Giftedness

Giftedness

I – Introduction

Merriam-Webster defines gifted as “having great natural ability” and “revealing a special gift.” The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) defines it as “individuals…who demonstrated outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence in one or more domains (any structured area of activity with its own symbol system).” Many people think that being gifted means being smart, learning things quickly, remembering things well, being talented, and that they don’t need a teacher. But being gifted is so much more than people think.

Gifted kids often get a bad reputation for being themselves. Some gifted kids might even want to hide their giftedness or be embarrassed by it. Gifted kids might want to learn things faster than they are able. They might be the first to raise their hand in class. They might get in trouble for talking a lot in class because they’re done with their work and bored. They might feel isolated because they know they’re so far ahead of their peers. They may get irritated or annoyed when other students are incorrect or imprecise. They may be loners, spending most of their time alone, teaching themselves new things, or playing word games or puzzles. They see many possible views or interpretations of certain things, and see connections where others might not. They also get very upset at injustices, whether they are the one being treated unfairly or whether it is someone they barely know; they will be equally upset because someone is not being treated fairly. Gifted students tend to be perfectionists and natural-born leaders.

Because of their quick learning, gifted students may be placed in their own classroom with other gifted students to keep them from spending so much time alone. If they are in a class with the same people over and over again because of the closeness of their IQs and learning speeds, they are more likely to form bonds with those other students and...