UNIVERSAL 'TRAITS' OF GIFTEDNESS

Educators, families, and other stakeholders continue to grapple with the question: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE GIFTED?'   Broad based research for a century  has' provided extensive evidence of how students with high ability/gifted traits ‘look’, how they ‘behave’, and how they ‘respond to the world’ around them.

Characteristics like:

Ø being an early reader,

Ø having intense emotions,

Ø expressing high cognitive response to problem solving,

Ø having exceptional knowledge of a particular discipline, content area

Ø having an exceptional ‘number sense’,

Ø expressing a high level of empathy,

Ø demonstrating perfectionistic tendencies –

are seen/observed in gifted learners across cultural groups. In conversations with families, teachers and the students themselves, these traits are quite common.  If then, this is the case, why are we still unable to  identify giftedness across culturally diverse groups in a fair and equitable manner for the purpose of providing access to publicly funded programs? The reasons are numerous, a few are listed here:

Reason #1- In some cases, program opportunities are slim to none with budget cutting at a high in some states, districts, ALL gifted learners are being shortchanged and forced to sit in classrooms where basic, standardized learning is the norm! These students are suffering, being smothered and their gifts WASTED!!

Reason #2- In other cases, school leaders have not yet taken this problem of UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE GROUPS IN GIFTED PROGRAMS seriously OR they  haven’t been forced to develop  stronger programming based on evidence-based practices that are readily available with the support of expert trainers and their own specially trained teachers!

Reason #3- In other situations, leadership has initiated the challenge, yet educators with biased opinions about what ‘giftedness’ LOOKS LIKE are still the ‘gatekeepers’ and therefore, teacher referrals of African American, Hispanic, Immigrant, BiRacial, Low income students for gifted programs remain low.

At this juncture, there is no real excuse!! So, students from multi-cultural backgrounds and low income environments languish away in classrooms everywhere.

Sometimes gifted learners are considered to be ‘a troublemaker’,  OR the one ‘who is given to flights of fantasy’ (that’s what was said about Nelson Mandela by his uncle and J.K.Rowling by one of her teachers, respectively)

Some special programs are in place in districts, at universities, and at the regional level across the nation that others can learn from IF PROGRAM MODELS ARE DESIRED AND FUNDING IS MADE AVAILABLE (three such programs are listed at the end of the page). Using ‘there are no gifted kids in this school’ as an excuse because the school serves a high percentage of students from poverty OR a high percentage of children of color is NO EXCUSE! (A teacher in a Title I school actually said that to me some years ago when I was there to conduct professional development about Gifted children from poverty).

 At the end of the day…ALL children with high potential demonstrate their gifts the same way and over their liftetime whether they become an award winning scientist, nobel peace prize winner, a college professor, research scholar, classroom teacher, engineer, social activist, ecologist, anthropologist, musician, artist OR just one of your neighbors, or colleagues on your job, you ‘recognize’ them and sometimes wonder- if they were  identified as gifted as a child and had access to an appropriate education when they were young.

Universal traits of giftedness are found in the literature from many different sources. Below is an excerpt from a ‘Universal Traits’ chart that I developed for use during professional development sessions with teachers (the actual chart contains additional descriptors). It shares traits and the ways (negative & positive) that they may be demonstrated.  Any gifted learner, regardless of background may demonstrate one or more of these traits/characteristics.

