Giftedness is a blessing, right? Sometimes it doesn't seem so- the special talents of the gifted are often muddled in a cloud of confusion and rebellion With an excellent memory and a dislike for routine or drill, the gifted need to learn foundation skills early in life while those skills are still challenging leaving later years to discover and develop self-directed interests. These young adults can be manipulative and may challenge assignments in school as irrelevant; this population therefore needs differentiated work-not more of the same-and to understand the "why of assignments". Because they are able to abstract, conceptualize, analyze, synthesize and problem-solve at younger ages, this group may resist directions, may tend to skip details and focus on the "big picture" Teachers need to include logical problem-solving in the curriculum while diversifying according to interests at a flexible pace. Although self-reliant, group work needs to challenge everyone to work together, but should not place those with ability paired in a mentoring or tutoring position. Although sensitive, empathetic, intuitive, and perhaps willing to take on the concerns of others, these children should not be the tutors of the classroom; in a heterogeneous setting, every person has the right to a challenging experience-even the gifted. It is perhaps the emotional maturity that drives many of this population to express themselves in a negative way-to fail or quit because they can't meet the high expectations of others; it is perhaps the reason that many disguise their blessing of giftedness with "at risk" behavior. Jonathan is just such a case……….

     Choosing one child as case study to represent many of the characteristics of the gifted/talented is a difficult task. I chose this particular adolescent because I had access to parents, teachers and a great wealth of sample work over a length of time. Most of all, Jon was willing to comply with the study.

     After viewing his academic records, one would not particularly see a "gifted" child yet when in a classroom, other students always crowd around to see what Jon might create (or what he might be doing when the teacher is not looking…). He tested into the gifted/talented program in sixth grade because teachers thought he "seemed" intelligent, although he had missing assignments as early as fourth grade. He was, of course, the class clown and sat near the teacher's desk for control. Jon said that he wanted to "belong and please himself" with these class disruptions. Within the attached work samples, still lies a sense of humor that is witty to "off the wall". The class clown 's sense of humor would continue to mask his intelligence!

     By seventh grade, what seemed to be an average interest in playing video games, developed into an increased interest in computers. He began to build web pages and upgrade computers for others. Now twelve, his new challenge is programming…self-taught from a manual. All this still surprises Jon's parents and teachers; what next? One can only guess with the gifted…

     Ah, music, he hasn't tried that! .In 1997-8, his creativity began to express and develop through music. A friend of his played a song on the guitar and Jon repeated it-the first time! His friend urged him to take lessons; six months later, he plays the trombone, electric guitar, and is going to attend NAU summer music camp this year. This is a new side of him previously hidden.

     In his parent's eyes, Jon has always been an average healthy boy that didn't particularly enjoy classwork, but the average-healthy-happy-boy face disguised a brewing discontent that would express itself in tragedy. Also involved with boys and girls older than he, Jon began to witness alternative behavior-he began questioning morality issues that he faced "first hand". Experimenting with marijuana, he watched older boys "vampire" and sniff glue. Ultimately, one of the older boys who Jon considered a friend, died sniffing that glue, prompting him to cut ties with friends that he had since three-they were taking a different road in life with drugs and other "questionable" activities. It was, according to Jonathan, a difficult choice but one that he would repeat. He misses his childhood playmate, but some of the group have died with drugs or have been expelled for "Satanic" activities. His poem, "Christian Boy", reflects an early maturity and a depth of understanding of the frail and sometimes dark nature of man-he is lucky to have discovered this at such an early age (eleven) , hopefully to become a leader for others.

     Another characteristic of the gifted is challenging authority. Today Jon knows how to play the game-no….he manipulates the game…but his first years in school were difficult. His parents made many trips to the elementary school-one trip was especially amusing-at least now. In his first week of kindergarten and on the playground, the five year old would not come in with the rest of the class. Why? Well, he was only going to listen to the boss-the principal! After his mother explained the order of authority, his response was, "Why didn't you tell me that before? I just need to know the rules." Subsequent trips and phone calls would not be as amusing…….

