Appropriate+learning+environment

=Appropriate learning environment=

An appropriate learning environment for mathematically gifted students must fulfill a number of factors.

Personalised
Students must feel respected and valued as individuals, with differing sets of strengths and weaknesses in addition to their giftedness. Teachers should be aware of, and allow for, these differences between students. Gifted students are not a homogeneous group, but will vary as much as any other group of students particularly in terms of social and emotional needs.

Student-centred
Learning activities should be centred on the students, rather than the teacher imparting knowledge to the class. Encouraging students to discover mathematical properties and relationships for themselves, has the benefit of allowing students to move at varying paces, and to generalise and extend where they choose to.

Culturally responsive
The classroom ought to include perspectives, contexts, and languages from other cultures. This will encourage students from these groups to feel they can maintain links to their own culture while being successful in mathematics.

Student autonomy
The class should promote student choice and self-determination. Students should be encouraged to manage themselves and provided with differing levels of work and ways to engage with material.

Supportive
The classroom should encourage academic, and particularly mathematical success, while recognising success and talent in other fields. It should also be accepting of mistakes, encouraging experimentation and academic risk-taking. this may be particularly important for gifted students displaying qualities of perfectionism.