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Tips for Teachers: Successful strategies for teaching gifted learners

This article by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development offers a list of tips for teachers. It focuses on suggestions any teacher can use in the classroom to aid their gifted students and promote their achievement in positive ways. Common blunders are also discussed as well as why they can be detrimental to the gifted student.
  • Topics
    • For Educators: Parent/Teacher Interaction
    • For Educators: Teaching Strategies
  • Publisher
    Davidson Institute for Talent Development

Being a regular classroom teacher can be both an exciting and overwhelming experience. There are so many curriculums to cover, so many standards to meet, and so many things to learn. It can seem as though you're being stretched in an infinite number of directions. And, the most challenging part generally isn't the teaching; it is managing student behavior. Without a doubt the most difficult student in your classroom is generally the one who finishes every assignment in less than five minutes and requires constant redirection. We hope you will find these tips helpful.

Tip #1: Familiarize Yourself with the Characteristics of Intellectually Gifted Students
Not all gifted students in your classroom will be identified and even those who are may not always appear to be gifted. As such, it is important that you don't allow yourself to be distracted by false stereotypes. Gifted students come from all ethnic groups, they are both boys and girls, they live in both rural and urban areas and they aren't always straight A students. Students who are intellectually gifted demonstrate many characteristics, including: a precocious ability to think abstractly, an extreme need for constant mental stimulation; an ability to learn and process complex information very rapidly; and a need to explore subjects in depth. Students who demonstrate these characteristics learn differently. Thus, they have unique academic needs. Imagine what your behavior and presentation would be like if, as a high school junior, you were told by the school district that you had to go back to third grade. Or, from a more historical perspective, what if you were Mozart and you were told you had to take beginning music classes because of your age. This is often the experience of the gifted child. Some choose to be successful given the constructs of public school and others choose to rebel. Either way, a few simple changes to their academic experience can dramatically improve the quality of their lives -- and, mostly likely, yours!

Tip #2: Let Go of "Normal"
In order to be an effective teacher, whether it's your first year or your 30th, the best thing you can do for yourself is to let go of the idea of "normal." Offer all students the opportunity to grow from where they are, not from where your teacher training courses say they should be. You will not harm a student by offering him/her opportunities to complete work that is more advanced. Research consistently shows that curriculum based on development and ability is far more effective than curriculum based on age. And, research indicates that giftedness occurs along a continuum. As a teacher, you will likely encounter students who are moderately gifted, highly gifted and, perhaps if you're lucky, even a few who are profoundly gifted. Strategies that work for one group of gifted students won't necessarily work for all gifted students. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. You're in the business of helping students to develop their abilities. Just as athletes are good at athletics, gifted students are good at thinking. We would never dream of holding back a promising athlete, so don't be afraid to encourage your "thinketes" by providing them with opportunities to soar.

Tip #3: Conduct Informal Assessments
Meeting the needs of gifted students does not need to be an all consuming task. One of the easiest ways to better understand how to provide challenging material is to conduct informal whole class assessments on a regular basis. For example, before beginning any unit, administer the end of the unit test. Students who score above 80 percent should not be forced to "relearn" information they already know. Rather, these students should be given parallel opportunities that are challenging. Consider offering these students the option to complete an independent project on the topic or to substitute another experience that would meet the objectives of the assignment, i.e. taking a college/distance course.

With areas of the curriculum that are sequential, such as mathematics and spelling, how about giving the end of the year test during the first week of school. If you have students who can demonstrate competency at 80 percent or higher, you will save them an entire year of frustration and boredom if you can determine exactly what their ability level is and then offer them curriculum that allows them to move forward. Formal assessments can be extremely helpful, however, they are expensive and there is generally a back log of students waiting to be tested. Conducting informal assessments is a useful and inexpensive tool that will offer a lot of information.

