Learning About Learning

We all learn in different and unique ways, and the term neurodiversity helps encompass that idea. Take some time to learn about neurodiversity in your classroom and celebrate all the different ways that your students learn.

Start by asking your students to write down one thing that helps them learn on a post-it, and then place them all on a large piece of chart paper.

Reflect on all the different tools and methods of learning present in your classroom with questions like:

• How were our responses different?
• How were they the same? and
• How can we honor everyone’s learning needs in this space?

Use this activity to introduce the term neurodiversity to your students (use the article “What is Neurodiversity?” from Harvard Health and the Inclusive Language Guide from the GIVE Guide to help facilitate this conversation).

Next, take a look back at the poster your class created. Work together with your students to create community agreements that help respect and uplift the different ways your class learns (see the GIVE Guide example).

Remind your students of the agreements every day by creating a physical gesture together that symbolizes everyone’s commitment to the agreements. Then, over the next few weeks, track how your students follow the
agreements and check in about how they accommodate one another.

To support this unit, use the GIVE Guide at TeachWithGIVE.org.