Unwrapping the Gifted

In my last post (The Wheel Still Turns), Jane commented:

It is refreshing to hear of success in advocating for educating gifted children, but do you have advice for parents who may not have a dozen years to change the system? Do you have any effective advice for parents and children who need to learn in school TODAY?

Your question is important because I know countless parents across the country can relate to it, too. As parents, you see effects of a less-than-challenging curriculum that we who work in the schools sometimes don’t see. And of course, as parents you all rightfully want what is best for your children.

It can be an awkward and delicate position to be in.

The four suggestions that I posed in my previous post remain valid strategies that you as parents can use. Whereas those ideas were for teachers, parents, administrators, and gifted coordinators, I do have new info to add today that is geared specifically for parents of the gifted.

Karen Isaacson co-authored "Intelligent Life in the Classroom" with me, and as a mother of five gifted children (currently ranging in age from elementary school to college), she has a wealth of experience being in the boat Jane alluded to. Some of her parenting experiences were highlighted in her first book, "Raisin’ Brains", and others will be featured in her upcoming second book about parenting the gifted, "Life in the Fast Brain: Keeping Up with Gifted Minds", soon to be released from Great Potential Press.

Karen has helped many parents in Montana with a list of suggestions that she has titled “Working with Schools to Meet the Needs of Gifted Students.” She has given me permission to offer some of the list’s items here for you today. For the sake of clarity, her suggestions below are numbered and in italics while my comments on them follow each tip.

1. Be firm, but be kind. Stand up for your child without putting the teacher or the administration on the defensive. This is not you vs. them. This is simply a matter of you securing the best education possible for your child.

While I understand the desperation and emotion that fuels the parents who come in “on fire,” doing so only ends up creating more harm than good. It may yield some immediate results, but it also builds a wall between the parent and the school that may never come down. Additionally, the child finds herself in an awkward position if she witnesses the parent and any school personnel exchanging heated words. As school professionals, we desire the same things from you in this process that you desire from us: an open mind, honesty, respect, a willingness to give it a try, and communication. Parents & schools together: we’re all in it for the child’s best interest.

2. Be educated and informed. If you want the school to do more for your child, be prepared to tell them exactly what programs and opportunities will be of the most benefit, and be prepared to explain why. You must be able to support your position.

I know it’s counter-intuitive, but it is true that some schools/teachers are simply not aware of the many strategies that can be used to meet the needs of gifted students. In my opinion, this is largely due to the fact that most college teacher preparation programs teach future teachers nothing (or next-to-nothing) about gifted students. Consequently, most teachers are woefully under-prepared to deal with the challenges these kids present. That doesn’t mean the teachers can’t meet their needs, nor does it mean that they don’t want to, it simply means they’re still at the starting line in this process even though you as parents may justifiably assume that they should already be in the race. Most of these teachers secretly know they aren’t doing what ought to be done for their gifted students, and they do want to do what they can, but they’re not sure where to begin and some may just need a friendly nudge. Offering an idea or sharing a resource with the teacher can be all that it takes to get the process started. In my district, I’ve noticed that once a teacher gets started in the process of differentiating instruction (for example), he or she gets the hang of it and then does even more on his/her own, without the need for constant prodding/encouragement from parents or the gifted coordinator.

3. Remember that poor grades are not necessarily the teacher’s fault. While it’s true that some students underachieve because they are bored in class or because they haven’t been challenged enough, it’s also true that some gifted students will receive poor grades when they enter a classroom that finally does challenge their abilities.

Without adequate challenge, gifted students can learn it is possible for them to “skate by” on their smarts. They develop in their minds the myth that school will always be easy for them. Consequently, if and when they do encounter truly challenging curriculum, they are often unprepared to do as well as they could if they had been challenged all along. [Generally speaking. There are, as always, exceptions to the examples I give.] The child may struggle in an advanced course, and end up earning a B (or even lower), because he has never had to work that hard before and therefore doesn’t have the necessary work or study skills to earn the A’s he may be used to “earning” for little effort. I tell my students that a hard-earned B in a class where they are challenged and learning is a far greater badge of honor than any A for which they hardly had to do anything and didn’t learn much because the material was too easy. Learning is more important than the grade. Parents can help the child realize the difference between excellence and perfection by focusing on the goal of hard work and learning in a challenging environment, not a goal of straight A’s for the sake of straight A’s with no concern for whether not anything was actually learned.

