Parallel Session Proceedings »
4.5.10 Onboarding New Teachers in an All-Gifted Environment: Whys, Wherefores, and Saying Things Out Loud
Teaching gifted students is both exhilarating and exhausting for teachers, who must be subject matter experts; disciplinarians; counselors; spontaneous, flexible, and creative thinkers; and ALSO careful planners and passionate advocates. It’s an intimidating list of requirements.
Whether they teach pull-out classes or at all-gifted programs, these teachers have different professional development needs from other new hires at a school, especially if they have never worked in an all-gifted environment before. An understanding of what is central — and thus, perhaps, unspoken — to your school’s philosophy of giftedness is critical to the success of your new colleagues.
Your school’s concept of “giftedness” — what it is, how it manifests itself, and what teaching techniques work best — is unique, and must be communicated concretely and explicitly. How does your school feel about collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts? Would it be frowned upon, neutrally accepted, or eagerly embraced if your new science teacher suggests working closely with your social studies teacher on a unit?
Your new teacher needs to understand that “gifted” does not equal high-achieving, teacher-pleasing, and/or perfect behavior. And some children know more — sometimes much more — than the instructor about the subject they are teaching (the younger the child is, the more ego-shaking it can be). Your teachers’ subject matter expertise must be deep, and their egos must be shallow, or this will be a very short relationship.
Special populations also have specific characteristics and best practices: what do girls do differently from boys, for example? What are OEs, intensity, perfectionism, risk avoidance, anxiety, and other issues that show up a lot and get in the way?
Crucially, you must convey your school’s attitude towards struggle and failure, and how you talk about, approach, and guide students through it. Many students have no experience, and thus no skills, to bring to genuine intellectual challenge. They will be frustrated and uncomfortable experiencing academic friction, and your teachers must be prepared to handle the implications and consequences. In your experience, how do students generally handle failure, or not being the smartest kid in the room anymore, and when does that generally happen?
Preparing your teachers for the very different experience of an all-gifted classroom is crucial to their success and to your students’ performance and development; we share specific, real-world information that should be part of every onboarding protocol.