Tip #4: Re-Familiarize Yourself with Piaget & Bloom
There are many developmental theorists and it is likely that you encountered many of them during your teacher preparation course work. When it comes to teaching gifted children, take a few moments to review the work of Jean Piaget and Benjamin Bloom. Jean Piaget offers a helpful description of developmental stages as they relate to learning. Gifted students are often in his "formal operations" stage when their peers are still in his "pre-operational" or "concrete operations" stages. When a child is developmentally advanced he/she has different learning abilities and needs. This is where Bloom's Taxonomy can be a particularly useful. Students in the "formal operations" developmental stage need learning experiences at the upper end of Bloom's Taxonomy. Essentially all assignments should offer the student the opportunity to utilize higher level thinking skills like analysis, synthesis and evaluation, as defined by Bloom. Search the Internet to learn more about these two important theorists. A couple of websites that may be of interest include:

Piaget's Stage Theory of Development
Bloom's Taxonomy

Tip #5: Involve Parents as Resource Locators
Parents of gifted children are often active advocates for their children. If you are not prepared for this, it can be a bit unnerving. The good news is that, at least in my experience, what they want most is to be heard and to encounter someone who is willing to think differently. Offer to collaborate with them, rather than resist them, to work together to see that their child's needs are met. For example, if they want their child to have more challenging experiences in math, enlist their help in finding better curriculum options. An informal assessment can help them determine the best place to start and then encourage them to explore other options that could be adapted to the classroom. Most parents understand that teachers don't have the luxury of creating a customized curriculum for every student, but most teachers are willing to make accommodations if parents can do the necessary research. Flexibility and a willingness to think differently can create win-win situations.

Tip #6: Learn About Distance Learning Opportunities
The choices available to teachers and parents in this area have exploded in the past several years. Distance learning opportunities have dramatically increased options for meeting the needs of gifted students. Programs such as Art of Problem Solving math and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Online courses, as well as a myriad of online high school and college courses including online AP classes, are a great way to substitute more challenging curriculum for students who demonstrate proficiency with grade level material. Of course, these classes generally aren't free, but they are an option that many parents are willing to pay for. Search the free online Davidson Gifted Database to find resources recommended by students, parents and teachers.

Tip #7: Explore Acceleration ~ It's Free and It Works!
Another option is to allow students to attend classes with other students who are at the same developmental level, rather than with their age peers. If a 9 year old can demonstrate that he is ready to learn algebra, why should he be forced to take fourth-grade math just because he is 9? Same goes for language arts, or science, or social studies or any other area of the curriculum. Many well-meaning teachers worry that a student will run out of things to learn if they are given access to curriculum designated for older students. However, can a person ever truly run out of things to learn? Indeed, if Susie, a third grader, is allowed to learn fifth grade math this year, then fifth grade math isn't going to be appropriate for Susie when she gets to fifth grade. So, during fifth grade, Susie should have access to seventh grade (or higher!) math -- depending upon her needs. What's wrong with that? Susie is learning at a rate appropriate to her abilities and will continue to do so whether or not we "make" her do third grade worksheets. Why not accommodate her unique learning needs with a bit of flexibility. Susie may just be the one who discovers the cure for cancer or comes up with an alternative fuel source that is more planet-friendly. A student should not have their opportunities limited because of their age, their race or any other factor that is beyond their control. Education should be about creating true learning opportunities for ALL students -- including gifted students. If you have a student who is ready for fifth grade work, collaborate with the fifth-grade teacher(s). There are great tools, such as the Iowa Acceleration Scale, that can help determine whether the student should be moved ahead for just a subject or two, or should be grade accelerated.

Another reason that many teachers are afraid to try acceleration is that they are concerned about the student's level of social maturity. Research has demonstrated time and time again that acceleration is effective for many reasons and that social maturity is rarely an issue. Several studies have shown that social age is correlated with mental age -- not chronological age. So, not only is it generally in the student's best interest academically to accelerate, it is in his/her best social interest as well! The same goes for students in high school. If a student is ready for college work, encourage them to take college courses or to consider an early college entrance program. Indeed the student might need a bit of tutoring to get up to speed and/or may need some extra support initially, particularly with writing and/or organization, however, gifted students learn very quickly and my experience has been that these supports can generally be removed after a reasonable adjustment period.

Tip #8: Learning from the Experiences of Others
Many well-meaning teachers innocently commit the following blunders when they encounter gifted students. Don't feel bad if you have committed them.

Blunder Number One: Asking Your Gifted Students To Serve As Tutors For Students Who Are Struggling. Gifted children think and learn differently than other students. Asking them to serve as tutors can be a frustrating experience for all parties involved. This should also be remembered when putting together learning teams or group projects. Putting your strongest student with your students who are struggling is likely to be a painful experience for everyone. Imagine developing a cycling team with someone like Lance Armstrong as one member and then selecting other members who have either just learned to ride their bikes or are still relying on training wheels to help them gain their balance. It is unlikely that anyone in this group is going to have a positive experience.

