Being in a GT environment where some kids are academically stronger and smarter and quicker than my son taught him humility and the fact that no matter how good you are, there will always be someone better. He is not hothoused - he has instead transitioned from a child who was considered "the smartest" to a child who has to work hard in order to keep up with some kids in his class room. Now, he frequently stands up and speaks his opinions in class rather than choosing to dumb down and blend in and he works hard because things no longer come easily to him.
Very much this. For our DS, we felt that his district wasn't going to be able to provide this as well as a different school dedicated to the needs of the GT student, partly due to approach but also partly due to exposure. Teachers in a GT school are more likely to see a wider array of needs from GT students than a special program in a district school, since
every student is GT. That means more teachers "get" him more quickly, and he will get more exposure to a variety of teachers who will also "get" him.
He's gone from a big fish in a little pond (in his district school) to just a more typical-sized fish in a bigger pond.
And he meets a lot of other kids by playing after school sports and also in our social circle - even though most are not academically as advanced as him, he still has things to learn from them - we are a non-TV family with no exposure to popular media and electronic games - so, he does not feel elitist when interacting with them - rather, he feels that they have a lot to teach him about popular culture!
DS7
adores his friends he made at Kindergarten last year, and we still see them on a regular basis. He's never thought of himself as "better" than them, I'm pretty sure.
