-being.

Onward, in kindness and tolerance.

​Watch this film here: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/greymattersdocumentary

Here's a question I recently received: "How does Grey Matters, knowing how the brain learns,  and the Brain Targeted Teaching Model help me with struggling readers?"

While this documentary is not a "how to" guide or curriculum, here’s how it can help teachers or reading instructors, working with struggling readers:

1. Target 1 - Understanding the emotional climate.  You are working with children who have failed more than they have succeeded.  Most likely, your students are coming into the learning space (classroom or online) expecting to fail, as they have in the past.  Your first job is to really create a safe emotional learning space. Understanding this is key to gaining trust and engagement from your learners.  This is where you show them 
2. Target 3 - Learning design. The battle of whole word vs phonics continues to engender a great deal of debate.  Neuroscience research indicates the brain looks for patterns and when it comes to reading, the key is to ensure readers have a good grasp of their letters, how that relates to words, sentences, etc.  Vicky Krug, featured in the film, says, “Reading is not just a one-time process. I spend a lot of time talking about the actual reading process in the brain , the structure of writing and the structure of how words and phrases in paragraphs fit together to help students create patterns in their minds of language. How to follow a main idea with details; the role of a topic sentence. And I have them use vocabulary cartoons to really create visuals of what they’re reading.” 

It’s going to be hard for your struggling reader to conceive of anything beyond their present struggle with reading. This is where understanding the concept of neuroplasticity comes into play and letting your struggling reader know that it is possible to rewire your brain. Your brain can change. and the fact that we can change our brain, based on practice and more importantly, multi sensorial approaches to teaching, makes a huge difference.

Every learner, regardless of race, deserves a safe learning space.
A space where they are cared for and encouraged. A space where they are viewed as a person with potential to do great things. 
A space where they have a chance to make mistakes and grow.
A space free of preconceived notions about their abilities and their future.
A space to be.
Breathing room.
​A chance to explore.
And sometimes that space gets loud. Which is ok.
As teachers, let us remember to look beyond the skin tone, to the learner within. 

Looking for ways to build your school community and engage students?  Some schools are experimenting with announcements over their PA system, to kick off their day and move students between classes.  From inspirational sayings to general reminders, schools want students to feel like we are all in this together, and approaching things from the same side.  Check out this great list from Connections Academy: 

To help your students successfully move information from short term memory, i.e.. what you taught today, into long term memory, i.e. retrieving it during another class, on a related subject, or for a test in a few weeks from now, try these: ​​
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1. Art
Studies have shown, when art is incorporated into content, it increases retention, and retrieval. Think of it this way - you're offering your students a different way to remember the information. Maybe it's a flow chart to visualize process, or a funny comic strip (complete with stick figures) to map out complex sequences.  

Still not sure where to start?

This list of graphic organizers might help.  Graphic organizers help to organize content heavy instruction, into manageable, bite-sized pieces. 

2. Consistent Note Taking

Taking notes is key.  But what does it mean to have good notes? Start with giving your students a format for note taking, outlining the central idea at the beginning of the lesson and the goals for the section. This helps to narrow their focus and outline the expectations.  Recommend a two column method - one column for making notes, and the second for the questions generated by the notes.  Build in a few minutes where students can share their questions; this will help you to understand both their knowledge gaps and their perspective.  

This format is from Cornell University and while it's recommended for high school and up, I think it's easily adapted to early elementary and middle school year.

3. Relevancy and Recall

The more you can connect information to real-world examples, or things that are relevant to your students, the greater the likelihood it will be remembered. Things make more sense when we have some degree of personal connection, we can discern a similarity, or connect it something we already know. That's why, when we are explaining something, we usually say, "It's kind of like...", in an attempt to connect the new, to the known.

In this clip, from the trailer of Grey Matters, at second 0:33, Zoe talks about wanting things to be more connected, to see the bigger picture.  

4. Active Retrieval 

Encourage students to quiz themselves.  Whether it's covering up the information and trying to remember everything on a list or using flashcards where the definition is on one side and the vocabulary word on the other, or whatever the content lends itself. Additionally, work in quizzes into your instruction, as well as, review time.  

Read more about active retrieval practices here.

​When it comes to long term memory incorporate the visual arts into your lesson; offer students a choice of how they would like to demonstrate their knowledge in a visual format - maybe it's a graphic organizer of some kinds, a poem, or a drawing.  Consistent note taking is key; ensure students know the objectives of the unit study. Following on this, illustrate the connection of what they are learning to what they already know. And finally, encourage active retrieval practices or quizzes. 

Share your in-class practices in the comments.