4. Band together with other parents of gifted children to form a support group. This group will not only be able to provide emotional support and encouragement, but it will strengthen your ability to ensure adequate educational opportunities for your children.

A parent group doesn’t even have to be an “official” one. It could even just be a few other parents of gifted kids with whom you can share ideas, vent your frustrations, celebrate your successes, learn more about gifted children, and collaborate together with the school. “Official” or not, a parent group is an excellent source of support. Parents are often hesitant to admit they have a gifted child because they worry how their friends and family will react to the news. Parents of gifted children also know that parenting the gifted is not the piece-of-cake, golden, rosy path that parents of non-gifted kids can assume it to be. Gifted children can be VERY challenging to parent (and teach!). The myth is that those kids have everything going for them, therefore they present none of the ‘problems’ (challenges) that other kids often do. But the reality is that gifted children do present their own challenges, some the same and some that are unique. In talking with parents of other gifted children, you can learn parenting strategies and advocating techniques that have worked for them and – most importantly – you can learn that you are not alone in what you wonder about and struggle with when it comes to parenting your own gifted child(ren).

5. Be willing to make sacrifices of your time and energy to help out at the school or to supplement your child’s education. You can’t expect the teachers to do everything. This is your responsibility as well. Oftentimes, gifted programs are understaffed and under-funded. Volunteers are needed. This also demonstrates to the school the value you place on the gifted programs.

It’s a simple gesture - and it doesn’t even have to involve a complex project or a large amount of time. Whatever little way you can find to reach out to the school or to help is taken as a sign that you want to be a team player in educating your child, not an adversary who only shows up when you’re not happy with what’s happening in the classroom.

6. Do not be afraid to stand alone. Your child may often feel as though he is standing alone, and he will need your example.

Gifted children often feel sooo alone. They don’t always relate to kids their own age, making it hard for them to find friends who understand them. Even the ones who dumb themselves down (not the best phrase, I admit) and pretend to fit in still feel alone. Their peer groups tend to be limited to children born within one year of each other, unlike we adults who are free to chose our peer groups based on common interests, with age being of little relevance. Standing alone and showing your child that you can be strong and confident while doing so is a powerful example. You can show your child that there is no shame in being different.

As a gifted coordinator, I find myself in a similar position, too. It gives me a means of being reminded about what my students experience and go through. Here’s one example: A few years ago, someone brought a veggie tray with Ranch dip into the teacher’s lounge at one of our schools. Over recess, we teachers were re-fueling on broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. The problem: the carrot strips were unusually long, literally about 10 inches. And everyone was being so polite – not wanting to double dip – that they were all ending up with 8 inches of carrot that couldn’t be re-dipped. I, on the other hand, snapped my carrots in half before dipping so that I could dip twice. The reaction was a fairly sarcastic “Well, sure, you’re the gifted teacher.” We may as well have been out on the playground with all the kids! I share these kinds of examples with my students so they know that I still experience the same kinds of things socially that they do. And as a parent, you can do the same. It helps the child realize that she’s not alone in feeling alone.

7. Remember that you are the person ultimately responsible for the well-being and education of your child. Nobody else can advocate for your child like you can. You are your child’s champion.
[“Working with Schools to Meet the Needs of Gifted Students,” © 2006 Karen L. J. Isaacson]

As a parent, you have every right to advocate for your child! Come into the school. Be a part of the process with us. We can learn about the child from each other. We’re a team whose aim is helping the child become his best.

In future posts, I plan on sharing information about acceleration and some differentiation strategies. Hopefully that information will be of benefit for all of you parents out there, too, not just the teachers.

Have a great week, everyone! :o)

Posted by Tamara Fisher at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

The availability of appropriate academic accommodations for gifted students in our country is rather hit and miss. While it is true that the situation varies on a grand scale between states (diverse policies, laws, etc. – or even non-existent policies/laws), the nuts and bolts reality is that even within a state, community, district, or school with a uniform policy, differences range wildly. In any school anywhere, a gifted child could be receiving excellent accommodations within one classroom and a gifted child in the classroom next door could be re-“learning” the same material for the fifth year in a row – yet she had it mastered the first time.

