This form asks teachers to name up to three students who demonstrate each of the Brilliant Behaviours. The teacher reflects on her or his class after a series of formal observations or simply after having been their teacher for a minimum of four weeks. Impressions of individuals in the group are based on an accumulation of evidence, rather than observations after a single activity. This information can contribute to decisions related to differentiation strategies and placement alternatives.

A support or resource teacher can distribute this form to a teacher who is more familiar with a group of students. You may want to distribute the Descriptions and some of the activities recommended to stimulate Brilliant Behaviours along with it. Offer the activities as options and examples of the types of low-floor/high-ceiling, open-ended tasks that provide opportunities to be brilliant. Teachers may have favourites of their own. If they do, ask for copies and add them to your collection.

The Referral form should come with a request that it be completed within a particular time frame. Allow at least a week, then follow up with teachers who haven’t returned it.

It is not crucial that three names be given for each characteristic on the Referral Form. Some may be left with no entries because the teacher has simply not seen them . . . yet. It is not likely that an accurate sense of individuals within that group can be achieved until the fourth or fifth week of the term or year. Even then, the rater should be prepared to be surprised in the future.

This information can contribute to subsequent decisions about differentiation and/or placement alternatives.

Download the Teacher Referral Form as a pdf in English or Spanish.