Blunder Number Two: Giving Your Gifted Students More Work When They Finish Early. It is common practice to give students more work if they complete their assignments early. This is counterintuitive if you consider that if the student is completing his/her work in an efficient manner, it is likely that the work is too easy. Let's once again consider our cyclist. Would you have the cyclist who finished the race first continue to ride, on a stationary bike no less, until all of the other cyclists finished the race? What if that cyclist was given an opportunity to participate in more challenging races or had the opportunity to develop his/her talents in related areas -- wouldn't that be a better use of his/her time?

Blunder Number Three: Only Allowing Gifted Students To Move Ahead When They Complete The Grade/Age Designed Work Assignments With 100% Accuracy. It is important to remember that gifted students think and learn differently and can be extremely rebellious. No one -- not adults, not children and especially not gifted children -- likes to be bored! Gifted students, thanks to their ability to reason, will purposely choose not do something merely because they "must" do it, particularly if it seems pointless to them. They would rather spend their time thinking or reading than completing worksheets that are too easy. Focus on your students' strengths, not their shortcomings. Offer them opportunities that are consistent with their abilities -- lead them from where they are. Depending how long they have been in the system, it may take them a while to trust you. So, don't be surprised if there isn't a miraculous overnight change. Be consistent and positive and remember, you may be the first teacher who has offered them an opportunity to actually learn, rather than regurgitate and they may not know how to handle your responsiveness. Don't fall in to the trap of saying, "See, I told you he wasn't gifted, I gave him one tough assignment and he failed." Gifted students generally haven't had to work to succeed. Give them time to build their, often atrophied, wings in a safe environment.

Tip #9: Utilize Outside Resources
There is a lot of information in this article, and it is likely you're feeling a bit overwhelmed! Here is the best news so far . . . you are not alone and you don't have to come up with all of the answers by yourself. There are several national organizations devoted entirely to assisting gifted young people and the professionals who serve them. The three most notable organizations are the National Association for Gifted Children, University of Iowa's Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. As a first step, join the Davidson Institute's free Educator's Guild. Members have access to electronic mailing lists and a Facebook discussion group to exchange ideas, locate resources and discuss issues with other educators all over the country. The Davidson Institute also provides participants of the Davidson Young Scholars program and their parents, free services as well. In addition to these national organizations, you may also wish to find organizations at the state and local level that focus on meeting the needs of gifted students. It isn't necessary to turn your world upside down to be an effective teacher of gifted students, you just have to be flexible, knowledgeable, and be willing to try new things. Gifted students cannot fend for themselves and it is up to you to begin the exciting adventure of making a difference to the gifted students in your classroom (if you haven't already done so)! After all, one person can and does make a difference.

Permission Statement

This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.