My goal today is to offer some hope and some strategies. Wherever you are, and no matter the laws and policies that may govern your state/locale, there are little things we can each do that can add up to make a big difference.

I have no quick and easy solutions. Like many of you, I desire them myself, but typically they are delicate, unduly complex, and emotional to pull off. Though they are possible, today I am going to focus on the little things we can each do in our own situations to add to the tide.

When I first began my job a dozen years ago, I kept hearing from many of my students that they were frustrated with having to re-learn the same material for the fifth year in a row in a particular segment of our district (I will not identify grade levels in this public format. Besides, the essence applies to any grade level. Additionally, things have now mostly changed.) Trying to be the diplomatic messenger - as well as to advocate for the students I was hired to advocate for - I met with the teachers involved, gently (or so I thought) passed on the message, and offered to collaborate, brainstorm, think outside the box with them to generate some possible ideas/solutions/alternatives.

The response? Essentially: “We’ve been teaching since you were in diapers. Why are you here?”

Needless to say, I was devastated.

Thus began my struggle to find ways to effectively advocate for my charges, gain appropriate accommodations for them, and do so all without rocking the boat and sinking it again. (It was a couple years before some of those teachers would even talk to me again.) While I do take some pleasure in rocking the boat a little bit, I learned the hard way that sinking it doesn’t do anyone involved any good – and the goal gets lost in the depths.

So I stepped back – waaay back – went about the business I could do, and observed intently.

Suggested strategy #1: Observe. Rather than pound down the front door and force your way in, sneak in the back door and simply sit and observe for awhile. In the meantime, your presence will become part of the fabric, part of the scenery, part of the norm.

Observe the culture - not just the “school culture,” but also the broader culture of the community, county, state. For example, we Montanans are fiercely independent. The landscape demands it of us. To survive here means knowing how to make it on your own. Therefore, we don’t take kindly to outsiders telling us what to do and how to do it (y’all might remember our experiment with no posted speed limits, an idea that somewhat illustrates this point). We’re used to figuring a way out ourselves – out of necessity. My fatal flaws that day with those teachers? I was still an outsider (2nd year teacher, 1st year in this District) and I left an opening for them to perceive that I was telling them what to do. I hadn’t observed enough yet and consequently got myself in deep early on.

As you observe the culture, search for answers to questions such as these: How does change happen here? What philosophies drive the people to do what they do, think what they think, and resist what they resist? Who is really in charge? Where do you see glimmers of hope? Which little piece can you change easily? And then go from there.

For example, one glimmer (rather, a radiant beam) of hope that I observed when I first came here was the process our elementary schools employed to teach Reading. I can’t really call it a “program” per se because it’s actually a combination of pieces from a few different programs. In a nut shell, each student progresses at his or her own pace, with the struggling readers receiving loads of additional help and with the advanced readers not being held back and instead being encouraged to soar as far as they can go. When I came to understand how our Reading “program” worked here, I realized it manifested an already-present philosophy (albeit somewhat isolated) that I could build upon into other areas. It gave me hope.

In which piece of your own situation, however big or small, can you find that glimmer?

Suggested strategy #2: Subtle blitz. I couldn’t observe forever, and knew I needed to begin by at least doing something, so I began a “food for thought" campaign. About every three weeks, I put a little something into everyone’s mailboxes to gently encourage some reflection or thinking about gifted students. Typically, it is a thought-provoking quotation (examples below) or a short article about a topic in gifted education. (Everyone gets one, from the custodians to the Superintendent.) When I began this strategy years ago, one of my first items for them was a half-page article from Gifted Child Today about grouping practices and why it's important to place gifted students together at least part of the time. The reaction from one teacher: "Hey, that was interesting. I think I may try some of the suggestions." The reaction I got from another person: "So, are you the one putting all this gifted propaganda in our mailboxes?" Yep… sweet, innocent, little ol’ me: a subversive ;o)

I type up the quotations about six on a page, copy them, and cut them into strips that I then distribute to mailboxes. A few quotes you could begin with: "Every child deserves an equal opportunity to struggle." (Mary Slade); "Expecting all children the same age to learn from the same materials is like expecting all children the same age to wear the same size clothing." (Madeline Hunter); "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar!" (Helen Keller); "You can never hold a person down without staying down with him." (Booker T. Washington); "Give me rigor or give me mortis!" (Michael Clay Thompson); "Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master." (Leonardo da Vinci); "There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals." (Justice Felix Frankfurter); "The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do, never does what he can do." (John Stuart Mill). Use one of those every few weeks and that should give you a good start.

