Cultivating SEL in Gifted Youth

Every child is different, and this applies to children identified as gifted, HG, PG, and/or 2E. Emotional development will vary across the population and should not be stereotyped. The emotional development of gifted kids is primarily affected by asynchronous development and intensity. Intense emotions may present as anxiety, existential depression, or power struggles with others. Asynchrony can lead to uneven academic and emotional growth.

Social development can be difficult for some GT students, but not at all for others. It is, as with emotional development, a unique situation for each student. Many gifted children struggle with finding true peers among classmates and developing meaningful friendships. Unfortunately, some GT students feeling misunderstood resort to hiding their abilities in an att empt to ‘fit in’ socially.

SEL is important for all students and is most impactful when embedded in the curriculum as well as into academic instruction. Students need to be taught self-management skills which lead to academic independence and a sense of ownership of how they learn. Questioning can be a powerful strategy to integrate SEL into the curriculum followed up with classroom discussions to raise awareness and prompt reflection.

How can teachers meet the social-emotional learning needs of gifted learners? A little understanding can go a long way. Teachers need to be aware of myths about GT students, avoid sarcasm, recognize asynchrony, and avoid power struggles. One of the best strategies to aid in SEL is providing opportunities for grouping – in and out of the regular classroom; adjusting depth and complexity; and connecting with families. Teachers can also assist GT students’ SEL by seeking out-of-school opportunities for talent development, and academic programs and competitions.

Parents need to recognize that their gifted child is a child first and whose social-emotional development requires nurturing beyond the school walls. As their child’s first and most important advocate, parents should cultivate positive relationships with their teachers and seek the support of other parents with GT students. Parents can also nurture SEL and growth by providing enrichment opportunities outside of school and ways for their child to develop peer relationships (i.e., summer/weekend camps).

A transcript of this chat can be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at 1AM GMT to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community.

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

Resources:

3 Ways to Integrate SEL Into the Curriculum | Edutopia

38 Simple Ways To Integrate Social-Emotional Learning Throughout the Day

Gifted and Talented Children: Addressing Social Emotional Challenges (pdf) | Kentucky Department of Education

Social Emotional Learning: Teaching Principles for Creative, Talented and Gifted Students | American Psychological Association

Maximizing the Social and Emotional Growth of Gifted Children

Social-Emotional Learning | Ricks Center for Gifted Children

Social Emotional Learning Curriculum | Gifted Association of Missouri

Stop Neglecting Gifted Students’ Social and Emotional Needs

Supporting Gifted Students’ Social and Emotional Learning (pdf)

Nurturing the Social-Emotional Development of Gifted Children | Potential Plus UK

Social-Emotional Curriculum with Gifted Students (book) | NAGC

Social and Emotional Learning for Advanced Children in Early Childhood Birth to 8 (book)

The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? (book)

Gifted SEL Continuum (pdf)

Predictions for Gifted Education in 2023

Gifted Social and Emotional Resources | Davidson Gifted

Cybraryman’s SEL Pages and More

Responsive Classroom

Graphics courtesy of Lisa Conrad

Building a Successful Gifted Program

Gifted programs should ensure a continuum of services throughout a GT student’s entire K-12 school career. They should include opportunities for all forms of acceleration, differentiation in the regular classroom, and alternative learning environments. All gifted programs need a social-emotional component to fully meet the needs of gifted students.

Best practices in gifted identification require a multifaceted approach. Reliance on only one measurement, such as IQ tests, will result in many students being missed. Out-of-level testing are essential to avoid inaccurate measurements. Because the best programs are tailored to student needs and not vice versa; universal testing as well as parent and teacher recommendations, should be utilized. Gifted identification should be culturally sensitive, linguistically appropriate, and take into account low-SES environmental factors such as lack of access to technology.

The best gifted programs provide challenge to all GT students include PG, twice-exceptional, and ELL. Curriculum should promote authentic experiential learning experiences and be conducive to exploration of student interests. A gifted curriculum should be more complex, provide in-depth study of key-concepts; and stress higher-level thinking, creativity, and problem solving. It can include enrichment and compacting as needed. Services may include standalone gifted classrooms; full-grade or subject acceleration; full or part day pull-out; independent study; early entrance/early out; dual enrollment in college classes; and counseling services.

