One tip may be to highlight that although teachers may not have learned about gifted children while obtaining their degree(s) in college/university, there is a wealth of information available for them to read and digest. Starting places may include articles on the Davidson Database, lists of books on Hoagies Gifted Education Page, the Davidson Educators' Guild, and publishers such as Great Potential Press, Prufrock Press, free spirit publishing, and Gifted Education Press.
Another tip may come from the book,
The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted Teens by Jean Sunde Peterson which at one points asks potential teachers or leaders a question along the lines of:
Can you avoid feeling competitive toward gifted children? Another tip may be to realize that children may develop asynchronously, and to teach a child at his/her level of readiness and ability in each area. (Do not hold a child back in an area of talent due to a lesser degree of readiness/ability in another area.)
Another tip may be to understand that if a child is "bored" this is not a statement against you, personally, and does not call for retaliation. Rather, the child may be treading water while waiting for other children to catch up. The child may prefer to have the mental stimulation of learning something new. This is not an opportunity to shame the child or lecture him/her about the value of patience, but rather an opportunity to present new material so the child may continue learning in the topic/subject at hand.
Another tip may be that assigning gifted kids as tutors for other children is
rarely an appropriate educational strategy and may both deprive the gifted child from learning new material in the topic/subject at hand and may also set the stage for negative social consequences.
Voluntary opportunities to peer tutor are great, however use of class time for learning new material in the topic/subject at hand is essential.
Another tip may be to encourage asking questions, so that admitting what one does not know and asking for help are seen as admirable qualities, essential for learning, and are rewarded. (Do not belittle a gifted child with statements such as, "You're so smart, you should know that!")
Another tip may be that the gifted children in your class are not subjects on which to perform research, studies, and experiments as you work on your higher degree. Please respect the privacy and the personhood of each student and do not treat them as objects as you work to advance your own position. While a child may be one of thousands in your classes over the span of a career, their names and faces long forgotten after a decade or more, to the child this is their life unfolding and experiences will tend to be remembered.
Another tip may be to listen to and partner with parents. Flexibility and a sense of each learning from the other may be key to successful team work with a child, toward instilling in the child a sense of pride, confidence, and ownership of their education (internal locus of control). In working with parents and/or with gifted children who self-advocate, teachers have the ability to
role model teamwork for children.
Another tip may be to realize that
giftedness and opportunity, while related, are two different things. (The thread on myths and realities of giftedness can be read and interpreted as more tips.) We strive to create opportunity for positive growth and achievement of all, including the gifted.
Another tip may be to anticipate and accept that gifted kiddos will tend to keep teachers/schools/districts and others with whom they come in contact on your toes; this is not a bad thing.