Universal trait	Positive/acceptable way trait may be expressed in the home, community & school (Negative/Aberrant manifestation)
Verbally precocious	Talks early, using full sentences sooner than others, enjoys using ‘big’ words; reads early; tells long stories; is an avid reader; demonstrates superior oral expression skills; may imitate the preacher or other speakers; likes poetry; writes lyrics for songs; very descriptive. Learns second language easily.(TALKS TOO MUCH; WANTS OTHERS TO HEAR THEM, BUT IS NOT A GOOD LISTENER; DESCRIBED AS ‘SMART MOUTH’)
Reasons well	Goes beyond the surface to probe deeper and discover new information; figures things out more quickly than age peers; engages in conversation with adults, older children easily; sounds like ‘he’s been here before’; makes connections between seemingly unlike objects, ideas, places, things (QUESTIONS AUTHORITY; TROUBLEMAKER)
Artistically & creatively inclined	Expresses rhythm, learns patterns quickly; sings in tune and rhythmically at an early age; enjoys creating patterns out of color, shapes; tells elaborate stories through drawing; is dramatic (SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME DOODLING; GIVEN TO ‘FLIGHTS OF FANTASY’)
Rapidly learns new  information	Needs only 2-3 repetitions to learn new material; puts thoughts, ideas, words, answers together quickly; may get frustrated with constant repetition of information in school or in conversations at home; advanced memory for details. (BORES EASILY; MAY BEGIN ACTING OUT IN CLASS WHEN WORK IS TOO EASY; MAY BOTHER OTHER STUDENTS)
Unusually sensitive to the needs of others	Idealistic, sense of justice formed and expressed early, may be responsible for caring for younger siblings, will express concern for others being treated unfairly (MAY BE OUTSPOKEN RE: FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE ISSUES; DOES NOT RESPOND WELL TO ‘DO WHAT I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO’)

*UNIVERSAL TRAITS CHART ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, JOY LAWSON DAVIS, ED.D.

With this chart in hand, I challenge you to go into a Title I school; a low income community; to your place of worship;  to a reservation; to the country/rural area; to the ‘hood’; to the barrio; and deliberately search for child or teenager  in each of those environments who ‘looks’ and ‘behaves’ like this.  Once you find them (and I’m confident that you will) –

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR PART TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHT INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO GROW, ENJOY THE CHALLENGE OF LEARNING, AND TRULY BECOME THE PERSON THEY WERE BORN TO BE!!!

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For more information about three service models for diverse populations of gifted learners, go to:

University of Massachusetts, Boston TAG Latino Program

http://www.umb.edu/tag/about

Project EXCITE, Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University Chicago, Illinois  http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/excite/

The Timbuktu Academy, Southern University & A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana   http://www.phys.subr.edu/timbuktu.htm

Raising a Gifted African American Male:One mother’s story

"As the mother of a gifted young man I am humbled to share my story. My African American son entered a rural area public school at upper elementary level after having attended a private, independent school during his earlier years. Even then, we knew that he was different, he had boundless energy, was excited about learning anything new, able to write cursive during preschool and was an early reader. His preschool teachers encouraged us to allow him to be ‘skipped’ but we decided against it. After enrolling in the public school, he became comfortable, entered a spelling bee and easily won first place for the entire 4^th grade.

The day after the spelling bee, he brought home an envelope marked ‘TAG’ from the Talented & Gifted department. While we applauded the administration’s swift recognition of his potential, the challenges were just beginning. After identification, he was clustered with predominately White and Asian classmates who scoffed at the idea that he could be gifted. My family and church prayed with and for him as he remained ambitious and jovial. Extended family encouraged him by sharing their stories of trial and triumphs from integrating school during segregation to discriminating experiences in the workplace. As a village we were molding my youngster to overcome.

There are times when he has struggled with ‘fitting in’. It began with disruptive classroom behavior in electives where he had some friends, to acting out on the school bus to prove he was a “bad boy”.  At home, he shared his feelings of being ostracized by other black students for being in classes with mostly Whites and Asians. He also explained the contempt of the gifted program classmates  (those very students) when they openly discussed his being a part of their “clique“. Clearly there was an internal conflict. He wanted to fit in with those who were teasing him about “acting white” and at the same time, he felt being in the gifted classes was where he belonged. He tried to demonstrate that he was just one of ‘the boys’ by being disrespectful to teachers. On the other hand, he was adamant to stand his academic ground in core classes with the other ethnicities as his entitlement to rigorous opportunity.

Now a teen, my son is magnetic, witty, compassionate, candid and thoughtful.  He enjoys courses at regional Math and Science Center and summer experiences studying Lego Robotics and engineering. He excels at Spanish (I’d like to think because of our formative lessons in his nursery), but his best grades are in his favorite subject of math. I should mention his sense of humor is mildly eccentric as it seems he’s always saying the unexpected and unimaginable. With all of his academic success, playing Football is truly his first love and extreme passion. He is a linebacker and running back on his high school team. He also participates in community service activities and has become extremely influential among his peers- standing out as a leader with conviction and integrity.

