![]() Feel your eyes widen when she responds with utmost seriousness, “Are you sure? It’s pretty shocking material.”Ģ4. Tell one of the girls working on the play, “Hey, can you share that with me? Just so I can make sure you’re not, you know, revealing nuclear codes or whatever.”Ģ2. During class, make a mental note that you should probably read the Google Docs play your 6th grade girls have been working on feverishly as a side project for weeks.Ģ1. Think in your head how developing a list of responsible reader norms is one of several hundred things you never thought you’d need but had to create anyway in the process of teaching gifted kids.Ģ0. Let’s go over our responsible reader norms.”ġ9. I’m also hearing of literal injuries that have happened from several of you trying to read while walking or climbing the stairs. I’m hearing that some of you are intentionally spoiling the ending of books for other people. Tell students, “Hey, before we get started, two book-related issues we’re having lately. Welcome the sixth graders filing in for your first class, and by “filing in” I mean a range of motion that includes sashaying, robot walking, and a student daydreaming so hard they run into your supply cabinet and need an ice pack.ġ8. Once the student is dismissed, exchange a look with your principal that you both understand means a combination of What the hell was that? and also Just another day in this job.ġ7. Exhale loudly-like a dying breath-when principal says student explained that this was merely a tactic for getting “quality content” for the literary magazine she’s working on for your class.ġ6. Nod slowly when principal explains that student has been demanding other students tell her their deepest, darkest secret or else face a $10 PayPal bill.ġ2. Just when you’ve hit your stride in rubric work, pause to have a brief meeting with your principal, who has pulled one of your students into the room.ġ1. Make sure the math adds up so you can avoid the whole “So wait, so I can just not do the written portion and still get a 75?” fiasco of last month’s project.ġ0. Find any and all potential loopholes on the rubric and edit any vague language with the scrutiny of a Supreme Court clerk. Once you’ve returned to your classroom, remember that you’re introducing the rubric today for your 8th graders’ literature project.ĩ. When student says, “But the ancient Egyptians saw cats as gods,” say, “Yes, but unfortunately ancient Egyptians aren’t running the admissions desk at the museum. Remind him that cats are not allowed in the science museum, and it would sure be a shame if he had to stay at school while his human peers saw King Tut’s tomb on Friday’s field trip.Ħ. Go to office to talk to meowing student.ĥ. Listen to sweet front office worker explain, “I have a student in here only communicating in meows, so I assume he’s one of yours?”Ĥ. At least one musical instrument left behind.Ģ. Answer class phone.One entire, whole shoelace on the ground.A tiny plastic baby on your desk with a Post-it note and the label “Greg.” You have no idea what this means.(Also realize you need to get rid of the “codpiece” magnet after Googling it.) Magnet word poetry on your board that is so clever and inappropriate you laugh out loud.When you arrive in your classroom, start by cleaning and organizing any student messes from the day before you may have missed, including but not limited to: How To Teach Gifted Kids in 7,000 Easy Stepsġ. But as of writing this article, there hasn’t been a shift in terminology that would be widely recognizable, so I will use “gifted” here to mean “children with higher than average IQs who require specialized educational services.”) (Note: I have always disliked the term “gifted and talented,” since we know all children have gifts and talents. But whether you teach a gifted kindergartner or gifted high school senior, I’m willing to bet you’ll recognize similar traits and behaviors and be able to adapt these instructions for use in your own classroom. At our small school, I taught 6th grade through freshmen, so you’ll see various grade levels listed here. Luckily for you, I have compiled all my teaching knowledge into a single document with easy-to-follow steps. It was like my first year of teaching all over again. I remember thinking my prior experience-including being G/T certified-meant I’d be totally prepared for this job. In my fifth year of teaching, I accepted a position working at a public school for highly gifted kids.
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