Comments

Educator on 1/22/2020
I find that I gravitate towards looking for projects that the students can connect with and/or learn life lessons.
Educator on 12/6/2019
I started conducting pre-assessments in my classroom prior to each math unit. Students scoring a 80% or above were given more challenging tasks. I noticed less off task behavior with higher level thinking activities. I was also able to given struggling students more attention with the new skill in the unit.
Educator on 10/2/2019
I’d like to hear more about your statement: “Several studies have shown that social age is correlated with mental age -- not chronological age.” Anecdotally, I have not seen this play out with the gifted students in my sphere of influence. Yes, they thrive when given challenges and opportunities to learn at their mental age, but I’ve found that they are still socially at their chronological age. Would you provide the links to the studies you are referring to, as well as any further suggestions you have for providing socially age-appropriate educational environments for the exceptionally gifted student? Thank you!
Student on 10/2/2019
I completely agree with you that GATE students should be given access to curriculum that is above their current grade level if they are intellectually ready for it. In elementary and middle school, my school went by a “phase system” in language arts where students each had individual tracks and had to complete each assignment in a phase before moving on. Unfortunately, a lot of those phases were very similar to each other, so any GATE students quickly got bored and disheartened. Imagine swiftly completing a phase filled with apparently simple “busywork,” only to be faced with phase after phase of the same paper types to write! Another problem was that the teacher could rarely teach students one collective lesson on the same topic. This was because some students (usually GATE students) would complete assignments quicker than others and would move on.
Educator on 10/2/2019
As a soon to be educator I find this article to be helpful. The information on the various ways gifted are often used in comparison to how effective it is in keeping them engaged in learning give great perspective on what you He student is experiencing. I see from this reading it is important to remember that gifted learners think differently. They may be ahead in knowledge but have different methods to how they arrive to their answers.
Educator on 10/2/2019
In the past, I have served as an instructional aid for a 4th grade class, and I noticed that this 4th grade teacher gave students pre-assessments on every subject. I understand that pre-assessments are used to let teacher's know where each individual stands with content knowledge and skill levels; however, I had not considered that this could also used as a form to determine who could be a gifted student. I will keep this in mind whenever I give my students pre-assessments, and use the data to implement differentiation in every class lesson.
Educator on 10/2/2019
I thought it was significant that gifted students think differently and need to be challenged, not just given extra busy work. It also seems that standards-based learning can sometimes restrict gifted students. Instead of extending their opportunities to learn and use higher-level thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation), general education classes can focus simply on covering the grade-level content that a student is required to learn based on their age. Because gifted students see the world differently, seek intellectual depth, and ask insightful questions, they need opportunities to use their creativity and analysis to stretch their intellectual capacity.
Educator on 10/2/2019
I really enjoyed reading your article. It is extremely helpful to have a variety of resources as a student in a Credential program. I think it's a great idea to have students take distance learning AP courses/college courses to meet their needs.
Educator on 10/2/2019
I found Tip#2 to be very insightful. The idea of letting go of what is to be considered 'normal'. As an educator it can be so easy to compare students who are struggling to the students who are meeting the standard of where they are supposed to be and thus considered normal. Similarly with gifted and talented students, we should meet them where they are at, and help them grow. I agree that instead we should meet all students where they are at and give them all the equal opportunity to succeed. Thank you for these helpful tips!
Educator on 10/2/2019
I really liked tip #8 about learning from others. It can be really easy to be tempted to use your GATE students as mini-teachers, but that's not their role; they are students still, whether profoundly gifted or sort of gifted. Understanding needs of GATE students and meeting is my desire just as much as our general population students.
Student on 10/2/2019
As a future educator, this article has been a great tool for future reference to work with GATE students. I certainly agree that gifted learners should be constantly challenged in order for them to be engaged in a classroom.
Student on 10/2/2019
I enjoyed this article and there were a couple things that stood out to me in particular! In regards to becoming a teacher, the idea of difficult, overbearing parents makes me extremely nervous. This article shifted my perspective because rather than seeing them as intimidating and overbearing, I now see them as parents that are involved and care for the improvement of their children, as educators should strive for also. It encouraged me to work together with these parents to maximize the learning experience for their children. Another thing that was interesting to me was blunder #2. As a future educator, I thought that giving students more work when they finish early was a way to assist them in more practice, in order to further improve and enrich what they have learned. Rather than giving them something that is too easy for them, why not challenge them to do problems that help expand their learning?
Educator on 10/2/2019
As a former GATE student, I know first hand the negative impact that forcing gifted students to complete extra busy work. I am encouraged and excited for the future of education based upon what I have read in this article!
Student on 10/2/2019
I enjoyed this article and there were a couple things that stood out to me in particular! In regards to becoming a teacher, the idea of difficult, overbearing parents makes me extremely nervous. This article shifted my perspective because rather than seeing them as intimidating and overbearing, I now see them as parents that are involved and care for the improvement of their children, as educators should strive for also. It encouraged me to work together with these parents to maximize the learning experience for their children. Another thing that was interesting to me was blunder #2. As a future educator, I thought that giving students more work when they finish early was a way to assist them in more practice, in order to further improve and enrich what they have learned. Rather than giving them something that is too easy for them, why not challenge them to do problems that help expand their learning?
Student on 10/2/2019
I found this article to be really helpful and applicative! As a student who was once a GATE student, I can see where my teacher performed a “blunder”- by having me tutor the failing students or just giving me a lot of extra problems. I would love to use some of these other methods when dealing with my own Gate students like informal assessment and even acceleration! I would’ve loved to be placed in an older math class instead of sitting in the class where I had completed all the work before my teacher had finished the lesson.
Educator on 10/2/2019
