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Meeting the Needs of GT Students at the Secondary Level

In many school districts, the end of elementary school also signals the end of gifted programming as well. However, giftedness has been documented as existing across the lifespan. Mistakenly, too many in education have been slow to realize the significance of this or ignore it altogether.

What are the main obstacles to continuing GT programming at the secondary level? Most secondary GT programs are fed through existing primary programs; poor identification and lack of options weaken viability. GT programming must be supported by strong advocacy from faculty and administrators; sadly, something too often missing. Secondary scheduling, too, can be difficult for any student when so many factors are involved – available classes, faculty and facilities.

There are some innovative ways to include gifted classes in middle and high schools. Innovation needs to be based on acceptance that gifted classes should be demonstrably different from general education. Middle and high school GT classes reap the greatest benefit in standalone programming; both academically and social-emotionally.

How do you approach middle/high school students who weren’t challenged at elementary level? Teachers and parents shouldn’t shy away from providing remedial or special skills classes to catch up GT students in specific areas. Professional development should be offered to teachers on identifying underachievers and/or 2E students.

What gets included in a GT student’s schedule should balance academics with passions; including the Arts. Students, parents and school personnel can make the best decisions when lines of communication are fully open.

Academic competitions can supplement a GT student’s schedule, but shouldn’t be considered a replacement. Many GT students love and thrive in academic competitions with intellectual peers; but it isn’t GT programming. For some of these students who lack a competitive spirit, it isn’t an answer at all.

Mentorships, internships and research projects can enhance GT programming, but not sufficient as standalone options. GT HS students should be engaged in college-level pursuits with adequate supports to ensure success. A transcript of the chat may be found at Storify.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Tuesdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Wednesdays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1 AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Storify. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news & information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.

About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com

Links:

Uppervention: Meeting the Needs of Gifted & Talented Students

Meeting Needs of G&T Students: Case Study of Virtual Learning Lab in Rural Middle School (pdf)

Services for Secondary Students Who are Gifted Questions & Answers (pdf)

Tips for Teachers: Successful Strategies for Teaching Gifted Learners

Mentorship & Gifted Youth

The Myth of Gifted Curriculum: Rethinking Bloom’s Taxonomy (p. 6, pdf)

UK: Policy for Meeting the Needs of the Most Able, Gifted & Talented Boys (pdf)

Meeting the Needs of Gifted & Talented Students (Book Depository)

Attitudes of AP Teachers Meeting 21^st Century Critical Thinking Needs of GT Secondary Students (pdf)

AP & IB Programs: A “Fit” for Gifted Learners?

2 Wrongs Don’t Make a Right: Sacrificing Needs of GT Ss Doesn’t Solve Society’s Unsolved Problems (pdf)

Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide

How Are Districts Meeting the Needs of Gifted Students?

TX: GT Teacher Toolkit II Resources for teachers of G/T, AP and Pre-AP Classes

Placement in Talent Development (2000)

UT High School Professional Development

Cybraryman’s Multiple Intelligences and Multipotentiality Page

Cybraryman’s Growth Mindset Page

Do you have a Book to Share?

Photo courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Advocacy, Differentiation, Education, enrichment, gifted and talented, gifted education, Mentoring, Online Education, Teaching, Teens

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Tags: curriculum, curriculum differentiation for gifted, gifted curriculum, gifted education, gtchat, mentoring, rural education, Secondary, TAGT, teaching strategies, Twitter

Perfectionism A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good Enough”

Jul 17

Posted by gtchatmod

This week #gtchat welcomed back former #gtchat Advisor, Lisa Van Gemert, to chat about her new book, Perfectionism A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good Enough”. Perfectionism is life experienced in endless attempts to do what can’t be done. Reality never measures up to perception. It is the culmination of too high expectations which ultimately affects one’s quality of life.

“I define perfectionism as the pursuit of excellence in the absence of self- love. It is also often defined as setting impossibly high standards and being unsatisfied with high quality of work.” ~ Lisa Van Gemert

Perfectionism is a coat of many colors – overachievement, aversion to risk, and procrastination. An interesting type of perfectionism is managing your self-image; what you want others to see.

There are benefits of viewing perfectionism as being on a continuum. When perfectionism is no longer one single ‘thing”, it’s not seen as something to be fixed. One must deal with it long-term. If you view perfectionism on a continuum, certain behaviors can produce achievable results such as good grades in school.

