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4.5.10 Onboarding New Teachers in an All-Gifted Environment: Whys, Wherefores, and Saying Things Out Loud
Whether they teach pull-out classes or at all-gifted programs, new gifted education teachers have professional development needs different from those of 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, perhaps, unspoken — to a school’s philosophy of giftedness is critical to the success of these new colleagues. Preparing teachers for the very different experience of an all-gifted classroom is crucial to their success and to their students’ performance and development. We will share specific, real-world information that should be part of every onboarding protocol.
Author(s):
Melissa Bilash
MBilash@TheGraysonSchool.org
The Grayson School
United States
Melissa Bilash founded The Grayson School, Pennsylvania’s only independent school designed specifically for gifted learners. She serves on NAGC’s Legislative and Special Schools Committees, and co-authored “Personnel Preparation” for NAGC’s 2016 publication, A Guide to State Policies in Gifted Education (2nd ed.). One of only 78 federally-trained Special Education Advocates, she has testified before Congress and met with Senators, Representatives, and U.S. Dept. of Education staffers regarding best practices in gifted education. Ms. Bilash, a presenter at international and nationwide conferences, has been awarded Special Congressional Recognition and was her state’s inaugural “Innovator Award” winner for her work.
Jill Wurman
JWW@TheGraysonSchool.org
The Grayson School
United States
Jill Williford Wurman is Director of Research at The Grayson School, a position demanding familiarity with the most current understanding on gifted education topics, including academic performance, pedagogy, social-emotional development, longitudinal outcomes, and best practices in gifted education. She has presented on gifted children both internationally and nationwide, at the World’s conference in Sydney; at NAGC’s annual conference; at SENG’s annual convention; at MIT; and at the American Psychological Association’s national convention. Her particular areas of interest include gifted girls, the profoundly gifted, and the importance of academic struggle and failure for gifted students.