This article reminds us that being a teacher is not about teaching, its about managing student behavior. Students should grow from where they are are not where the teacher is at. It’s so true that curriculum should be based on development and not on age which most if not all schools are based on. Thank you for the tips, thank you for reminding be to step out of the box and think outside of being “normal.”
Educator on 3/21/2019
This was an interesting article that focused on a lot of things I see going on in my classroom. It is a fine line for a parent to walk if they want to push their child in to advanced classes that they didn't qualify for or have them going to tutoring to get ready for the next year state exams so they can be placed in a class. I feel it should be something they can do with out a tutor to get a passing score.
Educator on 2/21/2019
I found this article very useful and something I feel will be a tool that I can reach back to for some of my students focused on their pathway in life and career a I teach a law enforcement career pathway and most of the students who are in the class are the ones who I would consider to be of the gifted group who know what they want, have the intelligence and drive to make it happen.
Other on 1/3/2019
Thank you for your wonderful information. As a highly-gifted student, I agree that it is horrifying that we are treated like our average/below average classmates. Thank goodness I have an amazing TAG teacher who I can count on for brain stimulation! Thanks also for not layering on about all kids being gifted. Yes, all people are different, but only intelligent people are considered GIFTED!
Parent on 10/15/2018
My daughter is in GATE and was allowed to work ahead in math (4th Grade). She and 2 others worked ahead by 1 year. She went from saying that Math was her worst subject (her perception) to it being her favorite subject. Her confidence level has improved. The teacher told me that the three highest 5th Grade math students were 4th Graders.
Student on 9/2/2018
As a profoundly gifted 14 year-old, I would like to thank the author of this article. I took the SAT in 7th grade and scored a 1460, in the 99th percentile of all students. I still have to take the same classes as everyone else. Having more busywork shoved at gifted students is not helpful. Neither is "clustering-" putting one gifted student in a group of average or less than average students. I almost always complete group projects single-handedly. Last year, I was so bored in my Science class that I wrote a novel in my notebook to pass the time. Thank you so much for sharing this with the public.
Educator on 6/8/2018
Kudos for speaking out against heterogeneous grouping when it is often considered politically incorrect to do so. As one of those gifted students, I was always furious when asked to help someone who was on the low end of the scale. It felt like punishment.
Other on 5/6/2018
I was one of those gifted students - tested in the 98th percentile. Until reading this article, I never realized my rebellion choices in life were actually responses rooted in my intelligence. The education system would benefit the gifted far more if they were to concentrate on the social aspect of intelligence rather than trying to cram more "knowledge" into kids.
Parent on 10/20/2017
Actually, grandparent. When was this article written? My 7 year old grandson is so bored at school. I have shared this link with his parents and will urge them to advocate for him to be accelerated and challenged. Look at Beast Academy!
Educator on 1/30/2017
Although somewhat useful (I saw my sixty years ago self often in the article), I would find it more persuasive if it contained footnotes supporting some of its assertions. For example, the idea that one whose brain is more mature in its ability to absorb information and to reason from that information is also more advanced socially and can handle a two grade (or more) advancement seems suspect. The article states that studies back this assertion up, I would have liked to have a citation or two supporting this assertion which, in my experience, is usually not correct.
Educator on 9/8/2016
I am going to major in Business ed, and minor in Physical education. Is there any pointers to keep in mind with gifted/talented students in PE?
Educator on 8/11/2015
Pair up gifted students who "get along"and challenge them to a creative project of their interest that requires research and teamwork. Set a date for the project to be shared with the class.X: build a computer, write and act out a skit, make-up a song on the guitar or piano, create a poem or rap, design a basketball play, demonstrate the effects of gravity, conduct a survey on why some bullies don`t receive counseling at an early age, paint a picture expressing classical music emotion and meaning, invent a spelling game that students will love, study teachers of the year and discover why hands-on education is so successful, create a fun commercial of their favorite product, or make a video of a band!
Educator on 7/29/2015
This article should be mandatory reading for all teachers!! My sons are very gifted but tend to be on the rebellious side. Most teachers would say see they aren't gifted when they didn't get 100% on an exam. One of my boys is a distracted gifted learner. He has to do other things during instruction but is able to reiterate what was said. The other one chose to "dummy down" as I call it so he wouldn't be forced to tutor others or singled out. Teachers please watch for students who do well on exams (80% +) and don't turn in assignments, they are possibly gifted.
Educator on 5/10/2015
I found this to be a very eye-opening article. As I read the article there were many points discussed I felt guilty because I had used them. One of the points that stand out for me was, I had been giving a pre-test before each skill I taught; but I never thought about giving the whole year’s test. I will implement this idea to check for understanding. Another thought I liked was to accelerate the students learning by putting them in a higher grade’s learning on the skill. I think many teachers feel that if the students learn a higher grade’s skill, what they will learn the next year. I see that I need to work on getting out of the box more often, thanks to this article. I thought the Individual instruction plan menu was very helpful to help me think of other ideas to accelerate the students’ learning. There were so many great ideas in all areas of learning. The article has helped me to research activities that will broaden students thinking in all areas. The article gave me many activities ideas I could use to challenge the students.
Educator on 2/5/2015
Thanks for the information - a lot to read and understand.
Parent on 2/1/2015
My son is in a G&T program here in Texas--the sad part is that it is severely limited and not very challenging. He taught himself pre-algebra last summer, then last fall had a horrific time with his math teacher. Finally, the school gave him the 6th grade math TAKS, which he aced. Over the X-mas holidays he studied the first five chapters of the 7th grade pre-algebra, now, having been moved to 7th grade math, he is already at the head of the G&T section! He should be in algebra. Here is a potentially gifted mathematician/scientist being tortured by conformity and mediocre teaching.
Parent on 1/21/2015
Although magnet programs are a positive step, selecting 3-5% as Gifted and then treating them alike isn't a solution. Any two students with test scores 2 standard deviations apart will have different educational needs - whether (-2,0) or (0, +2) or (+2, +4). Profoundly gifted kids may have problems in a program aimed at the 95th percentile kids. Those kids become known as "difficult" since they are not thriving in the "gifted" classes. My daughter is quite bored by the math offered to her, but the teacher believes that all students in the classroom must follow the standard curriculum at the same pace.

