“Aren’t you supposed to be gifted???”Social & Emotional Needs

of the Gifted Child

Mary’s Story

Substitute teacher in the regular 6th grade classroom

Students have history with sub Lack of mutual trust & respect Mary’s incident Humiliated and told to leave class Comes to GEM room

Enter Mrs. Gifted Teacher, the“rescuer”

Mary tearfully tells her tale Fear of losing May trip to San Diego “Gifted kids should know better” Resolution, or so I thought Classroom teacher’s opinion

Issues? Have we got issues!

Treating all students with respect & dignity Empowering students to think for

themselves Knowing when to intervene and when to

step back Training all teachers about the unique

characteristics of the gifted child

Characteristics of the Gifted Child Talent Areas (CogAT)

VerbalMathematical-LogicalVisual Spatial

A-syncronization in developmentHighly intelligentSocially-emotionally immature

Characteristics of the Gifted Child Gifted Instructional Standards (MUSD)

Problem Solving Communication Personal Development

Dabrowski’s Theory of Over-Excitabilities

Psychomotor Sensual Intellectual Imaginational Emotional

What do the experts say?Books:• Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular

Classroomby Joan Franklin Smutny

• Strengthening Your Program for Gifted Studentsby Dr. Roger Taylor

• Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroomby Susan Winebrenner

Current Research• Social and Emotional Development of Gifted

Children: Straight Talk by Tracy L. Cross

• Current Research on the Social and Emotional Development of Gifted and Talented Students: Good News and Future Possibilities by Sally M. Reis and Joseph S. Renzulli

• Patterns of Overexcitabilities in Identified Gifted Students and Their Parents: A Hierarchial Model by Carol L. Tieso

Useful Websiteshttp://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

http://www.arizonagifted.org/

http://www.nagc.org/

http://www.byrdseed.com/

http://www.adifferentplace.org/just4fun.htm

http://www.giftedservices.com.au/

Gifted Students: Handle with Care!