2.2.6 Training Process of Gifted Teachers

The training process of the professors at gifted special education is not a branch widely known. At Latin America few massive diagnostic efforts, scarce training of teachers and scientific investigation oriented to the development of innovative educative models have compromised the development of special schools for the high intelligent students. At USA theoretical-practical course of certification or graduate degrees in this field are required, in Latin-America this administrative structure is scarcely developed. Several problems of the Latin-American educative systems are related to the preparation and formation of its professors coupled with the difficulty to encourage students to respond favorably when exposed to innovations and new educative programs. Therefore, a qualitative research study was conducted that explored throughout five years the process of how a gifted teacher is trained. This study described and analyzed, through research, the previously unknown processes a professor goes through in a differentiated educative model for gifted students, which contributed to create a guide capable of explaining these organized steps; this study found six main stages of teacher’s development. These identified stages were: screening- detection; “scrimmaging”; assisting teaching; teaching while in training under supervision; senior teaching and teaching as a tutor. An explaining guide for the training of professors was created with a potential to be applied in other gifted students’ institutions, and it can be used as reference for future professors and investigators interested in the theme of superior intelligence at countries where limited funding is available for external institutes of gifted training. The research was conducted in Mexico City. Twenty-nine individuals were selected. This "sample" was formed by directors of the educative institution, senior teachers with over five years of experience (who in turn were training new professors in different subjects, such as natural and social sciences, robotics and languages), professors "under training" and gifted students who had received classes from some of the professors belonging to this group. Field observation and interviews were used to collect information. All data obtained was validated through triangulation and member checking.

Describing this training process would foster the process to uniform, in the future, the series of professional rules toward other gifted schools in order to reduce the irregularity found within this field at underdeveloped countries. This specific gifted teacher's guide will help to make professionalize some of the teachers training that cater for students with special needs at underdeveloped countries such as the ones within Latin America.

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