While it is generally held that gifted students are among the
best and the brightest among today’s students, there are issues that make them
special beyond their high IQ’s. Because of their giftedness these
students often
have issues that you might not expect.
Expectations of Others
Gifted students often have a hard time meeting expectation of
parents and teachers who think that because they are gifted they should be
uniformly gifted. This is not the case. In fact, it is not unusual
for gifted students to have what is called asynchronous development.
Gifted students might be amazing students in math, yet be merely average in
language arts. It is even possible for a gifted student to be below level in a
subject. But just because they are gifted the expectations of those around them
to excel in everything puts an incredible amount of pressure on students who
already feel their difference.
It is important for teachers, parents, and other involved adults
to consider that a gifted student might not have all the answers and might, in
fact, need a little bit of extra help in some subjects. It does not
change the fact
that they are gifted for them to need extra help in a subject. This leads
to another issue.
Expectations of Self
By the time a student discovers that they learn faster, or
easier, or differently than other students they have already been assigned a
label. When that label is gifted not only are the expectations of the
adults set, but often the student has expectation that gifted means that they
will not have to work as hard to achieve top grades.
Self-esteem sometimes suffers in gifted students because of
these expectations or assumptions. In one example, a gifted student who
normally did not have to review, or even study for tests hit a concept that was
particularly difficult for her. She scored a 70% on a test, far from her
normal upper 90s to perfect scores. She began to think that one score defined
her and her ability to learn.
The student began to think of herself as stupid. While
this seems extreme, considering that she had never scored below a 90% on any
test, in nine years of school, the lower score was a harsh blow. She
decided that she hated math, and was no good at it. Her teachers and
parents assured her that one score did not define her, or her ability to
learn. They tried to explain that she was still as gifted as ever, but
that she might actually have to study to achieve the higher scores she was
accustomed to. The student believed that having to study for something
actually made her less bright. Her expectations of her own abilities took
a hit, and so did her overall self-esteem.
Drive or the Lack of It
Some gifted students are programmed to excel. It is part
of their makeup to strive for the highest scores, and the maximum amount of
knowledge accumulation. These students are driven to finish faster, with
better scores, so that they might quickly move on to the next educational
achievement.
Other gifted students are programmed to rest on their laurels,
so to speak. These students do not feel the drive to excel, but are
content to do nothing and still achieve passing scores. This is
frustrating for students and parents who both see wasted potential. It is
hard for the adults to see why a student with greater potential is willing to
coast instead of speed ahead. Both of these traits occur in gifted
students. It is important to determine which category a gifted
student falls into and direct them as needed.
Gifted Students are Special
In many school districts around the country gifted programs are
incorporated under the special
education department. At first glance this might seem odd, after all
special education is usually thought of as education provided to students who
have learning disadvantages. Giftedness is not a disadvantage, but
sometimes requires special handling. There are many issues that are particularly
pronounced in gifted students.
One of these is the issue of maturity. Gifted students are
often capable of work beyond that of their age peers. However, just
because they may be more advanced academically than their age peers does not
mean that they are more mature than their age peers. This sometimes poses
a dilemma, should the student be advanced to a higher grade so that they are
academically challenged, or should they be kept with their age peers because
they might not be ready for social issues they might face when placed with
older students.
Some school systems opt for gifted programs that are enrichment
programs, offering gifted students grade level work, and providing more
opportunities to learn such as music and art classes that are not offered to
the general student population. Other school systems choose accelerated
programs, which allow the gifted student to move on to higher grade work
sooner. Both programs have merit, but depending on the gifted student,
one program might work better than the other.
Finally, all things considered, giftedness is an advantage.
Gifted students have an advantage when it comes to most academics.
Because giftedness is as individual as each student it is important to consider
why each gifted student is special, and guide them so that they might achieve
their full potential.
have issues that you might not expect.
that they are gifted for them to need extra help in a subject. This leads to another issue.
Being gifted does not mean being equipped with a lot of things in just a snap. Gifted students have to strive hard also to learn more but of course, their pace of learning really tells their difference from the others.
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