How pullouts work in our district:
GS9 goes for just under an hour/day, at the end of the school day. He's in a class of 5-6 other 4th graders where they get additional instruction in whatever the gifted teacher decides to do. The first semester is Language Arts, the second semester is Math, not all the kids in one are in the other. I think there are 4, 2 girls & 2 boys, that are identified as gifted in both areas. There isn't much of a chance to converse about common interests in the pullout, they didn't even have any class discussions when reading and doing a study guide on a book earlier this year.
The kids are spread out among three 4th grade classrooms, this year none of the other gifted kids are in GS9's home classroom. Apparently there is some kind of break at the time GS9 goes to his gifted pullout, and the older kids tease the gifted kids as they pass in the hallway. Knowing kids, they probably also tease the ones heading off for remedial help at the same time.
