Treating Gifted Students Fairly in Regular Classrooms

By: Otto Schmidt, Gifted Programming Consultant, Contact information at: www.accentonskills.com
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February, 2002

Introduction

As with other areas of special education, it is by law in many Canadian provinces that school boards and schools address the needs of gifted students. There are many ways to do this but the task is not as simple as some people seem to think it is.

Providing a learning environment conducive to maximizing the potential of some of the brightest minds in our society can be a major challenge. It is even more important that gifted students to be treated fairly in their schools.

Here are some thoughts and guidelines on the subject.

Stereotyping of Gifted Students

Stereotyping of gifted students is quite common. It is often believed that if someone is gifted, he/she can:

    • learn any concept or information instantly regardless of difficulty
    • do and want more work than other students
    • provide answers to questions that nobody else can answer
    • always present work that shows deep thinking and understanding
    • perform at an almost professional level at all times
    • be super organized, punctual, neat and tidy
    • perform at an outstanding level in all academic areas
    • solve a lot of brainteasers, mindbenders, and other "enrichment" puzzles
    • be the smartest student in most classes

The resulting pressures and embarrassments frustrate many gifted students. They will sometimes request withdrawal from school gifted programs, avoid certain classes, and/or try to hide their "affliction" in vain attempts to be treated like other students.

Empowering Gifted Students

To be proactive and prepared for some of the difficult situations that arise, gifted students should be encouraged to:

    • learn more about giftedness and their special talents and/or abilities
    • read about their legal rights in school board and ministry documents
    • talk to individual teachers about their academic needs
    • meet with other gifted students for idea sharing, support and advice
    • nurture a relationship with a trusted teacher or facilitator in their schools who understand and can be supportive during tough times

A Suggested Gifted Students Bill of Rights
  • Subject enrichment may be suggested by students, teachers, parents or a program facilitator. It should not be mandatory or imposed.

It should be a gifted student’s right to decide the extent to which he/she will participate in a course. A student should expect to do the work that a teacher assigns and have the option to do it at an enriched level if desired.
  • Gifted students should not be expected to perform at levels beyond their abilities.

Like regular students, gifted students have their strengths and weaknesses. Their work can fall anywhere within the spectrum of weak to outstandingly great. It is surprising how many teachers almost automatically expect gifted students to outperform all others in the class because they are gifted.
  • Demitting a student from a gifted program should never be a threat or consideration except in highly unusual situations.

Giftedness is a state of being and inherent to a person. It is not something lost or found, inserted or removed. Demitting greatly reduces the opportunity to provide for them what gifted students truly need – a specialized, nurturing environment. Carefully prepared, exacting and rigorous identification procedures will also lose credibility.
  • Gifted students may choose to operate at an average level in a class.

This often frustrates teachers who expect them to do so much better. Gifted students are often instructors, group leaders, own their own businesses, do extensive volunteer work, and/or hold down demanding jobs. They may already be the self-directed, independent learners that the education system strives to create. They may see a course as the easy one that will free up valuable time for more important things.
  • Expectations of gifted students should be the same as for other students.

Gifted students do not always have the answers. They are not all leaders. They are not all responsible, neat, conscientious, socially adept, organized, resourceful, etc. Everything they do may not be highly creative and researched to great depth. Ideas will not always be profound and meaningful.

  • Students who are truly gifted in a particular subject should have the option of reduced homework and/or doing alternative but related learning.

Standards of performance set by teachers need to be met but how the marks are achieved should become most flexible when gifted students are in a class. Meeting the learning needs should be a top priority and should be discussed with gifted student(s).

  • Individual Education Plans should be referred to when programming for identified gifted students each year. The Gifted Program Facilitator should also be involved.

The purpose of IEP’s is to provide awareness and accountability for all concerned.