My son is now re-defining himself somewhat from student to teacher. Watching this metamorphosis is exhilarating and honorable. It warms the heart of a Mom to see her child blossom...." 

 

 

This mother’s candid account of her son’s development to date is very telling..his gifts were recognized early and he was ‘placed’ in a program of services. But, being placed in the program did not prevent the psychosocial challenges of ‘fitting in’ with other students and overcoming the quandary of being black and gifted in a mainstream setting.  His saving grace was his family who ‘shored him up’ with stories of their own struggles and victories over time. For so many children & youth, families can make the difference.

*This story is an excerpt from one that will appear in an upcoming book of family narratives: Multi-Cultural Families Bringing Up Gifted Children: a National Perspective

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USING THIS STORY IN ANY FORM IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED WITHOUT WRITTTEN PERMISSION OF DR. JOY LAWSON DAVIS

PART II- TAKING OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE

Last week, I recommended that to ‘TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE’ we need to be well-informed about issues and resources that will enable us to engage in conversations that will affect the course of education for high ability diverse children now and in the future. To assist with that process, this week’s post will provide some of those resources. Some of these are programs, books, links that many of you are already familiar with. Some will be new to you.

I ask that you take a look at the resources and share this page. The list is intentionally brief. Please take a moment to go to at least one site or check out one resource that is new to you and then, SHARE it with someone else. Remember, if we are to improve our advocacy and address the educational and social needs of a broader group of high ability/gifted learners, we must be in the mindset of SHARING. Make no assumptions. Because you may know something or have access does not mean that others do.

How do we improve services for more students? We make information more ACCESSIBLE to a wider audience. When, as a field, gifted education and advanced learner programs begins sharing more across different populations, engaging in more collaborations services for high ability learners will improve incrementally.

PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE WITH OTHERS AND IF YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MORE PROGRAMS, BOOKS, WEBSITES, PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO PASS THEM ON TO ME.  You may share your recommendations in the COMMENT box below, on the new WEAREGIFTED2 facebook page, or via email to me at profjoy1022@gmail.com

~SELECTED RESOURCES and WEBSITES~

The New Common Core State Standards and the Gifted

http://parentingforhighpotential.com/2012/02/12/666/

Identifying & Serving Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Gifted Position Paper

http://www.nagc.org/uploadedFiles/PDF/Position_Statement_PDFs/Identifying%20and%20Serving%20Culturally%20and%20Linguistically%20Diverse%20Gifted%20Students.pdf

IMPORTANT NEW BOOKS:

Banks J.A. & Banks, C.M. (2012) Multicultural Education: Issues & Perspectives (8^th Ed). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons

Coleman, M.R. & Johnsen, S.K. (Eds) (2012). Implementing RtI with Gifted Students: Service Models, Trends & Issues. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press (available Nov 1)

Kennedy, Banks, & Grandin (2011). Bright, but not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism.  Jossey & Bass

10  Facebook Pages you Must See!!

 (Search on Facebook for each page, review, & join or ‘like’ to keep up to date w/ their materials)

Black Kids Read

Each One, Teach One

Gifted Development Center

Gifted in Michigan

Gifted Homeschoolers

Great Potential Press

Hbcu Kidz

International Gifted Education

The Black Academy

The School for Gifted Potentials

Supporting Gifted Learners

WeAreGifted2 {just launched Sept 30th! - please 'like'}

OTHER WEBSITES

Gifted in Wisconsin

http://giftedinwisconsin.com

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted www.sengifted.org

Teaching for High Potential (THP) https://www.facebook.com/teachingforhighpotential

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

The study and new book project re: Culturally Diverse Families Raising Gifted Children is going very well!! Many thanks to parents and educators who have contributed over the past few months. We have interviewed a number of families and collected narratives from others. To date we have 30+ interviews and narratives from a wide variety of families from across the nation raising gifted children (African American, Hispanic, Bi-Racial, Low SES, Immigrant, Rural, Native American). If you or someone you know is interested in sharing a story, please contact me immediately at profjoy1022@gmail.com for more details. We’re very excited and do appreciate your support!

