This summary of the characteristics of gifted youth is based on the research of Dr. J. Renzulli and reprinted with permission of the National Association for Gifted Children.
A list of characteristics of giftedness is useful, however one is never enough. Here are 11 lists of gifted identifiers with slightly different emphases.
We know gifted students are far more complex than their test scores might suggest. And while we might expect certain quirks, others blindside us: a strange reaction to sound, a sudden outburst of tears, or a need to stand up at inopportune times. Dabrowski's five overexcitabilities provide some insight into these unexpected moments.
Why do highly capable people feel like they aren't as great as others think? This is known as Impostor's Syndrome and is rather common among high achievers.
As a kid, I read *Calvin and Hobbes* religiously, checking out collections from the library and cutting out favorites from the newspaper. Now, I read these same comics and see Calvin in a different light: an example of all of the unexpected traits of gifted students.
Gifted teachers' classrooms have a majority of introverts, a group usually outnumbered by extroverts.