1. HOW PARENTS, TEACHERS, PEERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS CAN HELP
What is being GIFTED?!
HOW PARENTS, TEACHERS, PEERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS CAN HELP

2. Secondary students said…
FOR PARENTS…
# 1 Survey says…
What is the #1 request of gifted students for their parents in helping them feel happy, successful, and content?
Secondary students said…

3. “Please don’t expect so much of me.”
FOR PARENTS…
“Please don’t expect so much of me.”

4. FOR PARENTS… Classes are harder than they were before
I’m learning to study and navigate deadlines
Praise me when I make mistakes but took a risk
Don’t praise me when something was easy (for being “smart”)
I am a perfectionist; I won’t try it unless I think I’ll be good at it so I need to be encouraged to try new things and understand that failure is an option

5. FOR PARENTS… Parents can also… Encourage me to sleep
Help me prioritize and manage my time (I hate doing homework for things I feel like I already know.)
Help me to study
Help me find the tools which can remind me to do things

6. Elementary Students said…
“Just because we’re good at one subject, doesn’t mean you should expect us to get all A’s and B’s. At the end of the day, they’re just grades. Being good at one subject doesn’t mean we’re good at all of them.”

7. Elementary Students said…
“We make mistakes. You don’t need to overanalyze every one. Most of the time, I understand what I did wrong.”

8. Secondary students said…
FOR TEACHERS…
#2 Survey says…
What are 3 important things my gifted students want their teachers to know in order to them feel happy, successful, and content?
Secondary students said…

9. “Please don’t assume I don’t need help.”
FOR TEACHERS…
“Please don’t assume I don’t need help.”

10. FOR TEACHERS… Sometimes I take a long time to process things.
I like to take my time with my thoughts and don’t like to work fast.
I’m sometimes afraid to take on things that I don’t think I’ll be good at.
Please don’t always stick me in group with kids who need help.

11. Don’t take it personally.”
FOR TEACHERS…
“I might challenge you.
Don’t take it personally.”

12. FOR TEACHERS…
I value fairness and might get frustrated if you and I disagree.
Before answering your question, I have my own questions to ask.
I value freedom and respect, and will be more successful if we can find a mutual working ground.

13. FOR TEACHERS…
“I might underachieve because I’m not challenged and/or because I’m afraid of you giving me extra work.”

14. FOR TEACHERS… Instead… Let me work at my own pace (and/or compacting)
Give me more challenging work (but not more work)
Try to tie in my interests to the project goal (alternative assignments) and/or work on other classwork when I’m finished.

15. Elementary Students Said…
“Just because we’re in seminar, doesn’t mean we’re perfect.
We might not be good at everything. Being gifted in one area doesn’t mean I’m gifted in all of them. Being gifted doesn’t always mean we already know it. Sometimes it means we learn things faster.”

16. Elementary Students Said…
“Teachers expect more of us than the other kids (as far as behavior).
Teachers say, ‘You’re in seminar. You should always know what to do and do the right thing. You shouldn’t be playing around. You’re supposed to be the smart ones.’”
“It’s hard to sit still, be quiet, and listen but we still hear you and know what’s going on- I don’t like to sit down in my chair (rather stand or kneel).”

17. Elementary Students Said…
“Learning different strategies seems pointless when we already know one strategy that works. It’s hard to show your work, because it’s too easy and it’s common sense.”

18. FOR CLASSMATES and PEERS…
#3 Survey says…
What are the important things my gifted students want their peers to know in order to them feel happy, successful, and content?

19. Elementary Students Said…
“Seminar is not all fun and games! It’s hard work to improve skills that will help us in the future. We don’t go to seminar to play!”
“When we’re working on different work in class, we are learning new things so we don’t have to relearn things we already know.”

20. Elementary Students Said…
“Sometimes our classmates are jealous and say that they wish they could come to seminar. They get upset, because they don’t understand what it is. We don’t know how to explain it.”

21. THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS…?