What Does a GT Student Look Like?

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.

"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)

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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.