Taking our Place at the Table

This past weekend, I attended my first board retreat as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children. The meeting was filled with planning, proposed initiatives and future directions of the NAGC. I listened, observed and contributed.

 

As I was engaging with the group, I thought about the phrase ‘A PLACE AT THE TABLE’. This phrase was popularized by the publication of a book of the same name, published in 2000 by Teaching Tolerance, which tells the story of unsung heroes, men and women who crossed who crossed ethnic, racial, religious, and other divides to help further the cause of justice.  

At the NAGC convention in 2011, our President, Dr. Paula Olszweski-Kubilius used the phrase as she was discussing a new vision for the NAGC. This new vision has been a source of controversy, but, it has at least ‘stirred’ much-needed discussions about the purpose of NAGC and ‘what we do’ and ‘who we serve’. Not everyone has agreed with the new ‘vision’, but as with any change…we don’t expect everyone to agree! But ‘stirring’ the conversation is necessary if we are going to move in a broader, more inclusive direction. (See this quarter’s special issue of Gifted Child Quarterly for responsive articles- pay special attention to Dr. T.C. Grantham’s article).

So, back to my experience this weekend and how I felt about it- I’ve recently begun using the term ‘take-away’ with my undergrad students as I present research and materials on some of the complex and provocative topics in Diversity Education. I ask them: what do you ‘take-away’ from this information that will help you in the classroom in the future? Applying this to my experience, I’d have to say that my ‘take-aways’ from this weekend can be captured under the header - ‘TAKING OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE’.  As such, I share these six compelling recommendations:

1-      As a group of diversity advocates, whether educators, parents, or community leaders, we must TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE OF ALL CONVERSATIONS REGARDING HIGH ABILITY, GIFTED LEARNERS from this point forward and be aware of all resources being made available to help teachers and parents.

2-    To TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE, means we will need to be assertive and seek out information from all sources that will help us gain entry into a field that has been largely the venue of a small, select group of scholars, affluent parents, and practitioners concerned about investing in research and developing programs for gifted students. [Paying attention to gifted education websites, articles, newsletters, conferences are highly recommended, see a few recommendations below].

3-     To TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE, we must be diligent about seeking out gifted students and advocating for them, not just our own children but anyone’s child who has exceptional abilities and is in need of an alternative education with appropriate supports to enable them to reach their potential. To do this we have to be unselfish and as outspoken for others as we would be for our own.

4-     To TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE, we must be well informed, and not ‘shy away’ from materials, web postings, educational conferences, articles, organizations which cater to the needs of the ‘gifted population’ just because we don’t necessarily believe in the use of the term ‘gifted’ or the interchangeable use of ‘talent’. [The jury is still out on which term will serve us all best in the future].

5-     To TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE, we will have to sit side-by-side with some individuals who heretofore may have been ‘the others’, and in some views ‘the enemy’ . Why? Because they have access to services that our children need. In the public school setting, these services are paid for by public funding (as limited as it may be in some settings). So, the phrase ‘strange bedfellows’ comes to mind. We must get over who’s sitting beside us at the dinner table and learn that to be heard and considered we’ve got to BE AT THE TABLE, too. [For more information about state services and funding, see the link below].

6-     To TAKE OUR PLACE AT THE TABLE, we must Advocate, Agitate, and Acknowledge that there are are still many at the table who don’t believe in our children like we do. Some of these folks will always be among us. Our job is to speak louder, more frequently, and with a unified voice so that we will be heard and draw empathizers to us until we eradicate underrepresentation and under-service to diverse gifted learners! Eventually, our EMPATHIZERS will OUTNUMBER THE NAYSAYERS. I believe that! I hope you do, as well.

I INVITE YOU TO JOIN ME AT THE TABLE! LISTED BELOW ARE A FEW SPECIFIC RESOURCES THAT I BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR TAKING YOUR RIGHTFUL SEAT. PLEASE REVIEW THE SITES, ‘TAKE-AWAY’ WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND MOST URGENT TO YOU RIGHT NOW,  AND SHARE THIS PAGE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. OTHER RESOURCES WILL FOLLOW IN THE COMING WEEKS. 

