Gifted students may present more of a challenge than other students in the classroom. Students who present a unique and special aptitude toward one or more subjects are often considered gifted.
Sometimes in the top of their class these students can easily rule the roost if left unchecked. Bored with regular classwork, they may sometimes present themselves as the class clown in order to be busy.
When teachers are working with a student like this, they may become frustrated. The trick is to give these students a special responsibility without appearing to favor them.
Often this responsibility can be a special job in the classroom such as tending to the class pet, putting away manuals or class projects in a specific area. Something to help keep them occupied while the rest of the class finishes their work.
Gifted students will sometimes speed through their work not taking time to really read the questions and answer the questions thoroughly. Having them double check their work will help to fill in some of the time they have left on their hands.
Many schools have special classes for such students where the student is challenged to work with similar students. Working together as a group on a project is a great way to help them expand their horizons and share their knowledge.
Projects that require a lot of forethought and research are great for such students. The longer the project the more likely the student is to put effort into it but teachers should conduct checkpoints throughout the assignment to make sure the student is working on the project. These students often wait for the last minute to complete assignments.
It’s important to help these students work together as they are frequently above the rest of the class. Giving them a position where they can share their knowledge will keep them from being bored as well as help them to stretch their minds.
Patience is a must for teachers of classes like this. The students will often take over the class if the teacher isn’t careful. Teachers must be on their toes and ready for anything with these kids.
Reading above their level, working math equations in their heads, these students are brilliant and challenging for many teachers in today’s schools.
Helping these students to focus on improving their own levels and compete with themselves not others is a great way to help them to stay focused and keep them challenged. Have them try to beat their previous time in a reading or writing assignment. Have them take a similar math quiz and see if they can beat a previous score or time. Many of these students are day dreamers so giving them these challenges will help them to remain on task.
Gifted students surround us and learning to teach them in their own unique way and work with them in their own unique way will go far in helping to keep them focused on school work and completing the tasks set before them.
