Renzulli, J., Reis, S., & Thompson, A. (2009). Light up your child’s mind. Little, Brown and Company.
When a child is underachieving, school’s look for what’s “wrong”, because they don’t fit the system; instead of searching for interests to increase engagement. We need to inspire a love of learning; get rid of passive rote learning. Emphasis on creative-productive learning which is to develop an original something for positive impact on an audience. 3 ring Venn: task commitment, creativity and above avg. ability. Schools seem in a “rut”, the GT child is not just the straight A’s, high GPA and perfect behavior kid. Children are more than “consumers of knowledge”. They need an opportunity to realize strengths and gain sense of purpose.
The creatively gifted child. Many of their characteristics do not conform to “appropriate school behavior”. intense motivation, sensitivity, daydreaming, questioning rules and authority, carelessness, disorganization and obsessiveness. **The same qualities we admire in the real world, we find distracting in the classroom.**
We can support by encouraging playfulness, being flexible, and encouraging individual and unusual ideas.
Encourage child to become involved in a real investigative activity that springs from a personal interest or passion. A “real problem” is like an essential question. Make it real by making it personal. There is no “right” answer and no solution (atleast to the children at that time). real problem = solution, creating a real product for a real audience. Start with their interests. Introduce a mentor-in-print, menor-in-person or interact with a professional. Teacher is a “guide-on-the-side”. Don’t look AT something, look INTO something. Decide on the audience first. Lunch Bag Seminars - have students share product with small group over snacks in classroom.
Students need to select their own interest for engagement. Interests can change and/or fluctuate. How to find interest? talk to them and explore possibilities. Interest-A-Lyzer. A child usually pursues interests at home or with extra-curricular activities, why not bring that into the classroom?
Let the student choose “role” in a project that fits their style. Consider learning styles: audio/discussions, written/visuals, hands-on and kinesthetic. Instructional styles inventory form pg. 92-99. Ask them “How would you prefer to demonstrate what you have learned?” options pg. 104-105.
Put it all together. input (gathering info and materials), processing (manipulating input), output (creating a product). Brainstorm to break it down, chunking, and try to find a problem to solve. Webbing. Ask context questions: where, who, when and what. Make sure parents don’t overdo it with resources, it could turn the child off. Product suggestions pg. 126-127. Key questions: What methods do professionals use to carry out their work? What resources and materials do they need? Find a website related to interests and look at jobs involved. Use mentor-in-print and How-to books. Project Management Plan pg. 134 Remember - Teacher is Managerial Assistant, “What can I do to help you?”
Guide on the side. Support a Growth Mindset vs. Fixed mindset. Take “safe risks” and learn something new. Praise the product, not the kid. Appropriate feedback: 1. done well 2. needs improvement 3. edit, learning from field 4. expand skills/experiences, next steps 5. Talk like a serious adult to a serious young person. Always have an audience, adds accountability and real world situation. In modeling behavior, show interest, passion, dedication and fun! Einstein: “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”
Twice Exceptional. Modify lesson plans, oral vs. written. These gifted students have difficulty going through school with different learning factors, they need the right kinds of support. Focus on developing the talent, while compensating for the disability. They tend to develop systems that work for them. Help them read and annotate, put in their own words. Chunking really large tasks. Practice SQ3R. Teach and practice study skills. More on the HOW than the WHAT.
Gifted Underachiever. aggressive, withdrawn or both. Classroom environment that could lead to underachieving: minimal effort work accepted by teachers, rote learning, conformity and an unchallenging curriculum. A slow pace and unchallenging work inhibit abilities. They don’t develop the skills to learn. Try Curriculum compacting, scheduling them time to practice/study/be curious. Encourage “good peer” connections, don’t hang out with the “cool kids” that hate school. Encourage extracurricular activities. They need to feel usefully challenged.
ORE - opportunity, resources, encouragement. Focus on positives and interests, not what the child is doing “wrong”. Form a parent - teacher alliance. Enrichment Facilitator: 1. students love after school clubs, 2. end product with their interests and passions 3. each do roles that they pick
Teacher can give survey: 10 things students would like to learn. Interest-A-Lyzer and after school activities. Invite parents and community for involvement. SEM project examples pg. 224-225
www.gifted.edu/sem or www.gifted.edu/clusters for examples.