     Seemingly on the road to success, Jon has set a goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon. With this goal in mind, he has decided to take Honors courses in high school .next year. Grades count now, so he sees purpose. He is one of the gifted that sees the "big picture" and is motivated by real world application of knowledge. His grades have not always reflected his passionate beliefs nor his maturity in moral judgment, but he seems to be on the road to success now that he has grown to understand human nature through his experiences. Last year he won the district poetry contest and this year he was chosen to produce a music video with "Future Within" a program through middle school enrichment programs. With the varied interests common to the gifted, Jon is primarily right brain with musical multiple intelligence yet he does well at anything that provides inner motivation. Last year he was voted playwright and director of the year among the gifted peers. Grades, scores, evaluations-what do they really tell us? They tell us who has found his inner motivation ...

"So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea
your're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So..get on your way!"     -Dr Seuss

     So was the Dr, Suess quote an accurate prediction for Jon? We send our gifted students and children off to tackle mountains with the self-confidence that anything is possible. But have we prepared them for this task? As teachers, I hope so; as parents how do access whether we have done our part? Is it judged by the success of the child or by society? Today we tend to brand good parenting as good results…..you know..success.

     As teachers, it is our responsibility to nurture each student toward an inner motivation; for the gifted, we need to use higher order thinking skills, varied techniques to accommodate the innate abilities and a flexibility with rules to allow for the creative spirit. Jon is one that sees the "big picture" and is passionate in his beliefs and ambitions, but rigid policies that don't make sense deplete these inner motivations. In a follow up interview with the case study, Jon became a high school drop-out at fifteen. First, he wanted to take German when only Spanish and French were available. The answer was a flat, "No!" to credit even at a community college. Bored in the computer classes, he also asked to enroll in high level courses at the community college with a similar response. The catalyst to this explosion was finishing a psychology paper by the due date, but receiving a zero because his parent could not take off work to make sure it arrived by third period-that afternoon was not acceptable. The blessings of giftedness can and is many times depleted by rigid adherence to rules that lose meaning without judgment.

     Five years later….I began to read this case study and decided to. return to Jonathan's story. If Shakespeare was right, "All's well, that ends well…" then Jon's story is a successful one. After dropping out, he was able to pass the GED and enroll in the community college-once again, giftedness seemed to be a blessing. Or was it? What was it that drove him then to seek the "different" experience-to find meth and almost destroy his life as well as that of all who held on in the dark times. When a parent sees a healthy, bright baby growing into a creative, sensitive, intelligent child, that parent does not see any other possibility but success and happiness for him or her. What went wrong with this twisted blessing? Whose fault is it? Can anyone blame the child? Parents? Teachers? Society? Drugs are a part of this generation, but sometimes there just isn't anything anyone can do, but be there for his/her child when needed-to give unconditional love without judgment. Jon has been clean of drugs for four years now, graduated from DeVry with a 4.0 and scholarship, and works at a promising career at Intel. He now plans to further his studies at ASU in engineering. It has been a long road with many twists and turns, including a year in and out of hospitals with a ten day stay in Mesa with a psychotic young adult and the criminally insane "roomies". Looking back, Jon and I wished that we had made different-not better-choices, but I am still proud to be a parent of the gifted. Jonathan Michael Molina has truly been a blessing in disguise-he is one of three gifted sons that have kept me on my toes. If you have a gifted child, you know what I mean………see through the disguise, embrace the blessing and begin the journey.

GIFTED EXHIBIT A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE

DEEPER THAN SHALLOW

WHAT WONDER LIES PAST THE SKY’S AZURE?
PAST THE SEEMING LIMITS THAT DOES LURE
THE WONDERING MIND-THAT OF MEN
BUT SHOULD WE FIRST EXPLORE WITHIN?
THERE’S MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT OUR ABODE
WHERE BATTLES WERE FOUGHT AND CHARIOTS RODE.
OR SHOULD WE DIG DEEPER THAN WE HAVE? SHALLOW....
SHALLOW IS OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW.
HAVE YOU DECIPHERED WHERE MY MIND DELVES?
MY PERSPECTIVE SUGGESTS WE KNOW NOT OURSELVES.

-Eighth grader Hillcrest M.S.

WHAT MAGIC?

