Differentiation For Gifted Students?
By JoAnn Sims, Ed.D. Linfield College
I have recently completed thirty years teaching elementary gifted
students in the private sector and nearly fifteen years of teaching
graduate courses in meeting the needs of gifted students. This fall I
joined Linfield College as a faculty adjunct, supervising student
teachers working with master teachers in mainstream public school
classrooms. I observed student teachers proactively identifying many
students with a variety of special learning needs. However, they were
unable to identify potential gifted and talented students, and were
therefore unable to adequately respond to those gifted student needs.
What I saw as possible behaviors or characteristics of gifted and
talented students' unmet learning needs; student teachers saw as
problematic behaviors. This phenomenon concerns me.
What Is Happening?
The following comments were shared during debriefing sessions with
student teachers I was supervising.
"He's too chatty"
"She gets her work done, but then distracts her neighbors"
"He doesn't focus on his work until the last five minutes before
recess; then he flies through it so he can go outside."
"Those two are always building stuff with their pencils, erasers, and
paper clips so I just had to take them away."
As I questioned them on why they thought the students might be
behaving as they described, the student teachers usually responded in
terms of the students not being patient, not focusing, not listening,
or just misbehaving. From my experience I saw the students described
as potential gifted learners that would benefit from curriculum
challenge and differentiation. Subsequently we talked about meeting
the learning needs of all students. Student teachers readily agreed
that was the main goal of teaching. They indicated that student needs
were met according to who had an individual education plan (IEP), who
was in English as a second language class (ESL), who was under grade
level in math or reading, who had Native American tutors, who was
emotionally fragile due to injuries or family circumstances, and about
the student that was retarded and had a full time aide. Student
teachers further explained to me how those identified students left
the classroom for 30 minutes at least once a week to address their
needs. I thought it strange that talented and gifted (TAG) students
were unnamed. Their classroom descriptions also pointed out the
realities of inclusive classrooms.
Mid semester a student teacher did relate that her master teacher
thought one child might be screened as a TAG student. However, during
the term somehow this screening didn't happen. From my observations in
mainstream classrooms it seemed to me that often teachers in the field
are attempting to meet the needs of all learners by either having the
child leave the classroom for 30 minutes at least once a week to work
with an aide or by addressing student needs of potentially TAG
students from a behavioral or class management perspective. Student
teachers naturally follow the model and guidance of their master
teachers and are thus viewing possible gifted learners as problems and
using classroom management strategies to modify their behavior.
Why Is This Happening?
Two recent books, The Templeton National Report titled A Nation
Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students (2004)
and A Love for Learning, Motivation and the Gifted Child (2007)
suggest that myths, classroom organization, undergraduate and graduate
education, and state and Federal legislation contribute to the current
situation.
Myths
A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students,
suggests that classroom teachers are modeling age-old educational
myths about gifted students. One is that educational equity means
educational sameness. Teachers also seem to fear that if TAG students
are given challenges beyond the basic standard curriculum it will
diminish the self-esteem of other students in the class. Both of these
myths are debunked in the report. Educational equity, in fact,
respects individual differences in readiness to learn and recognizes
the value of each student. Student self-esteem is a valid issue.
Therefore what happens in the classroom should be based on respect and
concern for all students. This level of sensitivity is one of the
hallmarks that make America special. Students are used to seeing
age-peers progress at different rates in many settings such as sports
and music. In school environments the idea of accelerating one or two
children is not likely to negatively affect the class.
Classroom organization
While the administrative theory of classroom inclusion appears to
support educational equity, the practice of inclusion often decreases
the opportunity that students of special need will have their needs
met on a continual basis. The breadth of learning needs in such an
environment are often over-whelming for the classroom teacher. A
Nation Deceived… reports that, "Every year across the nation students
who should be moved ahead at their natural pace are told to stay put,
lower their expectation, and to put their dreams on hold. Too often
whatever they want to do, their teachers say, it can wait."
Undergraduate and graduate education
The courses in undergraduate education are not adequately preparing
future teachers to identify gifted students or differentiate
curriculum to meet their learning needs. Authors of A Nation Deceived…
found that while America's teachers and administrators are in
partnership with Colleges of Education, those three groups are silent
partners where bright children are involved. Gifted student coursework
is simply not part of the required curriculum. Courses focusing on
students with special learning needs may include gifted students as an
after thought, if at all. Courses on gifted education are most often
offered as in-service, one-day workshops, or as weekend seminars for
practicing teachers. As a result many teachers graduate from college
unprepared to make appropriate decisions about highly capable
students.