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-RESOURCES FOR ‘TAKING YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE’

A Place at the Table http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/sale/apatt-classset

Bright, Talented & Black  http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Talented-Black-Families-American/dp/1935067028/ref=zg_bs_16022381_42

And related website www.brighttalentedblack.com

  

Excellent website for parents by the mother of a young, African American male prodigy who attended Morehouse College at 13 www.spirit-gifted.com

Gifted in the States Report , includes a national interactive map, click on your state for more details http://www.nagc.org/index2.aspx?id=976 .

Hoagies Gifted Page: site with up-to-date resources, articles, books, programs, ‘everything gifted’ www.hoagiesgifted.org

Multicultural Gifted Education, 2^nd Edition: Dr. Donna Ford http://www.amazon.com/Multicultural-Gifted-Education-2nd-ed/dp/1593636997

National Association for Gifted Children www.nagc.org

Parenting for High Potential NAGC publication for families http://www.nagc.org/php.aspx

Special Populations in Gifted Education: Drs. Jaime Castellano and Andrea Dawn Frazier  http://www.amazon.com/Special-Populations-Gifted-Education-Castellano/dp/159363417X/ref=pd_sim_b_2

Teaching for High Potential NAGC publication for educators http://www.nagc.org/thp.aspx

Obtaining 'Optimal Effectiveness' for ALL

I'm stirred up and anxious about the state of American education today. I'm particularly concerned about how little attention is paid to the very unique and exceptional needs of gifted learners. {Gifted learners are those for whom the 'regular' classroom setting is simply not enough to engage their cognitive abilities, be sensitive to their emotional development, and enable them to reach their highest potential}


Like many of you, among my concerns are: Teacher strikes, increasing tuition in our nation's colleges & universities, low ranking of American students as compared to their international neighbors, continuing discussions about the importance of high level 'standards', decreased educational funding ---all with students' lives hanging in the balance.

In the midst of all of these challenges and so many more are students who have been and until we change focus, may continue to be:

• UNDEREDUCATED,
• OVERLOOKED,
• UNDERCHALLENGED,
• AND SOME EVEN MISIDENTIFIED as everything but high ability/gifted (that's another post-- for another night). These students are those for whom I am most concerned, for these are the students whose learning potential we seem not to regard as important. Or at least not important enough for any consistent special attention...

In a 1959 speech, Dr. Martin D. Jenkins noted that...

'a society that does not give special attention to its most able youngsters will find itself unable to attain its optimal effectiveness'

And so here we are today - without the special attention needed across all groups- unable to obtain our optimal effectiveness...

How did we arrive at this point? I won't dare venture into that 'land' in this limited space~ but, what I will once again note is that there are able youngsters and teens in classrooms who originate from all communities- living in apartment complexes, single family homes, barrios, section 8 housing, on reservations, and in rural communities across this great land we call America.. waiting for us to develop a substantive, long-term plan for obtain OPTIMAL EFFECTIVENESS through an Equitable and Excellent Educational system that provides for the full development of talent among from all communities. As a nation, we not afford to 'pick and choose' who we will identify as 'able' and whose gifts we will 'not' identify and nurture.

Any plan for special attention as Dr. Jenkins called for in 1959 demands that we do better, serve more broadly and share exemplary practices across states and regions.

While there are a number of exemplary programs nationwide that address these needs, there are still TOO MANY HOLES in services and resources, TOO MANY GAPS in funding, TOO MANY able youngsters whose needs are going unmet.

What does special attention provide for?