Gifted kids have strengths and weaknesses, and shouldn't be expected to perform at the same level in all areas of the curriculum. My son leads his class in math and science. However he struggles with the language arts curriculum and would fit better into a class aimed at the 90th percentile than the top 2%. He could handle a much more difficult science curriculum, but the administration doesn't wish to outpace the language-oriented students who are the majority of the class.

Educator on 1/19/2015
Great article! This was very helpful and I especially like the resources provided.
Educator on 1/5/2015
Previous posters: You speak of "gifted" students as though they are a different species. I would challenge you to consider the studies of multiple intelligences and realize every child has strengths that could be addressed and developed in the same way we envision teaching gifted or special needs students. What a wonderful experience education could be if each student had her own IEP.
Educator on 12/4/2014
Thank you for this information! It is helpful in understanding gifted students.
Educator on 10/24/2014
I have to disagree with the last poster. The students I have seen "self-select" out of gifted class because they were incorrectly placed suffer a signficant blow to their self-esteem and self-confidence due to their being unable to succeed in the gifted class. How would you like to play tennis against a pro? Or a duet with a virtuoso? Or have a bicycle race against Lance Armstrong? Now imagine you're nine years old.
Educator on 8/21/2014
Allowing'normal' students to access gifted programs as a result of parent pressure is not harmful. My experience in this area has shown these students usually self select themselves out of the program and parents are happy for this to occur once they see the differences between their child and gifted students.
Educator on 4/20/2014
Very good article, it makes some excellent points. But I do miss one thing, though: Advice about how to detect it when ambitious parents wish to "pace" a child of normal intelligence, by requesting that he be placed among gifted children. Letting them have it their way would cause no harm to the gifted ones, but it will be a painful experience for the normal child!
Educator on 3/26/2013
All teachers would benefit from reading through these tips and putting them to work in their classroom. Teachers have such a huge impact on students lives and they can make such a positive difference with just a little extra effort and care.
Educator on 8/11/2010
Thanks for your article. Measurement of one's academic competence and advancement is certainly one lens through which to view “gifted.” However, there is also the non-measurable and non-quantifiable observation that a gifted person sees the world and makes sense of the world differently and in surprising ways (which may or may not translate into expected academic performance). Also, in discussions of giftedness, I suggest adequate attention to areas of athletics, art, music, dance, et. al. (How do we value giftedness from the perspective of what it means to be human as opposed to what it means to succeed in and advance through school curriculum?)
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