<description>&lt;p&gt;“I’m done, what’s next?” In every classroom, a handful of students will finish the work at warp speed. While the rest of the class is still mid-task, teachers must quickly pivot to keep the fast finishers busy, without missing an instructional beat.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Former K-12 teacher Todd Finley argues this challenge presents a golden opportunity. “Instead of asking the question: ‘How do I keep fast finishers busy?’ the question should be: ‘Am I providing them with activities that are really meaningful?’” he says.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this episode of School of Practice, Finley, a professor of English education at East Carolina University, shares flexible, low-prep strategies for keeping speed racers engaged in meaningful work that’s immersive and challenging. Plus: Logistical tips for busy classrooms, and pointers for aligning tasks to classroom objectives.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Related resources:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/fast-finishers-school-keeping-students-any-grade-engaged"&gt;Your Student Finished Early—Now What?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://teachwithouttears.com/early-finisher-activities-your-students-will-love/"&gt;Early Finisher Activities Your Students Will Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/39/7722"&gt;The Representation of Semantic Information Across Human Cerebral Cortex During Listening Versus Reading Is Invariant to Stimulus Modality&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/we-drastically-underestimate-importance-brain-breaks/"&gt;We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.routledge.com/Classroom-Cheat-Codes-Effective-Teaching-Strategies-to-Power-Up-Engagement/Finley/p/book/9781041045557?srsltid=AfmBOooS2sO2K9wWd306H8P9pOZdk9xuVs1EqgB2WLayah4DL-pUAU_G"&gt;Classroom Cheat Codes: Effective Teaching Strategies to Power-Up Engagement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;</description>

School of Practice

Edutopia

Converting ‘Fast Finishers’ Into Self-Directed Learners

NOV 25, 202519 MIN
School of Practice

Converting ‘Fast Finishers’ Into Self-Directed Learners

NOV 25, 202519 MIN

Description

<p>“I’m done, what’s next?” In every classroom, a handful of students will finish the work at warp speed. While the rest of the class is still mid-task, teachers must quickly pivot to keep the fast finishers busy, without missing an instructional beat.</p> <p>Former K-12 teacher Todd Finley argues this challenge presents a golden opportunity. “Instead of asking the question: ‘How do I keep fast finishers busy?’ the question should be: ‘Am I providing them with activities that are really meaningful?’” he says.</p> <p>In this episode of School of Practice, Finley, a professor of English education at East Carolina University, shares flexible, low-prep strategies for keeping speed racers engaged in meaningful work that’s immersive and challenging. Plus: Logistical tips for busy classrooms, and pointers for aligning tasks to classroom objectives.</p> <p>Related resources:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/fast-finishers-school-keeping-students-any-grade-engaged">Your Student Finished Early—Now What?</a></li> <li><a href="https://teachwithouttears.com/early-finisher-activities-your-students-will-love/">Early Finisher Activities Your Students Will Love</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/39/7722">The Representation of Semantic Information Across Human Cerebral Cortex During Listening Versus Reading Is Invariant to Stimulus Modality</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/we-drastically-underestimate-importance-brain-breaks/">We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.routledge.com/Classroom-Cheat-Codes-Effective-Teaching-Strategies-to-Power-Up-Engagement/Finley/p/book/9781041045557?srsltid=AfmBOooS2sO2K9wWd306H8P9pOZdk9xuVs1EqgB2WLayah4DL-pUAU_G">Classroom Cheat Codes: Effective Teaching Strategies to Power-Up Engagement</a></li> </ul>