• Teachers who are able to use culturally responsive strategies for identifying and nurturing giftedness across ethnic groups, regardless of students' income levels

• Classrooms that allow for investigative learning, problem-solving, where student-centered learning (not regurgitation of information) is the norm, not the exception

• High quality books in EVERY school, EVERY public library that represents work by and for readers from all cultural groups, all genders and family types,

• Saturday morning, evening and Summer programming that will give these learners the 'extra boost' in the Arts & Sciences they crave and need,

• Access to college readiness experiences and test preparation that is equitable, economical and within reach of all children with the inclination and interest to attend ANY institution of higher education in America and (NOT just for those whose parents can afford  $500-1,000+ test prep workshops),

• Educators who recognize the challenges inherent in being culturally diverse and gifted in our schools today, including recognition of the greatest challenge of all-- Systemic Discrimination in the form of Low Expectations for children of color and behaviors that continue to perpetuate this challenge, and

• Families who are equipped to ADVOCATE tirelessly for their children AND schools who invite these families TO THE TABLE in an open and respectful manner day-to-day...

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here for now. Our children and communities depend on more of us taking on this task and becoming advocates for Excellent, Equitable Educational programming for high ability students across all cultures and within all communities. Our children and futures depend on it, anything less would be - in the words of Dr. Jenkins, a 'moral loss' for all..

Many thanks to those of you who understand my concerns and share interests and who are working so hard to reach the optimal effectiveness mark.

In the next few weeks, I will feature exemplary programs on this site. If you are aware of programs as an educator, parent, or supporters,  please share via email and I'll include them here.

Towards Optimal Effectiveness~


profjoy1022@gmail.com

BRIGHT,TALENTED & BLACK IN 'REAL TIME'!!

Recently in preparation for a new project, I re-read ‘The Case of ‘B’: A gifted negro girl’ published by Paul Witty & Martin D. Jenkins in 1935. I was so moved by the details of their study of this young girl’s brilliance. ‘B’ was one of a number of gifted students that Jenkins located in a predominately black neighborhood of Chicago in the early 1930s. Their interaction with ‘B’ set a precedent for the field of psychological assessment and gifted education. B’s story was the first to be published of a Black student with superior intellectual ability, her measured IQ was 200. In today’s language, B would be categorized as ‘highly or profoundly’ gifted. This was in the early 20th century. The researchers concluded that the ‘B’ was not necessarily alone in her high intellectual capacity and that other Black children could likely be found with similar abilities. I take that to mean, that if we seek them out, they can be found.

That was almost one hundred years ago and today, we are still grappling with the idea and work of finding and nurturing highly intelligent Black gifted children. Something is awry. Like with all cultural groups, from all communities, gifted children do exist, they actually exist everywhere!! If ‘B’ and her other gifted peers could be found in the early 1930s (Jenkins went to assess and write about a number of Black gifted children from similar communities in Chicago and other urban areas), then, certainly these children are among us today!! Below are just a few profiles of such students all across the nation in REAL TIME!!

========================================

Sophia & Rebecca: the authors of ‘A world without Chores’:

Sophia & Rebecca are two very bold, courageous & gifted sisters whose parents require them to participate in household chores (like all good parents should do). One day,  they came up with an ingenious idea which led to the writing and publication of an award winning children’s book. These two young authors are homeschooled and getting a great deal of national attention now for this unique and clever look at ‘A world without Chores’. See more about this exceptional book and these two young authors:

http://blackhomeschoolers.com/2011/04/now-availablea-world-without-chores-8-11-year-old-authors-of-this-childrens-book-sophia-rebecca/

Chess Masters before 13!!

Three young men in New York City were featured in the national news for having earning the title of Chess Master before the age of 13! At 12, one of the champions, Justus Williams was the highest rated player of his age and gender group by the U.S. Chess Federation. They are now members of a very elite group of international chess masters having won tournaments and earned this distinction as young adolescents! Nationwide, chess teams enable millions of young people to sharpen their critical thinking skills, their visual spatial abilities and provide outlets for their intellectual abilities.

http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2011/11/three-young-black-chess-masters/

Amaya’s Dance bus:

A few years ago as a young girl, Amaya had a dream of providing the same type of dance lessons that she has access to for her classmates and neighborhood friends who could not afford private dance lessons. She asked her mother for a school bus that could travel around the community to bring the dance lessons to her friends’ front door…thus, the birth of Amaya’s Dance Bus.  Today, Amaya is a CEO of her own company! She has been interviewed on national talk shows, gained a great deal of respect and attention as an entrepreneur with exceptional compassion. See her extraordinary story here!