State and Federal standards & programs
Classroom teachers must deal with annual state standards testing
programs and with the Federal, No Child Left Behind Act. Teachers are
often not judged by how well their students think and learn, but on
how well they perform on a particular test on specific days. As any
teacher can attest, the sickness or health, an experience of tragedy
or violence, hunger, pressures from home, accidents, family issues
such as divorce or separation, or chaos of a particular day can
greatly affect the test results of that day. Teachers end up preparing
for success on standardized instruments rather than providing
opportunities for analysis, application of concepts, and creative as
well as critical thinking. Often the methods teachers use to promote
success in test taking are the least effective ways for gifted
students to learn and stay motivated. Teachers focus on content and
test taking skills by controlling content, lecturing, and correcting
rather than guiding or exploring. These one size fits all approaches
choke off depth and breadth of instruction. It is precisely that depth
and breadth that gifted students need to reach their potential
summarizes Carol Strip Whitney, PhD., author of A Love for Learning,
Motivation and the Gifted Child. The sad reality for gifted children
is that their needs have not been a priority for teachers as teachers
are confronted with increasingly greater demands on their time.
How Can We Positively Change What's Happening For Gifted Students?
While suggestions in the two referenced texts take time and
persistence, the call for action on behalf of gifted students is
focused and powerful. Those suggestions are related to the areas of
professional development, undergraduate and graduate programs, and
classroom teachers.
Professional Development
Educators must request district professional development opportunities
to meet the needs of gifted and talented students on a continual
basis. Examples of these opportunities are available in various
Centers of Gifted Education throughout the nation. The National
Research Center on Gifted and Talented at the University of
Connecticut and the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa are
two of many models for professional development as well as clearing
houses for the latest research on academically advanced children.
Educators and administrators who are currently working with talented
and gifted students must provide opportunities for the faculty,
support staff, administration, and school board to learn about gifted
students and their needs as well as share information about programs
each district is supporting. Teachers of gifted students need to be
flexible and willing to collaborate with classroom teachers and
specialists to mutually support the optimum learning of gifted
students.
Educators of gifted students need to connect with their state and
national associations to stay on the cutting edge of current research
and best practices in the field. Affiliation with such associations
also assists in the promotion of appropriate education at the state
and national level. If you are not a current member of Washington
Association of Educators of Talented and Gifted (WAETAG) or National
Association of Gifted Children (NAGC), now is the time to join and if
you are a member, become an active member. Both WAETAG and NAGC are
connected to lobby organizations that promote legislation at the
local, state, and national level to benefit talented and gifted
students.
Undergraduate and Graduate programs
Universities and colleges are accountable for the preparation of
teachers and principals. You need to become an active voice in your
alumni program associated with your university or college. Challenge,
encourage, and offer to assist them in providing coursework to promote
classes that better prepare educators for meeting needs of gifted
students. For example, next fall Linfield College will be offering an
undergraduate course entitled, "Differentiating Instruction for
Diverse Learners." This is happening partly due to the college
awareness of the need for such a course and partly due to my offering
to teach the course. It will be a course offered at the sophomore
level to better prepare students for their student teaching
experiences. What is your college or university offering for educators
in gifted education?
In Washington State there is a current movement to provide a
certificate acknowledging preparation and experience in gifted
education through the State Board of Education. If this becomes a
reality, it will increase the need for gifted education courses at the
undergraduate and graduate college levels. This effort would create
more immediate demand for classes in gifted education. Stay informed
and work toward the realization of this recognition of special
training in the field of gifted education.
Classroom teacher
A five-point list from A Nation Deceived… includes things every
classroom teacher can do.
- Recognize gifted children
- Provide new challenges
- Inform the child's parents about acceleration
- Minimize teaching students what they already know
- Make school a positive experience for all students including your brightest
Gifted students and their parents are counting on you to help guide
gifted students through positive school experiences. As a classroom
teacher, keep informed about alternative or new ways to learn
including summer programs and on line courses. Be aware of your
district's offerings that are available for gifted learners such as
community-school collaborations and mentor programs. After school
interest groups, clubs, or weekend camps can offer motivation for
learning beyond the classroom. There are magnet schools, schools for
gifted students, technical schools and early entrance college programs
that are valid alternatives for gifted students. Be flexible within
your own classroom, subject area, or grade. Learn to develop
curriculum that is differentiated. Various grouping strategies such as
cluster grouping, interest grouping, or multi-age grouping can be
utilized to enhance opportunities for learning. Learning or exploring
outside the school could include language classes and/or travel
opportunities. Stay current so you can help gifted students maximize
their learning.
Recalling the quotations from student teachers that opened this
article, I hope that in the near future when I am working with student
teachers they will know how to identify potential gifted students and
make adjustments to meet the needs of gifted students. Hopefully
student teachers will consider a chatty child as one who really has
lots to say and wants to contribute. They will suspect the student who
finishes her work early, needs more challenge. They will speculate
that the student who "plays" and doesn't work to finish until the last
five minutes just might already know the material and would benefit
from exploring or learning something more interesting. Student
teachers might challenge students who are "building stuff" to use
their skills on solving a real problem or to demonstrate a theory or
principle.
We cannot continue to shortchange our gifted and talented students.
They are an important part of our collective futures. I am hopeful.
Join me in that hopefulness. Let's turn our mutual hope into action
and make positive changes in the experiences of gifted students in our
schools.
Resources:
Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., Gross, M. U. M. (2004). A Nation
Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students. The
Templeton National Report on Acceleration. Iowa City, Iowa: University
of Iowa.
Whitney, C. S. (2007). A Love For Learning, Motivation and the Gifted
Child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press |