Parents should be included in district planning and evaluation of gifted programs. Programs serve students and parents are often good judges of their child’s need. Their involvement can be a conduit for advocacy of gifted programs. As programs develop, parents need to be informed of identification criteria and procedures; and have access to application forms. Utilizing classroom tech, social media, and newsletters are all ways to stay connected. Forming a Parent Support or Advocacy group is a great way to build support for a school’s gifted programs. Parents can be invited to special information sessions at Parent Night events or engaged at regular monthly meetings.

Professional development is essential in a high quality gifted program. Few teachers receive any coursework in gifted education during their undergraduate years. PD should be often and on-going to be effective. Gifted endorsement is highly recommended. Most endorsements are attainable online. Many states require teachers of gifted students to receive continuing education credits in gifted education.

What criteria should be used for evaluating effectiveness of program options & design? Criteria for student products should high-level and exemplary. Student products should be comparable to those of professionals in the field, challenge existing ideas, and produce new ones. Criteria for evaluating a program’s success and effectiveness should rely on standardized, achievement, and performance-based assessments as well as program feedback from all stakeholders – students, teachers and parents. All students, including GT students, should demonstrate academic growth with special care identify areas of strength and weakness in order to modify existing programs to better meet students’ needs.

A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at 2PM NZDT/Noon AEDT/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 Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.

Resources:

Gifted Program Development

Building an Exemplary Gifted Program

Elements of a Good School Gifted Program

South Carolina – Gifted and Talented Best Practices Guidelines: Identification (pdf)

Gifted Education in America is Finally Moving Past its Legacy of Inequality

Why School Districts Are Rethinking Gifted & Talented Programs

Why Grouping Kids Based on Ability Works

Duke TIP Study Finds Using Local Criteria Identifies More Students as ‘Gifted’

Featured California Schools for Gifted Learners

Top Four Things to Look for in Your Gifted Program

The Best Kind of Schools for Gifted Kids

TAGT: Program Evaluation

Program Evaluation in Gifted Education (Book)

Gifted Education Strategies

Developing Exemplary Gifted Developing Exemplary Gifted Programs: Programs: What does the research say? What does the research say? (pdf)

High-Potential Students Thrive when School Districts Develop Sustainable Gifted Services

Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students 2019 Final (pdf)

UK: What Works in Gifted Education? A Literature Review (pdf)

Is Gifted Education a Bright Idea? Assessing the Impact of Gifted and Talented Programs on Achievement and Behavior (pdf)

What Works in Gifted Education: Documenting the Effects of an Integrated Curricular/Instructional Model for Gifted Students

Gifted Education in China

State of the Nation in Gifted Education 2012 – 2013 (pdf)

Photo courtesy of Pixabay CC0 Public Domain

Graphic courtesy of Lisa Conrad.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can mean different things to different people. It means being aware of the here and now; knowing and accepting your own abilities; and being able to respond to stress in a calm and reasoned manner. It is a willingness to be open, to consider the possibilities, and to engage in curiosity without judging (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Two components of mindfulness are the ability to regulate your attention and to be open, accepting, and curious (Bishop et al., 2004).

How can GT students use mindfulness to cope with stress and anxiety? Mindfulness is the basis for many ancient practices … meditation, prayer … known to reduce stress and anxiety. In the classroom, it can help GT students become more self-aware, attentive, increase a sense of well-being; all things that can aid in reducing stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness can benefit teachers in developing caring and responsive classrooms. The same benefits gained by students can also be beneficial for teachers by alleviating daily stress. Mindfulness helps teachers be more attuned to the needs of students which can result in a more caring and responsive classroom.

What are some strategies for introducing mindfulness in the classroom? An emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL) is one way to introduce mindfulness into the classroom environment. Classroom sessions dedicated to identifying stressors and ways to counter them can be a way to introduce mindfulness as well. Teachers can incorporate principles of mindfulness by cultivating inter-connectedness within the classroom, introducing movement and breathing techniques, and an appreciation for gratitude on all levels.

Teachers and parents can work together by sharing strategies to be implemented both at school and at home. This collaboration in itself will benefit GT kids. Parents of GT kids, as with all parenting strategies, must remain vigilant and be willing to consider developing sustainable ways to promote mindfulness at home.

Where can one find resources about mindfulness practices? There is an extraordinary number of resources both in print and online regarding mindfulness practices. We have included numerous resources here in this blog post. A transcript of this chat may be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays 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 Wakelet. Our Facebook Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community. Also, checkout our Pinterest Page and Playlist on YouTube.