Top 10 Things you can do as a Classroom Teacher to Advocate for Gifted Students
1. Know and understand state legislation that applies to gifted students.
North Carolina Legislation
North Carolina Program Standards
Department of Public Instruction AIG Wiki
2. Recognize positive and negative expressions of gifted characteristics and be aware of the identification process your district has in place. Use your recognition of characteristics to nurture students who are not yet technically identified.
Person County Schools AIG Plan 2013-2016
Also see identification process tab above
3. Attend quarterly parent meetings for parents of gifted students and district wide AIG teachers/program coordinators; these meetings are held each quarter and open to all classroom teachers. Use these meetings as an opportunity to learn what concerns/ideas parents and program coordinators have about the the AIG program in Person County Schools. Parents receive an invitation to these meetings from the district AIG teacher, consider also making a phone contact to invite the parents of your students to the meeting.
Most recent meeting agenda
4. Increase your awareness of enrichment programs and talent searches that your students can participate in outside of school. Furthermore, investigate the content and models of these programs and think about how any portion may fit into your teaching.
Duke TIP Educator Resources Grades 4-6
Northwestern University Center for Talent Development
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Research
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Summer Programs
5. Help students understand what it means to be gifted and what it means when they are sent to their pull-out program each week.
Supporting Emotional Needs resource library
6. Implement research-based instructional methods across all content areas (many methods integrate content areas).
Common Core Problem-based learning curriculum maps
PBL/STEM Collaboration
PBL Resources
Sample project based learning examples with service in mind
Service learning overview and ideas
Socratic Seminar overview
Visual Thinking Strategies overview
VTS Compare/Contrast Lesson
Los Angeles VTS Image List
VTS Image List Arranged by level of difficulty
Historical Scene Investigations-PBL
7. Be aware of how the political situation affects funding for your gifted education program. Contact political representatives at the state and local level (such as county commissioners) when funding for gifted students is on the chopping block. Also contact your school district main office with questions about proposed funding measures prior to contacting political parties.
Person County House of Representatives representative
Person County Senate representative
Person County Board of Commissioners
8. Collaborate with colleagues for benefit of gifted students. Work with grade level teachers to plan and implement research-based practices. Discuss social/emotional needs and concerns with your school counselor. Understand how your school is meeting the needs of gifted students and what you can do to improve the everyday learning environment by talking with your administration and the district AIG teacher. Work with other classroom teachers who previously taught your students to find out student strengths and weaknesses.
9. Resources and policies for gifted students are always changing, don't stop collecting and seeking out information to help you work with gifted students.
NC DPI Math Wiki AIG Lesson Plans Grades 3-5
Join National Association for Gifted Children
Join North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented
Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education
General gifted education resource
Finally, last, but certainly not least...
10. Recognize each gifted student as a unique individual. Not all gifted students will express gifted characteristics in the same manner. Not all instructional methods and curriculum models will benefit students in the same way. Use what you know about each student and the best practices of gifted education to make choices.
What it means to be an advocate...
North Carolina Legislation
North Carolina Program Standards
Department of Public Instruction AIG Wiki
2. Recognize positive and negative expressions of gifted characteristics and be aware of the identification process your district has in place. Use your recognition of characteristics to nurture students who are not yet technically identified.
Person County Schools AIG Plan 2013-2016
Also see identification process tab above
3. Attend quarterly parent meetings for parents of gifted students and district wide AIG teachers/program coordinators; these meetings are held each quarter and open to all classroom teachers. Use these meetings as an opportunity to learn what concerns/ideas parents and program coordinators have about the the AIG program in Person County Schools. Parents receive an invitation to these meetings from the district AIG teacher, consider also making a phone contact to invite the parents of your students to the meeting.
Most recent meeting agenda
4. Increase your awareness of enrichment programs and talent searches that your students can participate in outside of school. Furthermore, investigate the content and models of these programs and think about how any portion may fit into your teaching.
Duke TIP Educator Resources Grades 4-6
Northwestern University Center for Talent Development
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Research
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Summer Programs
5. Help students understand what it means to be gifted and what it means when they are sent to their pull-out program each week.
Supporting Emotional Needs resource library
6. Implement research-based instructional methods across all content areas (many methods integrate content areas).
Common Core Problem-based learning curriculum maps
PBL/STEM Collaboration
PBL Resources
Sample project based learning examples with service in mind
Service learning overview and ideas
Socratic Seminar overview
Visual Thinking Strategies overview
VTS Compare/Contrast Lesson
Los Angeles VTS Image List
VTS Image List Arranged by level of difficulty
Historical Scene Investigations-PBL
7. Be aware of how the political situation affects funding for your gifted education program. Contact political representatives at the state and local level (such as county commissioners) when funding for gifted students is on the chopping block. Also contact your school district main office with questions about proposed funding measures prior to contacting political parties.
Person County House of Representatives representative
Person County Senate representative
Person County Board of Commissioners
8. Collaborate with colleagues for benefit of gifted students. Work with grade level teachers to plan and implement research-based practices. Discuss social/emotional needs and concerns with your school counselor. Understand how your school is meeting the needs of gifted students and what you can do to improve the everyday learning environment by talking with your administration and the district AIG teacher. Work with other classroom teachers who previously taught your students to find out student strengths and weaknesses.
9. Resources and policies for gifted students are always changing, don't stop collecting and seeking out information to help you work with gifted students.
NC DPI Math Wiki AIG Lesson Plans Grades 3-5
Join National Association for Gifted Children
Join North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented
Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education
General gifted education resource
Finally, last, but certainly not least...
10. Recognize each gifted student as a unique individual. Not all gifted students will express gifted characteristics in the same manner. Not all instructional methods and curriculum models will benefit students in the same way. Use what you know about each student and the best practices of gifted education to make choices.
What it means to be an advocate...