Gift and Talented: What Do You Expect from School

I would like to see real accommodations/communication between the GATE teacher and the classroom teacher. As others have mentioned, many kids in my district drop out of the GATE program as they get older because they have to do their GATE work plus all the regular classroom work and they feel like they are being punished for being gifted. GIEPs should be written so that work is substituted, not added on, and classroom teachers need to be fully on board with GATE teachers on this.

My very first thought was how great it would be to get regular feedback from the teacher about how my child IS in the classroom. I know how my child is at home. I know what that she is quiet in groups but is wide open once she is comfortable. I know that she is mature, but is given to fits of giggles. I know that she is reserved in her regular classroom, where she is bored, and is aware she is beyond her classmates. But what is she like in GATE class at school? Is she a leader THERE? Is she a follower? Does she speak up when she has a good idea, or does she wait until she is asked to contribute before she gives her input? Does she listen to other kids' ideas and run with what THEY have to offer, or does she point out all the problems with it instead?
I'd really like to know. I only know what "I" see at home, and where I am in charge of her being "nice" and she has a sibling who they are given to normal sibling rivalry issues. At home, I don't have a room full of G/T peers. There is a whole different dynamic, when my G/T kid is the youngest in the household vs. being surrounded by peers. I see her with her peers that are friends. But not her intellectual peers.

I must say, that my daughter's last G/T teacher was phenomenal. And every time I saw her she gave me good insight into my child. The problem is that we didn't SEE her that often. Our G/T program is a pullout program where my child went to a different school all day one day a week. Very different than being able to see the regular classroom teacher periodically at school events or whatever. The teacher isn't at those, she's at a different school's. :/

But feedback on areas that our kid need help with would be wonderful. I don't get much of that from her regular classroom, b/c she excels in everything there. I don't mean to brag, but that is the reality. I'd like to know what areas my child really needs to WORK. So I know how to challenge her appropriately. Her first G/T teacher indicated she needed to work on being more proactive and her leadership skills. I'd like to know how that is developing, or if she is doing well and now another area is coming to the fore as needing some work.

Great question.

oooh!! I almost didn't answer because i thought it was a mom ragging that their wonderful kid wasn't appreciated.
But I would loove to give you my 2 cents. I have an 8 yo that has been in our version of GATE for 2 yrs.

First: what i want from the program is for DS to have FUN!! thinking and puzzling things out and learning new things.
It would be great if there was a mix of independednt work, and team work. I think these types of kids especially need some help learning to share ideas, and collaborate. and to handle when their ideas don't fit the groups plan.
I would like it to be at a level just out if his reach, not too easy not too hard, so the Coordinator/teacher would need to have a handle on what level he is at and possibly even communicate with the classroom teacher. to get a good picture of the child.
it would be great if the coordinator, really HEARD my child and gave him the chance to have a realtionship with the coordinator/teacher, I feel sometimes he doesn't feel like his classroom teacher really has the time to listen to him share what new thing he learned at the zoo, or what he wants to learn about.
The last thing, would be to include the kids in making choices about what they learn about, sort of child lead if you will.

i have more but lil sis needs dinner back in a bit :)

ok As a parent, first I would love to meet you, a welcome letter would be beyond wonderful, just to let us know a little about you and your vision for the program.
Along the lines of communication, It would be great to have a note from you each semester or more often, just talking about what the kids are working on and some ideas that we could do to suppliment that at home. fieldtrips or research we could encourage them with (I hope that wouldn't be misconstrued as manadtory or result in the parents putting pressure on the kids, but more of a way of extending things.)
Our coordinator sends home papers like word searches or other brainteaser puzzles, but number one they are soooo poorly copied, crooked, and too dark, it's weird also there is nothing stating how they tie into anything, like it's just some random thing, Apparently it was sort of homework that wthey could fill in on a chart at school if they brought it back, but for some reason DS was not at all interested, maybe it was too too hard, so it ended up scrunched in his book bag for a month, but it was never explained to the parents ( first grade) what they system was and if it was optional.

personal notes about my childs growth would be great too.
perhaps a schedule of how many times a month you will be meeting, it was supposed to be once a week for us, but during the month of state testing, he didn't get this program at all, I assume because she was proctoring.

