EDGT 410 Sara Warren smwarren@lcmail.lcsc.edu Lesson 7

1. Seven steps educators need to take for optimizing learning directed towards gifted and talented students. EDGT 410 Sara Warren smwarren@lcmail.lcsc.edu Lesson 7

2. Step 1: Acceptance of Racially and Diverse Gifted Learners • Chapter 7 of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Edition stated, “Those who want to improve the educational experience for racially and ethnically diverse leaners have been heard to request teachers who deeply and intimately understand the culture of a particular group” (Clark, p. 221). • School administrators who seek and hire educators who are accepting of all races /diversity in their classrooms will have a more successful gifted and talented program in their school district. • Teachers who have accept their students of who they are will be more willing to provide them the materials they need for their educational growth. • Chapter 7 of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Edition stated, “Research suggests that some of the important intellectual skills that parents, counselors, and teachers need to help racially and ethnically diverse students learn are questioning skills, introspective attitudes, and the ability to remediate any areas of skill that they are lacking, especially limited language skills” (Clark, p. 221). • Gifted and talented teachers who have diverse cultures in their program can create programs for students to help one another getting stronger in their weak points, but also in strong points as well.

3. Step 2: Accept Both Gender’s of Gifted Leaners • Chapter seven of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Edition stated, “Gender plays a role in the actualization of intelligence and the development of giftedness, especially in the acceptance of high levels of intelligence and the use to which it is put” (Clark, p. 245). • When gifted and talented educators are assigned to a group of students they need to accept that both genders are equally creative, gifted, and talented in their own ways. Although they could still have their weaknesses. • Educators can optimize both gender’s educational experiences in the gifted and talented classroom by equally encouraging both to thrive for excellence in everything they do. • Educators need to insure they get both genders in within the classroom the same about of equal time and attention when it is needed to represent no favoritism. • Educators who equally believe both genders of their students can be successful will have a more positive educational atmosphere.

4. Step 3: Accept Gifted Students who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgendered. (GLBT) • Chapter 7 of Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Edition stated, “Gifted GLBT students are trying to make sense out of their feelings of being different, while vaguely suspecting that there is something wrong with them” (Clark, p. 255). • Educators who teaching all grades need to be aware they will have some students who are GLBT and they need to not draw attention to that. • The main focus educators need to have is the well-being of their students. If the they are aware of any GLBT student who is being tortured, bullied, or afraid to come to school due to this matter. • When educators are teaching they never should draw attention to any of their students sexual orientations, because this will not optimize the learning environment. Also, this is very inappropriate and can lead to a educator’s dismissal from teaching at a school. • Educators need accept their students for who they are and need to just focus on the student for who they are as a leaner and their educational needs for school.

5. Step 4: Accept Economically Disadvantaged Gifted Leaners. • Chapter 7 of our textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Editionstated, “Poverty is not just about money. Rather, it is important to understand that poverty involves the extent to which an individual does without resources—not only financial resources, but also emotional, intellectual, and physical resources; relationships and role models; and innumerable external support systems” (Clark, p. 236). • Any educator who walks into a classroom this day in age is not going to have that white picket fence perfect family. We are in the generation of high unemployment and families that are separated due to the economy. People go where the jobs are and some of them cannot bring their families. • Educators need to realize they need to accept each student and their families of how they are as people, not their economical status. • Educators who are aware of students in their classroom that are disadvantaged need to provided support to the student and their families in simple ways. Such as if the class is going on a field trip and it costs 10 dollars. The educator needs to find funds to provide the disadvantaged student the funds to attend the trip.

6. Step 5: Accepting Gifted Students with Disabilities. • Chapter eight of Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Edition stated, “More collaboration between teachers of children with disabilities and teachers of gifted children needed to make the resources of both programs available to gifted leaners with disabilities” (Clark, p. 267). • Gifted and talented educators need to accept that children with disabilities can also be gifted. These disabilities can be, but not limited to physical, emotional, cognitively, etc. • Gifted students who do have disabilities need both their special education, regular education, and GT teacher to come together to brainstorm ideas of how the student can become successful to thrive in their educational opportunities. • Educators should not judge students with disabilities just because they may be provides services from a special education teacher.

7. Step 6: Accept and Assist Underachieving Gifted Students • Chapter 8 of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Editionstated, “Underachieving students are reported to attribute success to innate ability and do not believe achievement is related to effort” (Clark, p. 271). • Gifted and talented educators that have underachieving gifted students placed into their program need to figure out how to spark educational opportunities while including the student’s interests. • Educators who do include an underachieving student’s interests when trying get them to be successful in their academics can open doors of motivation for them to get engaged. • Chapter 8 of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Editionstated, “Causes of underachievement can be found in the personality of the child; in the behavior of the parents or some other home-related problems; or in classroom, where inappropriate curriculum and instruction are especially problematic” (Clark, 272). • Educators really need to review their curriculum and instruction when dealing with underachieving students, because this can be a key of changing the student’s motivation. • Educators who change their curriculum to increase the student’s interest level will be a big step in assisting to optimize learning.

8. Step 7: Assist All Students To Be Successful • Chapter 7 of the textbook Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at School and at Home Editionstated, “To be truly democratic, we should identify an equal number of gifted learners in each culture group” (Clark, p. 209). • All gifted and talented educators should be willing to assist help all their students in their classrooms, no matter what culture they come from to be successful. • Diversity within a classroom optimizes learning, because students and educators learn from one another. • Gifted and talented educators should respect and appreciative each of their students for who they are and the abilities which they hold, because it truly does optimize the learning environment of all who is involved.