Teaching Gifted/Talented Students Addressing the needs of Gifted/Talented Students

A Quote from Pearl S. Buck "The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."

Famously Gifted Einstein couldn’t speak before he was four. Isaac Newton was considered a poor student. Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. Caruso's music teacher told him "You can't sing, you have no voice at all." Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. Admiral Richard E. Byrd was retired from the navy as "Unfit for service“, until he flew over both poles. Louis Pasteur made mediocre grades in chemistry when he attended the Royal College Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade.

Who are the Gifted and Talented? ‘Gifted' learners are those who have abilities in one or more subjects in the statutory school curriculum other than art and design, music and PE ‘Talented' learners are those who have abilities in art and design, music, PE, or performing arts such as dance and drama.

Who are the Highly Gifted? Those who demonstrate asynchronous development They experience and relate to the world in unique ways Extremely high scores on an individually scored IQ tests, generally above the 140 IQ range

Who are the Highly Gifted? These students may demonstrate the need to: Learn at a much faster pace Process material to a much greater depth Show incredible intensity in energy, imagination, intellectual prowess, sensitivity, and emotion which are not typical in the general population These students are often the most challenging students a teacher encounters

Personalities of Gifted Students Over-achievers Question authority Student Leaders Hyper-responsible Perfectionists Easily bored Constantly processing Need intellectual challenges

Challenges of Gifted Personalities Feel a “separateness” from their peers Feelings of isolation and loneliness Often bored, resulting in frustration & anger Set unrealistic goals Find accommodation and compromise difficult to accept. Often demonstrate black/white thinking

CRITERIA Intellectual Quotient Standardized Test Scores Teacher Recommendation Portfolio Evaluation Grade Point Averages Student Attitudes/Behavior

Students who are gifted tend to… understand concepts clearly so that they can apply this understanding to new situations in order to make interpretations develop hypotheses reach conclusions explore solutions be confident & contribute well when taking part in less formal teaching situations

Students who are gifted tend to… communicate effectively using both the written and spoken word reason, argue and think logically, showing an ability to manipulate abstract symbols and recognize patterns and sequences enjoy using graphs, charts, maps, diagrams and other visual methods to present information

Students who are gifted tend to… have a more highly developed value system than most pupils of their age be able to transfer knowledge from one subject to another

Stress and the Gifted Student Many gifted youngsters have a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings, to events, to ideas, and to expectations. Some experience their own high expectations for achievement as a relentless pressure to excel Striving becomes even more stressful when unrealistic or unclear expectations are imposed by adults or peers

Stress and the Gifted Student The pressure to excel, accompanied by other concerns such as feeling different, self-doubt (the "imposter" syndrome), and the need to prove their giftedness can drain the energy of gifted students and result in additional stress Stress occurs even when everything is going well: Gifted students get tired from their constant efforts and may secretly fear that next time they will not be as successful Vacations may be stressful if students are comfortable only when achieving and succeeding.

Characteristics of Gifted Students Think of a student in your school that you consider “gifted”. Use one sticky note for each adjective you would use to describe this student. Place sticky note on poster. Share one anecdote about this student that illustrates the challenge this student presents for you.

Myth #1: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #2: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #3: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #4: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #5: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #6: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Myth #7: Gifted Student Myths from Dr. James Webb, "Do Gifted/Talented Children Really Have Special Needs?"

Difficulties Faced by Gifted Students Failure to be identified Hostility of school staff Inappropriate curriculum Lack of attention to the gifted Lack of trained teachers Peer pressure to “dumb-down”

Research-based Solutions Gifted students benefit from learning together and should be placed with similar students in their areas of strength. Regular education teachers find it difficult to differentiate curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students in mixed ability classrooms. Many gifted students think and learn differently from their chronological age mates who are not gifted. They tend to better understand, accept, and use their learning differences as assets when they are grouped together. When they are provided with consistent appropriate academic challenge, they tend to be more comfortable with themselves (and others).

When cooperative learning has been used in the regular education classroom, gifted students often become tutors and learn less academic content. The other students may depend on them to do most of the work, or do the work that is difficult, and therefore the regular education students also learn less academic content. Gifted students frequently know many of the concepts introduced in the regular education class and waste a lot of time. They often develop bad habits, such as constant daydreaming. Gifted students are more likely to socialize "normally" when they are with students who share their interests and learning style. This is most likely to occur with intellectual age mates, regardless of chronological age. Research-based Solutions

Keeping Gifted Students Happy Here are some student thoughts… I don’t feel comfortable when the teacher seats me next to someone who messes around The more interesting the class is, the better the class is. Making lessons fun and how the information is put across helps loads Being involved – doing things – helps me Personal talking time really helps – where you share your ideas before you write down Being different, original and fun. I liked having time to think in silence

Creative Suggestions Make learning purposeful Special Helper Status Allow for debate/discussion Hot seating… ‘ready steady chat’ Keep their attention…. Lyrics to a song.. PowerPoint presentations, challenging games, scavenger hunts, computer work Call my bluff! Let students create questions for homework! Stump the teacher! Have learning extension opportunities ready

RESOURCES s/gats2004/professionalsupport/currdiff.htm s/gats2004/professionalsupport/currdiff.htm nology.com/teachers/gifted_youth/ nology.com/teachers/gifted_youth/