WHAT MAGIC WAS USED TO CONJURE
THE WORLD IN WHICH I WALK ABOUT?
WHAT MADE THE SKY BLUE OR MAKES WIND STIR,
THE MOON’S DEMISE, THE SUN’S TRIUMPH, THE TREES SPROUT?
WHATEVER, WHOEVER, HOWEVER IS UNKNOWN TO ME.
I SIT AND THINK, AS MANY DO ABOUT UNANSWERED THOUGHT,
BUT BLIND AS I AM, I STILL CLEARLY SEE,
HOW LUCKY WE ARE, AND THE WONDERFUL WORLD WE’VE GOT.
AND ALL THE WHILE I MUST WONDER, IF MY THOUGHTS ARE THOSE OF A FOOL,
FLOODS, HURRICANES, LIGHTENING AND THUNDER;
THESE ARE ONLY PARTS OF A WORLD SO CRUEL.
DESPITE THOSE THAT BY NATURE’S HAND DIE,
THE EARTH SHALL REMAIN BEAUTIFUL IN MY EYE.

-Eighth grader

COLE CLAIMS GIFTED ”...CHILDREN KNOW ABOUT MORAL HYPOCRISY,,,”

-Coles is a Harvard professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, whose latest works-The Moral Life of Children and The Political Life of Children-are the product of ten years’ research.

WHY THIS?

War
Hateful, killing, annihilating
Pointless in the end
Clash

-Eighth grader Hillcrest M.S.

L. KOHLBERG CLAIMS MORAL DEVELOPMENT BY EXPERIENCING OF MORAL CONFLICT OR DILEMMAS

FALLEN ANGELS

                  THEY WENT AGAINST THEIR LIEGE,
            IGNORING HIS PRESTIGE,
      HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS LOVE,
THE LORD WHO DWELLS “ABOVE”

            THEY SUFFERED THEIR OWN HATE
        BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LATE,
    TO RECONSIDER THEIR PROBABILITY,
SO THEY MUST DWELL AMONG YOU AND ME.

-EIGHTH GRADER HILLCREST M.S

L KOHLBERG CLAIMS MORAL DEVELOPMENT BY EXPOSURE TO HIGHER LEVEL OR MORAL REASONING...

LUNAR PLANE

        LET THE CURRENT
TAKE ME AWAY
        CARRIED ON WINDS
                  TO A HORIZON GREY,
        CALM WATER STARTLED
BY THE SMALLEST OF STONES
        THE MOONLIGHT RIPPLES
                  AND THE FOREST-TREE MOANS.

ALL THINGS GET BROKEN; YET THE SUN ALWAYS SETS,
TODAY BECOMES TOMORROW; YESTERDAY FORGETS,
TAKES ALL YOUR TROUBLES, ALL YOUR REGRETS
BUT YESTERDAY IS JUST A DAY
YET ALL THE PAIN
YEARNS TO REMAIN
DEEP WITHIN YOUR SOUL
FRANTICALLY SEARCHING
FOR A REASON; FOR A CAUSE,
THE BODY BECOMES FRIGHTENED;
THE BODY HAS FLAWS.

THE EARTH BENEATH BECOMES WATER

        AND THE FLESH STARTS TO SHIVER

     BECAUSE YOUR BODY CAN’T TAKE

        WHAT YOUR MIND WANTS TO DELIVER..

-Mountain Ridge H.S.

L. KOHLBERG CLAIMS MORAL DEVELOPMENT BY DEBATE OF HIGHER ORDER IDEAS...

FALLEN PIECE OF HEAVEN

THIS ONE TELLS A STORY. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

WATCHING WAITING, FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN
TO HAPPEN ACROSS A DUSTY OLD PATH
TO BRING SOME BIT OF THE OUTSIDE CIRCLE
INTO THE INNARDS OF ORGANIC MACHINE

SHADOW RAN WITH EACH RAY OF LIGHT
SUNSHINE OF DAY CHASED AWAY THE NIGHT
CHERISHED ENTIRELY BY BONE AND SOUL
TERRIFIED BY ABSENCE OF THE WHOLE

A CREATURE OF FACE DWELLS AMONGST THE SHADE
PLAYING WITH PICTURES AND TRINKETS HE’S MADE
AND WHEN THE WARMTH CAME FROM HIGH ABOVE
HE TOOK IT IN HIS QUAKING HANDS, WITH LOVE

HE LOOKED UP TO THE HEAVENS AND CRIED
FOR ALL THE EMPTINESS HE HAD FELT INSIDE
SUDDENLY WASHED AWAY WITH THE WATERS OF JOY
ALONG WITH THE PAIN THAT HE COULDN’T DESTROY

HIS EYES DART QUICKLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE
HIS MIND OPEN SHUT AND A MOUTH CLOSED WIDE
DRIVEN BY FEAR AND ARMED WITH WRATH
HE GUARDED THE LIGHT THAT CROSSED HIS PATH

