#gifted
November 2019
Gifted learners are struggling learners.
There are many, many myths floating around the edu-world about gifted learners.
Myth 1 - Gifted learners do not need intervention.
They do. They need enrichment. If learners are not challenged, they stop growing. We assume that gifted and advanced learners will “be fine” because they already have grade-level skills. However, if we ignore their learning needs and do not challenge gifted and advanced learners, then they stop growing. This is detrimental. Think about the types of interventions usually provided for struggling students based on their learning needs -
- adjusting the amount of work
- changing the pace of the lesson
- changing the content
- including learning styles
- finding topics the student is interested in
- intentional pairing and grouping
- seeking assistance from parents
Now think of these as enrichments. “If students are not learning the way we teach them, we must teach them the way they learn.” - Dr. Kenneth Dunn
A gifted student should experience learning.
Myth 2 - Enrichment does not need to happen in the classroom. The gifted teacher provides the enrichment and support students need.
Fun Facts:
- Approximately 10% of a student population is gifted.
- Many students are unidentified gifted students due to language barriers and/or inaccurate assessment methods (i.e. using one type of test or targeting only one of the six types of gifted students).
Gifted students are gifted all the time, not just in the gifted classroom. In addition, Myth #1 already addressed the dangers of a student who is not being challenged.
Myth 3 - That student isn’t gifted. They’re just lazy.
Ouch. My favorite quote is from Susan Winebrenner - “...in reality, we have rarely met gifted kids who won’t do their work. Yet we know scores of gifted kids who won’t do the teacher’s work...In truth, they are not underachieving, they are under-challenged.” If gifted students are not learning, they are not engaged.
Myth 4 - Gifted kids are compliant kids.
Some of your most gifted students are creative thinkers who think outside the box. They do different. They do not necessarily follow the normal lines of thought or want to do things the same way as everyone else. Teachers often find themselves annoyed with their most creative thinkers who may not follow the norm.
Myth 5 - Gifted students have it easy.
Being gifted is a challenge. Gifted students often feel like something is wrong with them. In addition, being gifted does not mean you have it all together - lacking organization skills and responsibility can really frustrate gifted students. They usually recognize these skills are lacking, and do not know what to do about it. This does NOT make them less-intelligent. It just means that is where they need a little support.
Gifted PL for All Teachers
All teachers should participate in professional learning on gifted learners.
First, get acquainted with identifying your gifted students. There are six types - 6 types, people! The likelihood of having an unidentified gifted student in your classroom is high due to various factors. And because they are kids, they do not necessarily know how to communicate their learning needs. They’re kids. Many gifted students mask their abilities because they think something is wrong with them. Do not interpret behavioral issues as low skill. Often, you may have a very gifted student that is challenging you. Don’t make it a power struggle. Be the adult. When a gifted student is engaged and learning, behavior issues often resolve themselves. Get to know the six types of gifted student. There are six types of gifted kids, and they do not all look the same.
At some point in time, it became common practice for educators to target the academic middle of the student population and differentiate up or down as needed. Instead, target your highest level learner. It is much easier to plan instruction and break steps and processes down than it is to plan enrichments. Plan for your highest academic level first.
Be cautious of “knee-jerk” reactions. When a student appears in front of you with a project or assignment that blows your mind, hold back the “you cheated” comment until you actually know for sure. Thank the student for turning in the assignment, then if you feel the need to investigate, do so on your own without the child present. Accusations of cheating or boldly telling a student that can’t possibly be their work is crushing. When a gifted student is excited and passionate about a topic, they may very well out-perform their previous assignments. You may see depth that you have not seen yet. Gifted students tend to have a heightened sense of ethics. Making an accusation of cheating without verifying first causes an extreme internal struggle within the student. Be sure you look into it before closing off that relationship.
And what about grades? Remember that classroom experiences are about learning. Grades should communicate learning. We make adjustments all the time for students who are struggling. It’s not about the grades; it’s about the learning. Refer back to myth #1 above, and reframe your thinking.
Help gifted students see past perfectionism. They need to know it’s okay to make mistakes and that growth happens through mistakes - it’s part of the learning process. This will require a lot of coaching.
There is a difference between MORE work and DIFFERENT work. Students do not need to do the same work in order to reach the learning goals of the class. There are many different paths to mastering skills. Gifted students do not need more work - this often results in gifted students feeling like they are being punished for being gifted. They need different work - adjust the complexity, the thinking level - not the amount.
Check in with gifted students equally often as you check in with lower skill-level students. Their gifted-ness does not mean they should be isolated to work independently without support. They need support. Check in.
Partner with parents. Being a parent of a gifted student is exhausting. They want to work with you. And really, they know their child better than you. One more time because it cannot be said enough - parents know their child better than you. They have a deeper knowledge of who their child is. When you partner with parents, you bring your educational expertise along with the parent’s knowledge of the child to create a better picture of how to help them continue to grow. Set your educational ego aside and realize that you want and need the parent to work with you for the benefit of the student.
Be a learner, and learn things.
- Ginny
References:
“The 6 Different Types of Giftedness” by Inderbir Kaur Sandhu, Ph.D
Profiles of the Gifted and Talented (Davidson Institute)
Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom by Susan Winebrenner