ANDREA RUNNELS
Well hey! Thanks for stopping by. I seriously cannot believe how much I am loving the Gifted Endorsement course I’m taking right now and how much I’m learning about gifted learners. I hope I can light a small fire with you or relight one you used to have and maybe forgot about along the roller-coaster ride we get on daily in our chosen career. I hope maybe after reading this you have an a-ha moment about one of your students.
I debated taking it because it just seemed like too much to take on. I’ve always felt like working with English Language Learners was my specialty along with Social Studies. I was under the impression that it wouldn’t be possible for me to do well working with higher level students. I thought I might need to be skilled in logical reasoning. I thought I might need to be math-magical or spectacularly scientific. I even thought it might interfere too much with my gym schedule. Seriously. Gotta find balance, right?
However, when I was finishing up my ESOL endorsement two years ago, I went to observe a friend teach. She sparked my curiosity when she encouraged me to take the gifted coursework, too. I knew it wouldn’t be last year since I needed a breather after the first add-on!
I work with lots of English Language Learners and for a variety of reasons they may not qualify for services. After I worked with one of the most unique, brilliant-minded (yet not technically labeled as gifted), young men I have ever taught last year I knew I had no choice but to pursue this. It is my fervent wish that every child know they are special, they have strengths, and they can soar despite any obstacles in their path. I’ve explained multiple times how important it is to me to teach the whole child.
This year I’m only teaching Science and Social Studies so I’ve been able to try out some new teaching techniques. One change we’ve made recently on my 5th grade team is to switch up our three homeroom classes and group them so that we can best meet their needs. We realized some of our students were flying under the radar and not at all realizing their potential. This has been a wonderful change and I find that I am able to be far more effective with my higher learners especially. I have this group first thing in the morning, and what an inspiring way to start the day. My phone is practically out of storage because I have taken so many pictures of them during lessons!! I wish I didn’t have to blur their happy faces!
The great thing is that many of the techniques are best practices for all learners, just like the SIOP method for English Language Learners. They seem so happy to be with their tribe! I recently read Move Your Bus by Ron Clark and it makes so much sense to make a concerted effort to focus on our “runners.” That group of kids contains leaders and I fully intend to do whatever I can to set them on the path to success.
Here are some things you may not realize about gifted and talented students:
1) There is indeed a difference between a gifted learner and a bright child.
2) Gifted learners may not be your highest achieving students. Academic performance and work completion do not always correlate with a student being gifted.
3) Just keeping it real, it is likely some students with ADHD are gifted but their issues associated with it can truly impede achievement through factors the student can’t control. They may need reminders to turn work in or help with organization.
4) They may need encouragement to find their passion. One of my students is super shy. I asked him what he enjoys or is passionate about and he really wasn’t sure. That’s ok, he’ll get there! I’m determined to find a way to fit in genius hour before the end of the school year! I’m thrilled he chose “Special” as his “One Little Word” for 2016!
5) They may have perfectionist tendencies and need your help with how to channel this in a healthy way. They may be super hard on themselves and need some confidence building. I’m striving to help my kiddos examine their character traits and learning styles.
6) They may have a hard time relating to other students and need support with friendship skills.
7) They may not be gifted in all areas. Think about Multiple Intelligences. I love writing but logical reasoning, forget it! Consider artistic talent. There is no one size fits all model of gifted education.
8) They may need help with content, too but are too afraid to ask because they are supposed to be “smart.” Please consider not always making them the “tutor” for other students. That’s a lot of pressure.
9) They may be from diverse backgrounds but don’t qualify due to language barriers or cultural norms.
10) They need your time and attention just as much as your struggling students.
There is a GTChat on Twitter on Tuesday nights. Just search for #gtchat to be sure about the details. I participated for the first-time last week and it was great! I am looking forward to becoming more educated about best practices for gifted learners. What types of modifications do you use for gifted learners in your classroom? Here are some of my favorite sites to use with gifted learners!