By Sherley Jackson
Have you ever taught a student who has
an increased speed at which he or she
learns and responds to new information? What about a student with increased creativity or imagination?
Are you the teacher of a student with an
almost obsessive need to do something or learn every detail about a specific
topic? Is there a student in your class who earns high grades in a subject or
multiple subjects? Maybe you have that one student in you class who has the
answers to everything.
If you answered yes to any of the
questions above you may have a child who is exhibiting characteristics of giftedness. Deciding to refer a student for gifted testing
can be difficult, but it really does not have to be. Asking yourself a few
simple questions, like the ones above, can help making a referral a little
easier. At first you may second
guess yourself, but the longer you teach and the more student referrals you
make, the better you will be at recognizing many of the common characteristics
of gifted children.
After sixteen years of
identifying and treating children with speech and or language delays as a
Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) I am confident in my ability to recognize
characteristics of gifted children.
Fourteen of those years have been spent in public school settings, in 3
different states and 4 different school districts. My experiences have made me a proficient identifier of children with
delays. Conversely, knowing what a delay is, allows me to determine what average and above average abilities
young children possess.
I recently read a study that reported
the significantly low amount of minority students being referred for gifted
services. The disparity does not exist
because of a lack of potential students, but because teachers are less likely
to refer minority students. Studies also
show that minority children are referred for special education or behavior
problems more than any other group. If teachers are comfortable identifying
students with disabilities, we can become just as comfortable referring
minority students for gifted. As
educators we must do better.
What can we do? As educators of
minority students and or students from low income homes, we have to first
believe and expect that every year we will have students who can be referred
for gifted services. We have to work at looking past external factors that mask
students' true abilities. There have been instances where I have shared my recommendation
for a gifted screening, and have been given a variety of reasons as to why a
referral may not be the best option.
"Yes, he's smart, but he is so unorganized. Or she is smart, but her attention span is
so poor." An identification of an
academic or medical impairment does not disqualify a child from being gifted.
A gifted
child could be one of our students who always has something to say about
everything and everyone. The student who is the doodler or the daydreamer may be that one child who does not know how
to express all that they are creating in their minds. Think about the student who may have good grades and
would rather converse with you then his or
her classmates. We all know these children. We all have these children.
Unfortunately, when these students are minorities there is a tendency to describe their behaviors as defiant,
arrogant, or smart-mouthed. Daydreamers are often punished for not paying
attention. The student who will not leave
your side is perceived as being needy, when in actuality this could be a
student seeking higher level conversations.
Unfortunately,
our perceptions, often keep us from discovering our children's true abilities.
Many of our students live with home situations that we as adults can't handle,
and they still find a way to excel in the classroom. We have to rethink what
"gifted" children look like. Gifted children are not perfect. Gifted
students are the students sitting in your classrooms waiting for you to
acknowledge their abilities.
Yes, there will be a school year when
you may truly feel that you don't have any students to refer for gifted
services. If you ever feel this way, I would
suggest you pick your best student and refer them for the gifted process. Even
if a student does not qualify for services, the information obtained will be
beneficial. Learning about a student's specific strengths and weaknesses will
help you facilitate higher academic performances.
As an educator, I know the wonderful
feeling we get when our intuition about a child's ability is confirmed. As the
parent of three gifted little girls I am forever indebted to the teachers who
saw something special in them. We are educators, and we are appointed to help
our students excel beyond their own expectations. When the new school year
begins, go ahead, make a referral, your students are waiting to reach their
highest potential.
Guest writer: Sherley Laurin Jackson is a certified and licensed
Speech-Language Pathologist with 16 years of experience. She is. Graduate of Florida State University
in Tallahassee, Florida. Mrs. Jackson
has provided parent trainings on early language development and is an advocate
for adequate early and special education in the public school systems. She has
a passion for reading, college football and creating beautiful things. She is a
wife and mother to three gifted young girls. Currently residing in Baton Rouge,
LA., Ms. Jackson works for the East Baton Rouge Parrish School System as a
Speech Therapist and Speech Assessment Consultant.
Three years ago, a committed team of African American Scholars determined that it was important for our nation to recognize and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin D. Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins was the first scholar to research and publish case studies of highly intelligent Black students in several urban areas across the nation in the early 20th century. 