1. What Does a GT Student Look Like?

2. What does the gifted child look like???
“Those who have the ability in one or more learning areas that exceeds grade/age level expectations by two years or more.”
Susan Winebrenner in Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom
The regular curriculum will not provide the challenge these students need to continue moving forward in their education.

3. "You don't prepare a young man or woman to become a world class athlete by keeping him or her in regular gym classes and by not allowing him or her to compete against other youngsters who can provide appropriate levels of challenge…. You don't develop world leaders such as Martin Luther King, Golda Meir, and Mahatma Gandhi by having them practice basic skills over and over again or by reiterating mundane concepts that they can undoubtedly learn faster than all their schoolmates and, in some cases, even many of their teachers. Talent development is the 'business' of our field, and we must never lose sight of this goal.”
Renzulli & Reis (2005)

5. What group of students makes the lowest achievement gains in school?
“The brightest students.”
William Sanders,Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System
Study of the effects of teachers and schools on student learning

7. All too often, students are nominated for the G/T program that are:
high-achievers
teacher pleasers
organized
turn in their homework on time
make all A’s
“great” students
the “smartest” kid in their class
well-behaved and focused on learning

8. Unfortunately, the student described is a high-achiever with wonderful skills that make him/her excellent students. They are NOT gifted.
Teachers and parents nominate “high-achievers” and when they don’t score high enough on the ability or the achievement tests, they don’t understand why.
We need to be very careful that we are looking for very specific qualities and behaviors in a student before we nominate them for GT.

9. A Bright Child A Gifted Child
Knows the answers
Asks the questions
Is interested
Is highly curious
Is attentive
Is mentally and physically involved
Has good ideas
Has wild, silly ideas
Works hard
Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions
Discusses in detail, elaborates
Top group
Beyond the group
Listens with interest
Shows strong feeling and opinions
Learns with ease
Already knows
6-8 repetitions for mastery
1-2 repetitions for mastery
Understands ideas
Constructs abstractions

10. A Bright Child A Gifted Child
Enjoys peers
Prefers adults
Grasps the meaning
Initiates projects
Is receptive
Is intense
Copies accurately
Creates a new design
Absorbs information
Manipulates information
Technician
Inventor
Good memorizer
Good guesser
Enjoys straight forward sequential presentation
Thrives on complexity
Is alert
Is keenly observant
Is pleased with own learning
Is highly self-critical

12. Can a gifted learner have discipline issues?
YES
Can a gifted learner choose NOT to do their work?
Can a gifted learner be precocious?
Does a gifted learner sometimes like to argue with classmates and even you?

13. Can gifted students be twice-exceptional
Can gifted students be twice-exceptional? (Students with learning challenges…students with ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s, etc.)
YES
Can gifted students be underachievers?
Can gifted students have social problems?

14. Points to remember…Look for students that:
have an advanced vocabulary and verbal ability
demonstrate an ability to work with abstract ideas
see patterns, relationships, and connections that others don’t
gets your sense of humor
want to share everything he/she knows
prefer complex and challenging tasks to “basic” work
has many unusual interests, hobbies, and collections

15. prefers to talk to teachers and other adults rather than fellow students
high energy level
likes to be in charge
is sensitive to beauty and other people’s feelings, emotions, expectations
very intense
outstanding memory
is curious about many things and asks endless questions
is a keen and alert observer

16. Characteristics a GT student can also have:
resistance in doing the work, or work in a sloppy, careless manner
frustration with the pace of the class
rebelling against routine and predictability
asking embarrassing questions
resisting taking direction or orders
daydreaming
Monopolizing class discussions
being bossy with peers and teachers
Intolerance of imperfection

17. becoming super-sensitive to any form of criticism
crying easily
refusing to conform
resisting cooperative learning/wants to work alone
acting out or disturbing others
becoming the class clown
blurting out answers

18. Reminders:
IF a parent tells you that he wants to nominate his child for GT, have the parent make the nomination. ONLY nominate students that you feel really do exhibit the characteristics of a GT child.
Look beyond the high-achievers when making nominations.

19. Remember, the student that drives you nuts may be gifted
Remember, the student that drives you nuts may be gifted. If he’s rolling around on the floor, laughing at your jokes, talking to you ALL the time, seems a bit odd, has bizarre ideas about things, is bossy, and refuses to conform….he may be GIFTED.
A kernel of truth:
One of my students was laying on the floor next to the group of students he was supposed to be working with. As I stood over him and stared, he looked up at me, grimaced as he flopped his arms on the ground and said, “I can’t work with these people…they are killing me!”
Yes….he was gifted.