That's about it -- communication and knowing my kid.
I'm think you will be a fabulous GATE teacher, because you care enough to even ask these quesitons in the first place. I hope you get more answers, and it might be benificial to ask it again in a few weeks when maybe more people will see it.
Good luck and have fun!!

I like the idea of a constant flow of communication. By that I mean, at my son's school, we know BEFORE grades come out how the child is doing.. This way, we can all be proactive and work on fixing matters. and yes.. even "gifted children" have their Ups and Downs too...
Additionally, I like the idea of kids having to write at least 15 minutes either at the beginning of the class or ending.. The writing can consist of sharing feelings , topics or basic reflecting on one's day or previous evening. I like this task because it gives GREAT "spontaneous" insight into the child. Which I think is good for the kid, teacher and caregivers. By having the child write, you might be surprised what they come up with and because of it be better able to plan accordingly.,
Now, some might scoff at the idea of writing but honestly, I think it gets a child's mind going and makes them have to take a few moments to check in with their feelings. Also, why not ask the children, what is fun for you, what is challenging... not sure the grade you will be teaching, but I always tend to think it's a good idea to talk to those for whom you will be teaching..

best of luck to you!!

I agree with some of the other responses about communication with the parents. I think you should send a letter to all parents (not just those of current students) to educate them about the program - what it takes to get in and stay in the program and what the program does). If my child was in a GATE program, I would want him to do things that he doesn't get to do in his regular class. Not just more of the same stuff at a harder level. I would would want him to be challenged to think differently, see things from other kids perspectives, have an opportunity to teach things to other kids, present information in front of the GATE group, realize he is part of a bigger world, maybe do community or charity projects, etc. Most of all I would want him to have a lot of opportunities to talk/participate and have choices in his activities. Good luck in your new role.

More open ended and exploration based curriculum. Opportunities for the students to teach what they learn to other kids.

As a regular substitute teacher.. I would like to see the GT children lose their superior attitude. Of course, they get a lot of that from their parents but they also show it in the classroom as "I am better than you".

I am in the camp that believes truly GT children are few and far between and I refused to let my daughter now a rising Senior to be tested because I hated the attitudes I saw from students and parents.

My daughter could very well pass of the testing but I hate the labels of GT and again, the attitude. I think you get my point.

I'm not sure what I would want as a parent (my kids are young still). but when I was in that type of program as a kid we were out of the classroom 1 morning a week. Sometimes we did brain teaser type puzzles or or group projects a lot of the time was working on independent projects that we presented to the parents at the end of the year. We did go on a few trips. We also had a program called Great Books that introduced us to adult classics in literature (it was all child appropriate, no overly "mature" themes). It was run by the librarian in our school but it was a really good program. We still make positive references to it 30 years later.

I would think as a parent I would also want to make sure my child is not left to sit around bored if they finish work early in their regular classroom. I have heard that is a problem for many gifted kids. You may need to work with the classroom teachers if you come across any who don't get what is helpful for gifted kids.

As a former classroom teacher, the thing I'd like to see in a "gifted" program, whether pull-out or an entirely separate classroom, is more emphasis on how to problem-solve and meet challenges, both individually and in collaboration with others. Many of these very bright students find school easy in the early years, and when they finally reach a point where they have to do something that takes serious work/practice to accomplish, they do not know how. It can crush some, and can cause others to give up much too quickly. They have grown used to coasting, and have been led to believe that everything will always be easy for them. A good work ethic and the ability to be an effective team member are both skills that can be taught, and that, sadly, many bright kids do not learn.

Also, some overt instruction in sportsmanship/ losing gracefully would benefit some of these kids. They need to know that no matter how good they are, they will not always be #1. It is okay not to be #1 all the time. And sometimes they will fall short, even when they have done their best. When someone else is the best at something, celebrate with and congratulate that person instead of insisting that you were robbed, that you had an off day, or trying to find someone to blame. (I've also met a fair number of parents of these kids who could use some work in these areas...)

I hope that you enjoy your new position. What an exciting opportunity!

My dd is not in the GT program, but one thing the school or teachers should do - is try not to segregate the GT kids so much. It really creates a rift between the kids. I would not want my dd in the GT program because of this.