Again, keep in mind that not everyone may appreciate it at first. But over time you may notice teachers taping the quotes to the walls behind their desks, which I began to see, - a subtle sign that they're getting it :o)

Suggested strategy #3: Take advantage of good opportunities when they come along. Our district “failed” when NCLB was first enacted (if I remember correctly, we only had 94% of our students take the test instead of the required minimum of 95%, and one sub-group didn’t quite make it in Reading while another sub-group didn’t quite make it in Math). So the next year we had to implement some new ideas for better reaching our non-proficient kids. [Opinionated side note: Why must it take “failing” some federal litmus test for schools to implement aggressive strategies to reach non-proficient students? Shouldn’t schools just DO that because it’s the right thing to do? It shouldn’t have to take something like NCLB to get us to do what’s right by our learners.] Anyway, our middle school began looking at implementing a mandatory Reading class for all 7th and 8th graders (squeezing a new 8th class period into the day so that they could each still have two electives instead of reducing it down to just one), as well as separate Math classes for the kids who weren’t yet proficient in Math.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING.

By this point in time, I had thankfully already laid some groundwork with my ‘subversive’ efforts, and I knew that at least half of the teachers would be on board. I stepped in and talked with the principal: “Ya know, these kids were all placed into readiness-level small groups when they were learning how to read in elementary school. If, philosophically, we recognize the need to group the non-proficient readers together to target appropriate accommodations for them, then we need to also group the advanced readers together for the same reason.” I added, “If we’re going to group the non-proficient Math kids together, then we need to also put the kids who are ready for an advanced curriculum together. We have plenty of kids who are capable of more than we are requiring of them.” His response (essentially): “Good point. We’ll work it in.”

It didn’t magically happen, and it wasn’t instantaneous, but we did implement relatively leveled classes in Reading and Math that year. And since that time, we have gotten closer to polishing the way it all works together.

What did we discover? Those struggling Math learners suddenly loved Math – because they finally felt like they were actually learning something (instead of always being left in the dust). And the advanced Math learners - they ALSO finally felt like they were actually learning something (instead of always being held behind, waiting for the other kids to catch up). And isn’t LEARNING what it’s all about? :o)

Is an opportunity knocking on your door? Then go for it!

Suggested strategy #4: Teach the gifted child(ren) in your life how to self-advocate.

The child speaking up and asking for challenging accommodations is much more powerful than a GT specialist or a parent doing it. And over time, the more kids who speak up to the teachers about a need for more challenging curriculum, the more likely the teacher begins to realize that it's a real need (rather than it just being the GT specialist or parent bugging them yet again.) I tell my kids that if they are going to self-advocate, they need to follow the Four P's: 1) Be polite (don't say "this is boring.") 2) Do it in private (not in front of the rest of the class.) 3) Provide proof (that they've actually mastered the content.) And 4) Propose an alternative (a challenging accommodation that the child and teacher can agree upon). For some kids, it is a good idea to role-play the process ahead of time. Usually the kids meet with success (i.e. a receptive teacher and accommodations). Teachers can appreciate the feedback from the kids because otherwise it is sometimes hard for them to tell to what degree they're actually meeting their needs. Additionally, when a child self-advocates, not only does the teacher gain a deeper understanding of the child’s learning needs, but the child develops the same deeper understanding.

Final Thought

So, I offer for you today these pearls of relative wisdom from my own experience – in the hopes that you can avoid some of the pitfalls I fell into early on, and in the hopes that at least one of these ideas can prove helpful for you in your situation. The wheel may turn slowly, but it DOES still turn. A dozen years ago, I don’t know that we had any students here accelerated in any subjects (besides Reading, of course). Now, there are so many that it is a challenge for me to keep track of all of them. We still have plenty of room for improvement, but at least we’ve made some progress. The pieces almost become dominoes at some un-definable point: one piece falling necessitates that others do the same. The last couple of weeks, I have been marveling at the changes over these years, including the fact that some changes have happened without my needing to nudge for them. Instead, they happen because the teachers involved know that it’s simply the right thing to do for our learners.

