The ideal gifted classroom
provides multiple strategies for student learning, uses many tools to reach
diverse learners, and remains flexible to meet the needs of it’s gifted
students. In my classroom of
29 7th grade students, 18 of which are identified as AIG in either math,
reading, or both, I try to engage my
students through student-centered activities to guide their understanding. I’m fortunate to have had an exceptional
group of students this year who display many of the positive characteristics
associated with being gifted. Creative,
hard-working, skillful leaders, intrinsically motivated, good sense of humor,
and a passion for learning are a few of the skills I observed through the
school year. However, I also observed
students who displayed social awkwardness, shyness, lack of organization, and a
strong sense of what is fair or just. Whether
it be traditional best practices or problem-based learning activities, with a
varied array of instructional strategies, I feel that my gifted students can be
better educated through meaningful and challenging experiences that are
research-based and student-centered.
Developmental differences in individuals with
gifts manifested in various learning domains:
One
observation very easily made is that the students, whether gifted or not,
participate more readily in activities that interest them and are meaningful
for them. However, even with a high
level of participation, the students do not always reach a successful
outcome. In my classroom, I could almost
predict which students would preform well on various tasks. Students such as Jordan, who is highly gifted
in both math and reading, always started an activity trying to find the best
solution, idea, etc for that particular activity. He would spend time analyzing the assignment
and plan out the best way for him to complete it. He also always went beyond what my
expectations were by spending additional time working on projects at home,
staying after school, and providing a depth of complexity not usually observed
in a 7th grade student. On
the other hand, Logan, who is also gifted in both reading and mathematics,
would jump right in to complete an assignment without regard to structure, the
timeline, or any plan. Logan was
extremely creative, yet disorganized, wasted time with a lack of focus and did
not pay attention to details. Jordan and
Logan were both extremely social and leaders in their own domains. Emily,
also highly gifted in both reading and mathematics, preferred to work alone on
most assignments (unless required to work with a partner) and was a
perfectionist. While her assignments and
presentations were excellent, her method of delivery of her presentations was
lacking. And while Emily and Jordan both
excelled with technology, Jordan would offer to help others and show them how
to make their presentations better.
Emily did not offer to help.
Instead she would keep to herself and not share ideas with others-she
enjoyed the other students making positive remarks about her work.
Similarities and differences in
learning patterns of individuals with gifts, as compared to the general
population:
Generally
students identified as gifted in math were able to understand new concepts and think and process
information quickly and logically, whereas students who were not gifted in math
took longer to “digest” the information.
Students like Jordan, Emily, and Logan could recall math facts and had a
powerful memory, which aided in their ability to comprehend new material. Retaining prior knowledge is beneficial in
acquiring new knowledge. Many times
students who were not gifted in mathematics would spend additional time trying
to remember or re-learn previously taught facts, therefore giving their brains
less time to process the new information.
Students like Madison, Taylor, and Lauren utilized their interactive
student notebooks to review material previously learned in order to aid in
their understanding of new math topics.
While many of the gifted students preferred to work alone or with just a
partner, many of the regular students would rather work with a group. While working with partners or groups, most
of the gifted students were able to balance the appropriate amount of work time
with talk time. However, groups of
students not identified as gifted, regularly had to be redirected to ensure
that they would be able to complete their activities in a timely manner.
Influence of social-emotional
development on learning and interpersonal relationships of individuals with
gifts:
Though
their giftedness manifests itself in various ways in many of my students, it is
most evident in their interpersonal relationships. The students were grouped according to
ability level, with the majority of them identified as gifted in one or more
areas. I had a class full of gifted
students with the ability to dream, the desire to learn, willing to take risks,
who were mature (according to 7th grade standards) and divergent
thinkers, self-motivated, and set high standards for themselves. I also had a class full of students who
wanted to conform, felt isolated from their peers, felt misunderstood, were
full of anxiety and sadness, cheated or didn’t turn in work for fear of
failure, and who had lost their creativity and originality in order to be
accepted by their peers, family, and teachers. Although my class was grouped according to
ability, their characteristics of giftedness were heterogeneous. Students like Jordan, Jared, and Logan had
little difficulty socializing, being leaders, fitting in. However, students such as Keaton, Ruby, and
Rachel struggled academically and socially.
Whether it was allowing someone else to do all of the work in a group
project, copying someone’s homework answers, not turning in assignments, or
preferring to work alone so as not to have to socialize, several of the gifted
students in my classroom display some of the negative characteristics often
seen in gifted students. Through private
conversations with the students, conferences with their parents, regular e-mail
correspondence, referring to school counselors when needed, and making sure the
students knew that I cared about them and was there to help them, they were
able to make advancements. Gifted
students are often misunderstood and need the support of their family and
teachers in order to reach their potential.
Sometimes we forget that they are still children and suffer from the
normal childhood behaviors because they are more mature and able to reason
abstractly; however, a strong support system is essential to their intellectual,
as well as emotional and social well-being.
In my classroom I try to incorporate a variety of activities and
instruction in order to meet the needs of all of the students, offering time
when students work independently and other times with a partner or group.
Effective
Teaching Practices
Activating prior knowledge,
framing their learning, and checking for understanding are some effective
teaching practices I incorporate into my classroom. Activities like gallery walks, introductory
kahoots, and “grab bag” activities are ways that I try to grab the students’
attention to introduce a new concept.
Framing the students’ learning is also an idea that I use regularly in
my classroom. By using the daily
objective and “I Can” statements posted on my classroom board, I can help benefit
the students’ understanding by directing their focus. I currently practice several methods to check
for student understanding in my classroom such as quick writes in their
Interactive Student Notebook, a ticket-out-the-door, whiteboard practice, and
iPad activities with apps such as Kahoot .
These help me to determine student understanding and provide structure,
yet keep students engaged.
Differentiating the curriculum to meet the
needs of gifted students is essential.
Building upon Bloom’s Taxonomy, offering inquiry-based instruction and
open-ended flexible grouping has benefited my gifted students. In addition, I like to increase the students’
learning through problem-based learning tasks. Developing PBL units allows
students the opportunity to sharpen their thinking skills, as well as their
listening and conferencing skills. I
incorporate PBL’s in my classroom because they enable students to use their critical
thinking skills, creativity, and other skills essential for success in the 21st
century. Gifted
students needs cannot be met by only one style of learning, so I provide many methods of
instruction and activity choice aids in the development of the gifted students
in my classroom.
Callahan, C. (2004). The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Students. THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER ON THE GIFTED AND TALENTED, 1-15. Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505462.pdf
Hebert, T., & Speirs Neumeister, K. (2002). Fostering The Social And Emotional Development Of Gifted Children Through Guided Viewing Of Film « SENG. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
Hebert, T., & Speirs Neumeister, K. (2002). Fostering The Social And Emotional Development Of Gifted Children Through Guided Viewing Of Film « SENG. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
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