“The continuum model of anything is less rigid. It doesn’t say, “Fix this,” but rather, “Move slightly, please.” With a continuum, we can ease back to the middle, rather than saying it’s all or nothing. That idea is its own kind of perfectionism. Perfectionists will not typically become laissez-faire, Type B people, but they can move a little to the left on the Bell curve!” ~ Lisa Van Gemert

Some comorbid conditions can complicate perfectionism. It can be extremely complicated for twice-exceptional kids who already challenge society’s norms. Perfectionism paired with Executive Functioning issues or ADHD are at a disadvantage from the get-go.

How do we balance ‘do your best’ and ‘nobody’s perfect’ for young gifted children? We need to be honest with kids … especially young gifted ones who really want to be perfect but lack understanding. Too often, parents ‘expect’ way too much from gifted children; unwittingly can cause a lot of emotional damage. Adults need to see the fallacy in thinking ‘perfection’ is attainable; do a reality check.

“Not everything is worth “do your best”! Not everything worth doing IS worth doing well. Parents and Teachers can balance this by helping kids identify what is worth doing well and exactly how well. I use a 1-5 scale for deciding how well something should be done. 1 is just do it. 5 is make it as great as possible.” ~ Lisa Van Gemert

In the book, Lisa presents strategies and action steps which work best in dealing with perfectionism. The first actionable step must be to identify the fact that perfectionism may be affecting one’s life adversely. A strategy based on management rather than elimination of perfectionism will result in a more successful resolution. A transcript can be found at Storify.

Links:

Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing “Never Good Enough” (Great Potential Press)

The Perils of Perfectionism

Perfectionism: Presentation & Handout

Perfection{ism}: The Occupational Hazard of Giftedness (SlideShare)

The Perfection Deception: Why Striving to Be Perfect Is Sabotaging Your Relationships (Amazon)

Perfectionism, Coping & Emotional Adjustment (pdf)

Perfectionism, Fear of Failure & Affective Responses to Success & Failure (pdf)

What to Do When Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough: Real Deal on Perfectionism: Guide for Kids (Amazon)

Perfectionism Dimensions in Children: Association with Anxiety & Depression

Perfectionism and Peer Relations Among Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (pdf)

Overcoming Perfectionism: Finding the Key to Balance & Self-Acceptance (Amazon)

Overcoming Perfectionism in Kids

AUS: Letting Go of Perfectionism

Sprite’s Site: White Poodle, Black Poodle

Cybraryman’s Perfection Links Page https://goo.gl/EbHh2u

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad. Photos courtesy of Lisa Van Gemert and Great Potential Press.

Posted in anxiety, Emotional Intelligence, Emotional intensity, gifted and talented, parenting, perfectionism, Teaching

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Tags: Great Potential Press, gtchat, Lisa Van Gemert, perfectionism, TAGT, Twitter

Homeschooling Gifted Students

Jun 30

Posted by gtchatmod

This week, we welcomed Corin Goodwin, the Executive Director of GHF – Gifted Homeschoolers Forum as our guest to chat about homeschooling gifted students.

For years, homeschooling was considered on the fringe; those who had issues with public schools regarding religion. Gifted homeschooling is based on providing the best personal education possible to meet the unique challenges of gifted students.

Homeschooling is a very personal and individual decision and today’s homeschoolers are a diverse and emergent group. Reasons for homeschooling can include a need for greater challenge than available at traditional schools. Homeschooling allows gifted students to advance through the curriculum at a pace that meets individual needs.

What should parents consider before starting to homeschool? Parents need to make a realistic assessment of the financial resources they’ll need to effectively homeschool. They need to research homeschooling and the time commitment necessary to make it work for their child and the family.

One of the biggest myths that opponents of homeschooling bring up is lack of social opportunities which simply isn’t true. Gifted homeschooled students have many avenues to socialize with intellectual peers both in real life and online.

What are the prospects for homeschoolers when applying for college or transitioning to adult life? Universities once reluctant about homeschoolers now seek out these kids; acknowledge the benefits of homeschooling. Many resources are available to document student records and accomplishments for college admissions. Good planning can make the college admissions process easier and more successful for gifted homeschoolers. A transcript of this chat may be found at Storify.

Afterthought: This chat prompted quite a few responses (from both those who attended the chat and those who did not) directed at the moderator concerning the feasibility of homeschooling. While most agreed that it would be beneficial for any gifted child to be taught at home one-on-one in a loving and supportive environment, just wanting to make it happen was not always enough to ensure a successful outcome for everyone.

One teacher related experiences of seeing parents losing their jobs because they didn’t have the energy to work and be solely responsible for their child’s education; having their child become disengaged because they didn’t have the time or skills to teach them; and even failed marriages.

Yes, some families will be fortunate to succeed without presupposing all possible outcomes, but it is a personal decision families need to make without outside judgement. Many parents said that although they were happy they decided to homeschool, they felt they would never recover financially. Concerns for other family members and personal feelings of self-worth were also expressed. Others cited the emotional toll it placed on the parent-child relationship.