Posted by Tamara Fisher at 3:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

For those of you who live within reach of Minneapolis, Minnesota, whether by car or by airplane, the deadline will soon be upon us to register for this year’s annual National Association for Gifted Children convention. Although many of you are aware of this great organization, I want to take this opportunity to fill the rest of you in on its many missions and benefits, as well as to encourage you to become a member yourself and to register for their always-enlightening convention. (I am not a spokesperson for NAGC, but I am a member. No one has put me up to this! I’m just taking advantage of great timing.)

NAGC is “an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences.” The organization’s mission is to “support and develop policies and practices that encourage and respond to the diverse expressions of gifts and talents in children and youth from all cultures, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and socioeconomic groups.” Additionally, NAGC “supports and engages in research and development, staff development, advocacy, communication, and collaboration with other organizations and agencies who strive to improve the quality of education for all students.” NAGC defines gifted as someone who “shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression.”

This year’s convention will take place in Minneapolis, November 7-11 and the early bird registration deadline is September 21. You can still register after that date, but it will cost a little more. This year’s theme is “Igniting Ideas and Innovations in Gifted.”

About 3,000+ teachers, gifted specialists, parents, researchers, and administrators attend the convention each year. I would describe the experience as being like any conference you’ve ever been to on steroids. It is a fast-paced week offering thousands of opportunities to learn more about gifted students, differentiation strategies, gifted policy, and much more. They offer three days with 350+ breakout sessions and two days of in-depth sessions (Wednesday Academies and Thursday Focus Sessions and Action Labs). In addition, keynote speakers this year will be Dean Keith Simonton, Robert Sternberg, and Garrison Keillor. Hundreds of vendors will be available in the Exhibit Hall. And special opportunities are available just for superintendents and parents.

I will be presenting (co-presenting) on Thursday (Focus Session #Q) - “Full of Promise: Factors that Influence Academic Success among Gifted American Indian Students,” a topic of apparent interest to many of you), and on Friday with my co-author, Karen Isaacson - "Self-Advocacy: The Power of a Child’s Voice”. These are just two of the thousands of interesting topics being offered throughout the week.

For anyone going to the convention, if you don’t yet know about the “Build Your Own Itinerary” feature, I highly recommend using it. Through the website, you can search all of the available sessions, narrow down your choices in each time slot, and save your very own mini-version of the schedule. Even if you can’t narrow it down to ONE session in a time slot, at least being able to narrow it down to 4 or 5 (instead of 30+) saves oodles of time once you’re at the convention. Just print it before you leave home and you’ll find yourself better prepared to deal with the multitude of options once you get there. (I always hate that last minute scramble of trying to decide which of the great sessions to go to, the minutes quickly ticking away… This feature eliminates – or at least reduces – that in-the-moment angst for those of us who wish we could do it all!)

If attending the convention doesn’t fit your schedule this year, I still encourage you to look into joining NAGC. From my own experience, membership has afforded me the benefits of easier access to research in the field (“Gifted Child Quarterly”), teaching ideas (“Teaching for High Potential”), and strategies to offer to the parents of my students (“Parenting for High Potential”). In addition, I love that NAGC is a key means by which I can collaborate with and come to know others around the country who do what I do. Anyone out there who is a Gifted Education Specialist like me can probably relate to the solitary existence we live at times within our own schools or districts. Being involved with NAGC is one big way I counteract that isolation.

NAGC’s Gifted Program Standards offer an important guideline for anyone creating, polishing, administering, or teaching in a gifted program. The organization also does some work in the policy/legislation realm, and even makes suggestions to colleges about Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education. Anyone looking to delve into the nitty-gritty of the field will enjoy their Hot Topics page. And finally, a feature that is a favorite among the parents of my students is NAGC’s annual Toy List (this link is for an older list… this year’s list isn’t out yet), which always highlights the latest and coolest in challenging think-games for kids (and the adults in their lives!)

For those of you who are already members of NAGC, what benefits do you appreciate about your membership? What advice do you have for first-timers at the convention? Will any readers of this blog be presenting and what is your topic? What questions do any of you have about NAGC or about the upcoming convention?

Enjoy your week!

:o) Tamara

Posted by Tamara Fisher at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)