Common Social Behaviours

Most gifted students enter the PACE stream, from a secular inclusive classroom, having been 'big fish in a small pond'. Suddenly they are thrown into a self-contained gifted classroom and find themselves "small fish in a big pond".

The first day new gifted students meet each other (Gr. 5) is a revelation. They sit quietly, do not talk to each other, watch one another carefully and bide their time. A veritable teachers' paradise! Of course, the quiet does not last. Some common behaviors observed over time:

Some gifted students may be:

- overly anxious
- perfectionists (often their own worst critic)
- highly sensitive to criticism, constructive or otherwise
- disorganized (extends to handwriting and neatness of work)
- rather opinionated
- ready to debate on any topic (love the challenge of this exercise)
- quite competitive
- prefer to be alone (prefer to read, or may have poor social skills)
- impulsive and hyperactive

It must also be noted that many gifted students view report cards and grade levels as important indicators of their intelligence.

Processing Speed

Strategies to assist students who might present lower processing speed scores.

Gifted students commonly comprehend and process information rather quickly. They are able to cognitively assimilate, digest and incorporate information at a quicker pace than most non-gifted students. However, some gifted children do achieve lower processing speed scores. Some gifted students also achieve lower working memory scores as well? This may present a problem in a self-contained gifted classroom. On the one hand, these students are hesitant to participate fully in front of their peers; on the other hand, and more importantly, they might perceive this as not being 'intelligent or gifted enough' as their peers. This erroneous self-perception may then feed into a detrimental 'self-talk' cycle of negativity and poor productivity.

Gifted ADHD

Strategies to assist students to channel hyperactive energies

There seems to be a perception that children diagnosed with ADD or ADHD are perhaps not challenged enough. This extends to another perception - that these children are possibly gifted. I think it would be a good practice, as an educator, to give this 'perceptive theory' a 'fair chance'.

In my experience, and opinion, to date I have not been able to either prove or disprove this theory, theoretically. However, over my five year experience teaching gifted students, I have realized that many gifted students, albeit undiagnosed with ADD or ADHD, present behaviors that I sometimes find difficult to curtail and manage, successfully. Would I call these behaviors hyperactive or just highly energetic? Are these behaviors a symptom of an intelligent and active imagination/mind that is not challenged enough? Are these behaviors conceivably the extensions of a gifted mind? Or are these behaviors just a product of our societal disciplinary deficiencies?

Working Memory

Strategies for Memory Improvement

- How to improve your memory
- Fight memory loss
- Remember names better
- Memory games - Speed games - Flexibility Games - Problem Solving games

Visit http://www.lumosity.com/k/improve-memory

Created

Blog created on Thursday 22 April, 2010.
Created for the Special Education Part III - Specialist AQ Course
Conducted at Madonna Catholic High School, Toronto
Start Date: Wed. April 14, 2010 - End Date: Wed. June 16, 2010
Course Instructor: Mr. Mario Addesa - www.marioaddesa.blogspot.com