http://www.amiyasdancebus.com/missionandpurpose.htm

Steven Stafford, III

At 13 years old, Stephen Stafford had a choice for his schooling..he opted to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta with a triple major in the sciences. As the youngest student on campus during his freshman year, Stephen was recognizable, but well respected by his college classmates. Stephen is a prodigy. Today, Stephen has been in college for two years and is doing very well. See his story here:

http://clatl.com/atlanta/stephen-stafford-13-year-old-morehouse-sophomore/Content?oid=1286441

"It is imperative that a child's 'gifted' mind is reflected consistently in his/her environment for optimal development!  Family/life discussions; emotional bonding; entertainment; talent pursuits  and academics...when in accord makes for an inspired, brilliant student!"

 – M. Brown-Stafford, mother of Stephen Stafford III

Today, I implore you to do your part to advocate for children and youth like this in neighborhoods everywhere. WE CAN ERADICATE UNDER-ACHIEVEMENT OF BLACK STUDENTS AND OTHERS OF DIVERSE GROUPS AND WE CAN ERADICATE UNDER-REPRESENTATION IN GIFTED PROGRAMS ACROSS THIS NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD!! Students just like the ones here are in 'real time' classrooms, households, neighborhoods, waiting for an opportunity to demonstrate their brilliance! They are counting on us!!

Reference:

Witty, P.A. & Jenkins, M.D. (1935)The Case of “B”—A

Gifted Negro Girl, The Journal of Social Psychology, 6:1, 117-124.

A Song for the Genius Child

This is a song for the genius child,

Sing it softly for the song is wild

Sing it softly as ever you can

lest the song get out of hand

Nobody loves a genius child........

This first stanza of an insightful, yet painful poem written by one if our nation's most prolific writers, the great Langston Hughes, tells the day-to-day experience of millions of gifted children and youth sitting in classrooms everyday unloved, unnoticed, and misunderstood. These young scholars, inventors, creators, and artists attend schools with the expectation that they will be stimulated, challenged, and valued for their ideas, motivation, courage, and creativity.

For far too many, they meet adults who turn a deaf ear, leaving them to feel unloved and under appreciated, and worse who misinterpret their strengths for weaknesses, or deficits. For many gifted learners, being true to themselves leaves them open to criticism, taunting, bullying, disrespect, not only from their age peers, but also from adults : teachers, community members, others who should feel an obligation to help and to nurture their strengths.  

When they express their giftedness they are called crazy, too talkative, too busy, too smart, quirky.  If their intense behavior is manifested in quiet, more subtle behaviors and they crave more isolation, they are criticized for not speaking up, being too sad, being anti-social, or too sensitive. Some have even reported teachers and other adults being threatened by the intelligence and wisdom of the gifted, and responding as though the child or teen was a 'danger' to others in the academic environment.

Research about the characteristics of gifted learners in particular, the intensities and 'overexcitabilities' of gifted people and first hand accounts of what it means to be gifted, has provided more than sufficient evidence of the great needs that gifted or genius children have for support and understanding.


Hughes' poem uses the metaphor of the eagle to express the ability of these young people to 'soar' when given the support and understanding they need. Without this support, understanding and love, the very spirit, the core of what makes them who they are will be destroyed.  

So, for those of you who committed to nurturing the 'genius child'

• I encourage you during this school year, to do your part to show all children, including ALL gifted children in your environment that you appreciate them, value their strengths, and are available to do what you can to help them 'soar',

• I encourage you to look among ALL populations to seek out giftedness, appreciate them, and ensure that they have every opportunity to reach their highest potential, and

• I encourage you to actively show your children and your students through your attention to their intellectual and affective needs that you love the 'genius child' within. Anything less would be a travesty.

..can you love an eagle, tame or wild?
Wild or tame, can you love a monster of frightening name?
Nobody loves a genius child,
Kill him and let his soul run wild.
 -Langston Hughes, 1947


For more information:

Piechowski, M. (2006) Mellow out-they say, If I only could: Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. Madison,WI:Yunasa books