Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom

My experience with gifted kids in my classroom is what inspired me to start my Master's program at Meredith three years ago. I enjoyed having witty and intelligent conversations with these students, and appreciated their individual quirks. They are intriguing, engaging, intuitive, and inquisitive...and tough to teach. I always felt that I was falling short in meeting their academic needs, and I felt very frustrated with that. Everything that needs to be taught about educating children can not be learned in undergraduate courses, so I then realized the necessity for even higher learning.

• What areas do you know you need to improve? As I approach the end of my program, I can honestly say that I am much more capable of differentiating for gifted students. I enjoy the challenge of challenging them, talking with them, providing them with opportunities to grow, pursue interests, and challenge themselves in meaningful ways. However, I want to continue to implement more strategies to meet their needs. I have used independent study projects with greater comfort and expertise, but I would like to do more curriculum compacting - I have yet to try it and it is a goal of mine for next year.
• What are your goals as you continue to grow as an educator of the gifted? I would like to facilitate quarterly curriculum meetings for interested staff that provide resources, strategies, and tips for differentiating for gifted students. Ideally, this would be in collaboration with the current AG teacher. I have received frequent training on how to meet the needs of students that are struggling all the way through my career, but I wish I had received more support in meeting gifted learners. As a classroom teacher I think that offer practical and effective ways for enrichment for these students that many teachers will be able to realistically try in their own classrooms. Sometimes we are given ideas that just aren't plausible, and it makes me feel that much more frustrated.
• How can you use resources around you to assist you in this task? I think that if I begin talking with the current AG teacher now we can begin planning some areas of interest for next year by doing surveys at grade level meetings or via email to see exactly what classroom needs are. We could also get information from the principal regarding this topic to see if there is already an interest in such training.
• How do you continue to meet the needs of gifted students in the regular classroom when the pressure of assessments, end of course tests, low ability students, and students with special needs are prevalent? Just like I provide the accommodations for students with special needs or frequent small group or one-on-one instruction for students that require remedial support, I make sure that I provide my gifted students with the appropriate support as well. I have 3 students that demonstrate strong academic potential, and I used to meet with them as pairs/trios at least once a week. They are on independent study contracts and their work has been staggered, which means that they are at different stages of their projects, so I meet with them individually. One student has finished and presented his project and the other student has lost interest in her topic, making it easy for me to manage the one student. I have a regular meeting schedule with him. I am realistic and do the best that I can; it's definitely a work in progress, but it is work...and I am making progress.