For better or for worse, it has rarely been the case for me that my students are too “ahead and bored”, but there are a few ways to deal with it when that problem does arise. As a disclaimer, most of what I teach has to do with environmental sciences, which can be a complicated mix of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ sciences, and this is an issue that should be approached in a subject-specific manner. With that said, I try to allow students to explore the course material further in two main ways: supplemental readings and reflection.

Supplemental Readings

After classes, I like to give my students access to articles and news stories where they can read further into the theory behind or real-world instances of the issues & topics we discussed that day. When I give my students these optional readings, either through email or by posting on their online forums, I make sure to describe how each reading relates to the course material so that the students are more likely to engage with them. Supplemental readings are a simple way to give them the resources to delve deeper without feeling lost as to where to start, and to assure that the material they’re reading is at their academic level and applicable to the course material.

Reflection

For the sake of reflection, I frequently include homework questions that lead the students to reflect on how the topics at hand affect their own personal lives. An example could be, “What are examples of environmental justice issues from where you call home?” This question would push the students to not only reflect upon environmental justice as a framework, but also apply to apply that framework to a place they have personal connections with, leading them to internalize the material more than they might realize. Reflection questions are a great way to help pique the students’ personal investment in a topic, and spur them to begin their own searches into the course material in a way that feels valuable to their own interests.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

A key to the success of these tactics is that they’re made available to all students. That way none of the students feel singled out (which can increase their perceived pressure to perform better) or left behind (which can decrease their motivation or confidence, if not both). This can also allow students who aren’t performing as well to connect with the material in a way that potentially works better for their learning styles.

Ultimately, the difficulty lies in giving the students enough space to learn at their own pace and in their own styles while also providing the scaffolding to ensure that all students are engaged and learning the required material. I can’t stress enough, however, that this is all highly subject-specific, and even classroom-specific. If all else fails, there is absolutely no harm in asking a student directly how you can better support their learning. While this requires a degree of trust and vulnerability, asking them shows that you’re truly invested in their learning and their input, which is valuable in and of itself for a quality student-teacher relationship.