13 THINGS I WISH ALL EDUCATORS KNEW ABOUT GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS Leah Ellis Gifted and Talented Consultant Kentucky Department of Education

(Rhetorical) WHAT DO WE WISH ALL TEACHERS KNEW ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS?

GIFTED & TALENTED STUDENTS HAVE DIFFERENT INTERESTS, ABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of people who are different. DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… THEY NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT…….INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES And we can’t expect teaching and learning to be the same for all either (To quote TJ, worded slightly different from the original quote of Aristotle) Basically, we can’t treat students with unique needs all the same way.

GIFTED STUDENTS *DO* NEED HELP, DIRECTION, AND GUIDANCE. DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… “Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a coach? Gifted students need guidance from well trained, challenging teachers to help develop their talents.”

A ONE-SIZE FITS ALL PULLOUT DOES NOT MEET INDIVIDUAL STUDENT NEEDS DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… There are diverse talents in the group

A GIFTED STUDENT MAY NOT BE A MODEL STUDENT & MAY EVEN BE DISRUPTIVE DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… HAVE THEY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS GIFTED & TALENTED IN TROUBLE MAKING & CLASSROOM DISRUPTION? They are likely BORED and unchallenged Encourage teachers to challenge them and see the results

HIGH ACHIEVERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY GIFTED STUDENTS DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… HIGH ACHIEVERS WORK HARD TO GET WHERE THEY ARE GIFTED STUDENTS MAY ALREADY KNOW ANSWERS AND MAY NOT FEEL THEY NEED TO SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW

A GIFTED STUDENT CAN HAVE BAD GRADES DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW…   The roots of this problem differ, based on each child’s experiences.  Gifted students may become bored or frustrated in an unchallenging situation, causing them to lose interest, learn bad study habits, or distrust the school environment.  They may be underachieving because they are bored and thinking about other things they’d rather be doing. Some drop out.. Other students may mask their abilities to try to fit in socially with their same-age peers.   No matter the cause, it is imperative that a caring and perceptive adult help gifted learners break the cycle of underachievement in order for them to achieve their full potential. 

A GIFTED STUDENT IS A GIFTED STUDENT ALL THE TIME. I WISH THEY KNEW… DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… Every day, every minute, at home, at school. A GIFTED STUDENT IS A GIFTED STUDENT ALL THE TIME.

GIFTED STUDENTS ARE OFTEN TALENTED IN MANY THINGS DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… They often HAVE A HARD TIME CHOOSING WHAT TO DO. Just because a child is gifted does not mean he does not need help deciding what direction to take (MULTI-POTENTIALED)

A CHILD IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CAN ALSO BE GIFTED DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… Some gifted students also have learning or other disabilities. These “multi-exceptional” students often go undetected in regular classrooms because their disability and gifts mask each other, making them appear “average.” Other multi-exceptional students are identified as having a learning disability and as a result, are not considered for gifted services. In both cases, it is important to focus on the students’ abilities and allow them to have challenging curricula in addition to receiving help for their learning disability

A GIFTED STUDENT IS STILL GIFTED EVEN IF SHE LIVES IN POVERTY DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE STILL GIFTED

A GIFTED STUDENT IS STILL GIFTED EVEN IF HE SPEAKS ANOTHER LANGUAGE DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… What if you were a gifted English speaking student immersed in a Chinese speaking classroom. Are you any less gifted?

GIFTED STUDENTS OFTEN FEEL ALONE AND DIFFERENT DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… THAT SOME FEEL NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THEM? SOME feel like they don’t belong anywhere, that there is no one like them Many gifted students flourish in their community and school environment.  However, some gifted children differ in terms of their emotional and moral intensity, sensitivity to expectations and feelings, perfectionism, and deep concerns about societal problems. Others do not share interests with their classmates, resulting in isolation or being labeled unfavorably as a “nerd.” Because of these difficulties, the school experience is one to be endured rather than celebrated.  It is estimated that 20 to 25% of gifted children have social and emotional difficulties, about twice as many as in the general population of students.

ALL CHILDREN ARE NOT GIFTED DO YOU WISH THEY KNEW… While all children are special and deserving, not all children have exceptional academic gifts that require additional support in school. Interestingly, most people readily accept that there are children in performing arts or athletics whose talents are so far above those of others their age that they require additional or different training or coaching. It is important to understand that these same characteristics apply to academically gifted students who need support and guidance to reach their full potential.  ALL CHILDREN ARE NOT GIFTED

WHAT DO YOU WISH TEACHERS KNEW? Take a moment to answer this question What other things not mentioned do *you* wish teachers knew about Gifted and Talented Students? What is most important the regular classroom teacher needs to know about GT students?

EDUCATE WHAT CAN *YOU* DO TO HELP TEACHERS LEARN ABOUT GIFTED & TALENTED STUDENTS? EDUCATE THEM