Gifted and Talented Students Professional Development North High School

1. Gifted and Talented StudentsProfessional DevelopmentNorth High School Eli Cherner Fall 2011

2. How Are Students Identified as G&T? • In Denver Public Schools (DPS), students are identified as gifted and talented if they have: “demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs.”

3. Myths about G&T Students • If they have high ability in one area, they are likely to have equally high abilities in other areas • The “regular” education system typically meets their needs • They can succeed without special help because they already have so much talent • They are not aware of being different unless someone points it out to them • They always will show their abilities in school and will want to emphasize them • They enjoy serving as “models” and “examples” for other children • They only live up to their potential if adults constantly push them • Their emotional maturity is at the same level as their intellectual ability • They are easy to parent, and families always value their special ability • They are no different from other children because all children are gifted

4. Struggles for Teachers with G&T Students • Lack of information about G&T students and their needs • Understanding the level of giftedness • Selecting appropriate educational placements • Peer relation issues • Underachievement • Perfectionism • Communication issues • Discipline and self-discipline

5. Struggles for G&T Students • Boredom and anger • Underachievement • Peer pressure • Feelings of loneliness • Power struggles with parents and teachers • Stress and perfectionism • Existential depression • Others have unrealistic expectations about them • Their judgment lags behind their intellectual abilities

6. SOME Characteristics of G&T Students • Unusually large vocabularies • Complex sentence structures • Greater comprehension of language nuances • Longer attention span, persistence • Intensity of feelings and actions • Wide range of interests • Strong curiosity, limitless questions • Like to experiment, put ideas or things together in unusual ways • Learn basic skills quickly and with less practice than peers • Unusually good memory, retain information • Unusual sense of humor, may use puns • Like to organize people and things, and typically devise complex games

7. Types of G&T Students • Overexcitabilities/ Supersensitivities/ Superstimulatabilities • Psychomotor • Sensual • Intellectual • Imaginational • Emotional Before we dive into each one of these groups, try to think if you have any students that you already think fits into one of these categories here at North High School?

8. Overexcitabilities/ Supersensitivities/ Superstimulatabilities • Some individuals tend to react more strongly than average to things that happen to them. • Some individuals tend to react to these things for a longer time than average. • Debrowski – Theory of Positive Disintegration means there is a clash between what is and what ought to be • If things are not accommodated at school, student may have a melt-down, either at school or at home! • We should all work to understand the blessing side of overexcitabilities, not just the “curse”

9. Psychomotor • Heightened excitability of the neuromuscular system • “Love of movement for its own sake, surplus of energy demonstrated by rapid speech, jealous enthusiasm, intense physical activity, and a need for action” (Dabrowski & Piechowski, 1977; Piechowski, 1979, 1991) • Strategies: • Allow time for physical or verbal activity before, during, and after normal daily and school activities. These individuals love to "do" and need to "do." Build activity and movement into their lives. • Be sure the physical or verbal activities are acceptable and not distracting to those around them. This may take some work, but it can be a fun project and beneficial to all. • Provide time for spontaneity and open-ended, free-wheeling activities. These tend to favor the needs of a person high in Psychomotor OE.

10. Sensual • Love “good” smells, textures, and tastes, sensitive to bright lights and harsh sounds, love to be the center of attention • Strategies: • Whenever possible, create an environment which limits offensive stimuli and provides comfort. • Provide appropriate opportunities for being in the limelight by giving unexpected attention, facilitating creative and dramatic productions which have an audience. These individuals literally feel the recognition that comes from being in the limelight. • To take some of the offensiveness out of a loud classroom, allow student headphones to listen to soft music

11. Intellectual • Love to be logical, enjoy brain teasers and puzzles, like to figure things out, especially if it’s complicated • Strategies: • Show how to find the answers to questions. This respects and encourages a person's passion to analyze, synthesize, and seek understanding. • Provide or suggest ways for those interested in moral and ethical issues to act upon their concerns-such as collecting blankets for the homeless or writing to solders in Iraq. • If individuals seem critical or too outspoken to others, help them to see how their intent may be perceived as cruel or disrespectful. • We need to teach how to express their opinions to their teachers and peers, appropriately • Folded value line • 5 cards

12. Imaginational • Like to dream, be creative, love metaphors.Always drawing, but can still tell you about the lecture • Strategies: • Imaginational people may confuse reality and fiction because their memories and new ideas become blended in their mind. Be aware of this. • Help individuals to differentiate between their imagination and the real world by having them place a stop sign in their mental videotape, or write down or draw the factual account before they embellish it. • Help people use their imagination to function in the real world and promote learning and productivity. For example, instead of the conventional school organized notebook, have children create their own organizational system.

13. Emotional • Have extreme emotions, have a broad range of emotions, understand and be sensitive to others’ feelings, be compassionate and caring, form strong attachments to others, experience difficulty adjusting to new environments • Strategies: • Accept all feelings, regardless of intensity. For people who are not highly emotional, this seems particularly odd. But if we accept their emotional intensity and help them work through any problems that might result, we will facilitate healthy growth. • Teach individuals to anticipate physical and emotional responses and prepare for them. Emotionally intense people often don’t know when they are becoming so overwrought that they may lose control or may have physical responses to their emotions. • Help them to identify the physical warning signs of their emotional stress such as headache, sweaty palms, and stomachache. By knowing the warning signs and acting on them early, individuals will be better able to cope with emotional situations and not lose control.

14. How Can I support my G&T studnets? • Create a comforting environment • Stress Management

15. Additional Resources • National Association for Gifted Children: • http://www.nagc.org/ • sengifted.org – supporting the emotional needs of gifted • http://www.hoagiesgifted.com – the all things “gifted” page • Living with Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels, PhD (Editor), Michael Piechowski (Editor)