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Teaching the Gifted Child
Some educators may need to alter their
methods
and consider the gifted student's ideas and needs.
Having a gifted child in your class can be exciting because they are thirsty for knowledge and look to you as their guide. They are anxious to learn new things and are waiting to be challenged. You are the one who can make this happen. It's not enough to give them more of the same work the rest of the class is doing; they need different, more suitable work at their level. This is an important factor when it comes to these children. Loading them down with thirty spelling words while the rest of the class does ten, is pointless. In the Classroom It's hard for gifted children to sit in class and wait for their classmates to catch up. They can get through the work quickly and sit there bored and waiting. This can lead to them becoming frustrated and perhaps losing interest in school. When parents hear their child say they are bored in class and sometimes feel like crying, this is heartbreaking to every parent. Let them move on when they're done and not go over the same thing because some of their classmates need to. Let them work at their own pace on challenging material and watch them thrive. Make them sit there and suffer when they've already mastered the material and watch them wither up. A Few Changes A small number of changes to their classroom experience can really improve the quality of their lives. Asking them to be an aide or to help others when they're done is not always a good idea because they think and learn in a different way.
Gifted students may enjoy
journaling
because it allows them to use their imagination and feel free to write about whatever is on their mind or expand on chosen topics.
Be aware of how your attitude and
words
affect the children in the classroom. Teachers can affect the atmosphere in their class by how they speak and what they say to their students.
Communicate with parents. This is key. Most parents of gifted children advocate for them. Get them involved. They are willing to help. Don't view parents as pushy or expecting too much. All they really want is for their child to succeed and do well. Listen to what they have to say, they know their child best.
Ultimately, parents and educators want the same thing. For children to be successful and for them to learn.
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