These are all very real concerns. Parents who simply can’t make it work should not have to endure criticism. Just as every child is different, so is their family’s situation. It is important to make a realistic assessment of your own situation before embarking on homeschooling. In the end, you must decide what you feel is best for you, your child and your family.

Links:

Gifted Homeschoolers Forum

GHF Online

Homeschool Curricula

Homeschooling Curriculum for the Gifted Child

Reasons to Homeschool Your Gifted Child

Why We Homeschooled

Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families (Amazon)

Making the Choice: When Typical School Doesn’t Fit Your Atypical Child (Amazon)

How to Work & Homeschool: Practical Advice, Tips & Strategies from Parents (Amazon)

Educating Your Gifted Child: How One Public School Teacher Embraced Homeschooling (Amazon)

Home Schooling Gifted Children

Gifted Children: Transitioning Between Public School and Homeschool

Gifted Children: The Importance of Finding Intellectual Peers and Community

Homeschooling: Where and How to Begin

Study: States Should Provide Parents with More Information about Homeschooling Options

Education Alternatives

US Public Education Policy: Missing Voices

US Public Education Policy: Missing Voices Executive Summary and Survey Date

Sprite’s Site Nest Ed: Flocks and Shoes

Cybraryman’s Educators Pages

GHF Press

GHF on Facebook

Gifted Online NZ Centre for Gifted Education

NZ: Te Aho O Te Kura Pounama – The Correspondence School

GHF Favorite Things

GHF: Living with Gifted Children

Sprite’s Site: Socialization

SIG Summer Institute for the Gifted

GHF: Teens (and College)

Self-Directed Learning: Documentation and Life Stories

AUS: Homeschooling Research Notes – Glenda Jackson

Photo courtesy of Gifted Homeschoolers Forum.

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Posted in Acceleration, Education, gifted and talented, gifted education, Homeschooling, Online Education, parenting, Twice-exceptional, Unschooling

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Tags: Gifted Homeschoolers Forum, gtchat, homeschooling, TAGT, twice exceptional, Twitter

Acceleration for Gifted Students

Jun 26

Posted by gtchatmod

Many people mistakenly think of acceleration as only skipping a grade; but it’s so much more. Acceleration can take place at all levels of education from early primary to college. Parents can check to see if their child’s school allows for early admission to kindergarten/1^st grade/high school or college. Other types of acceleration include mastery-based learning, independent study, and single-subject acceleration. Classroom modifications can include curriculum compacting, curriculum telescoping, and multi-age classrooms. Honors classes, AP, IB and dual-enrollment are also considered types of acceleration.

There are some considerations to take into account when deciding on acceleration. Parents should evaluate school policy to determine if there’s sufficient support for acceleration K-12. All stakeholders should determine the ‘end-game’ before accelerating a student and what benefits will accrue for the student. Consideration must be given to whether or not the child wants to be accelerated; without ‘buy-in’, it will fail. Risks of not accelerating an academically advanced student are increased dropout rates, underachievement, and disengagement.

So, why are so many school administrators and teachers resistant to acceleration? Ignorance of the benefits of acceleration for academically gifted students is the primary reason. A simple solution is to educate them! Most of them receive little to no professional development concerning the many potential types of acceleration available. Few have experience with acceleration or have access to current research concerning its benefits. Finally, personal prejudice against advanced students can cloud judgement when considering acceleration.

Here are some tips to make an accelerated transition go more smoothly. Parents should provide strong evidence that their child is ready for acceleration – testing, grades, student desire. Prepare everyone on what to expect – the student, parents, classmates and teachers; informed transitions are more successful! Early admission and acceleration in the primary years can mitigate age differences and increase time spent with intellectual peers.

What options exist if acceleration does not work out? This is a rare occurrence and one which is better avoided by good preparation rather than correcting later. Consideration should be given to fixing what isn’t working rather than exiting the program. If the student decides to suspend acceleration, it’s easier done at the secondary level where multi-grade classes are generally more available.

Parents are usually the initial advocates for acceleration. Many school administrators feign opposition to acceleration out of ‘concern’ for student. Be sure to point out the financial benefits to the school district. Advocating for any school policy begins at the state level; know your state’s laws concerning acceleration. Parents should find or start a Parent Advocacy Group; strength in numbers!

It is important to keep in mind why you are considering acceleration and reasons it will benefit a particular student. No plan will work if the child is not a willing participant. Acceleration is a cost effective means to providing an excellent educational opportunity for an academically gifted students. A transcript of this chat may be found at Storify.