GIFTED STUDENTS
LEFT BEHIND
What is a Gifted Student?
A Gifted student is one whose intelligence or IQ is 130 or above.
It is the measure of innate ability, not performance.
I really liked reading about all the different ways to spot a gifted student. All too often they are viewed as troubled students, ones who act out in class like clowns. Students who can be disruptive can often times be gifted. As I was reading the information, I thought of about 5 students off hand who I have had in class. As a para, I see that we are not meeting their needs, so yes they get bored. Teachers are too busy concentrating on those children that are struggling and the gifted are ignored or told to sit and read.
So How as a Future Teacher can I change this?
There are so many strategies that were listed that I found very helpful. The Vertical Enrichment activities. This is where I can design assignments or projects that those students who are getting bored and who need that extra opportunity to work with their strengths!
Other ideas were Prufrock Press; The Critical Thinking Co. and Mindware
I have a 2nd grade student who is well above the 2nd grade reading level and he is being held back! He is a prime example of what the education system is doing and it is a disservice to them. I know there are more students who struggle, I get that, but to keep those who are ready to move forward back? It is very concerning to me. I see it in other rooms as well so it is all across the board, and not just 1 teacher struggling but all of them. I would really love for something to change!
How to Spot a student who might be gifted:
- Get to know your students and be aware of the signs. Some of those examples are:
a) Learns new information quickly
b) Retains information easily
c) Thinks independently
d) Is easily bored
e) challenges authority
Just learn the students and how they act and interact in your classroom. Your class clown even though he is acting out and can't sit still.... he may just be bored and ready to move on to the next phase.
3 Things to take from this and use in my Classroom
- I want to be able to have projects ready and available for those students that do get bored and are ready and eager to move forward.
- I want to be the Best Teacher I can BE! I want to listen to my students and learn what it is that interests them, I would love to have them play more, do more hands on. I want them to be children and not these robots that just sit on technology all day long. That is the most absurd thing to me! I want them OFF the computer and learning by just being kids. I've gotten off my subject, but I really want these children to be children and learn how they learn. Take it back old school!
Extra
Something I found interesting was that funding for gifted students is like ZERO. Why is That? I feel like our
Country, our GREAT Country is DUMBING our children, why is it that other Countries such as China make
Education Important and the USA can just not care. We would rather stick a child up to a Technology
tool and say here have at it. I learned last week that our schools are wanting to go Paperless??? Really
I think it is the most ridiculous thing! There is a GREAT book out there called “Their Name is Today,
Reclaiming Childhood in a Hostile World” by Johann Christoph Arnold and I absolutely Love it and
agree!!!!