This month, some of our cluster teachers got together to discuss the mystery that is "giftedness." There are a multitude of gifted characteristics exhibited by gifted kids, all of which depend on his/her experiences and "type" of giftedness. Because of that, our perceptions of what giftedness is and what it looks like are often distorted by stereotypes.
To combat this, our cluster teachers got together and looked at our own perceptions of what it means to be a gifted student in our school. The result was really amazing! We recognized that, while there is a stigma that gifted students model the Sheldon Cooper's of our society, our own experiences with them signal that this is simply not true. In fact, many of our gifted students, while highly intellectual, are asynchronous learners. Many lack intrinsic motivation and knowledge socially-appropriate cues, while others are extremely motivated and very sociable. We had a little neuroscience lesson, discussing the way the gifted brain works, and reflected on whether our teaching practices are meeting those needs. Our discussions showed true passion for the students, knowing that we are always learning about what's best for them, and trying to help them be the best versions of themselves.
1 Comment
Robin Schumaker
9/20/2017 03:13:09 pm
Well done PAHS cluster teachers. Gifted kids are so misunderstood. Thanks for digging in to explore who they are and what they need to be successful and realize their full potential. Thank you, Jamie for organizing and facilitating this reflective learning opportunity.
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Mrs. LOI am a lover of English, Starbucks, and all things gifted!! My goal is to educate and empower gifted learners because they will be the leaders of the future. Archives
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