YET HE COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT IT WAS MEANT
AS IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM TO BE SENT
AS IF IT COULD BE TAKEN OR RIPPED FROM HIS HANDS
VINDICATION TO ALL IN THE SHADOWLANDS

ANYTHING THAT DARE TAKE AWAY THAT PIECE
THE PIECE OF HEAVEN THAT FELL FROM ABOVE
WOULD FEEL IT’S ENDLESS SUPPLY OF TOOTH
AND TOOTH IT BE FOR THOSE WHO DID

YET HE FAILED TO SEE THAT IN ALL THIS MEASURE
IN HIS COMPANY, THE LIGHT TOOK PLEASURE

AND ALL THE TIME HE SPENT DISPUTING THE SOIL
SOLACE WAS FOUND IN THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS.

-Mountain Ridge H.S.

... GIFTED EXHIBIT PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES

“ PREJUDICE EXISTS BECAUSE PEOPLE ONLY WANT TO THINK THAT THE WORLD IS SIMPLE, THAT THERE ARE NO BELIEFS OUT THERE EXCEPT THEIR OWN.....I AM A PERSON OF STRONG CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND. I AM PART OF A PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN ALL LIVING THINGS, WHO GIVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING....I’LL USE THEIR COMMENTS TO MAKE ME STRONGER. PREJUDICES AND STEREOTYPING ARE ASSUMPTIONS MADE BY US ALL AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER, YET THESE ASSUMPTIONS CAN GO TOO FAR...LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HEART TELLS YOU. DON’T HATE ME BECAUSE I’M BROWN....”

-Essay on prejudice
Anthem M.S.

“...IT’S DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE, RELIGIONS, AND COLOR THAT GIVE US THE LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT WE ALL GET EVERY DAY. IF WE WERE ALL THE SAME-THE WAY WE DRESS, TALK, OR ACT-THE WORLD WOULD BE SO BORING. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE UNFAMILIAR, DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS; THEY COULD VERY WELL BE YOUR FUTURE BEST FRIEND.”

-Essay on prejudice
Anthem M. S.

...”IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU TO DIE SO THAT FREEDOM WOULD SURVIVE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? ALL OUR HEROES HAVE RESPONDED TO THAT VERY QUESTION. THEY HAVE ALL SAID, “YES”, AND MANY HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. WE CANNOT REPAY THEM NOR CAN CAN WE EVER BRING THEM BACK, BUT WE CAN LET THEM LIVE ON IN OUR MEMORIES. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER AND ACCEPT THAT FREEDOM IS ALWAYS COSTLY. LET US NEVER FORGET TO VALUE AND FIGHT FOR A GIFT WE HAVE INHERITED...”

-Response essay
-Anthem M.S.

“Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training...”

class="psig">-Anna Freud

BUBBA

THERE ONCE WAS A CAT NAMED BUBBA,
BUBBA HAD TOO MUCH CHUBBA,
HE ATE WAY TOO MUCH,
LIKE MEOW MIX AND SUCH,

SO BUBBA HAD LOTS OF FLUBBA.

-Eighth grader

GIFTED EXPRESS NOVEL IDEAS....

STORM

I HEARD THE THUNDER BOOM,
ON THIS STORMY NIGHT,
IT EVEN SHOOK MY ROOM,
IT MADE ME JUMP WITH FRIGHT!

THE RAIN SMACKED MY WINDOW,
WIND WHISTLING THROUGH THE TREES,
THE THUNDER CLAPPED AS THOUGH,
THE CLOUDS LET OUT A SNEEZE.

THEN AS IT BEGINS TO CLEAR,
NATURE ONCE AGAIN CAN SHINE,
BIRDS CHIRPING I CAN HEAR,
I’M GLAD THE EARTH IS MINE.

-Eighth grader

...AND SOMETIMES BOREDOM KILLS CREATIVE EXPRESSION....

WRITER’S BLOCK....

MY HEAD’S IN A BIND,
                  I CAN’T THINK AT ALL,
WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY MIND
                  IT’S STUCK IN A STALL!

           IT COMES AS A SHOCK,
                  I’VE NOT A WORD TO SAY,
I’VE GOT WRITER’S BLOCK,
                  OH, I HOPE I GET AN “A”..........

-Eighth grader

“THE GETTING BORED ADDRESS”

    “ NOBODY KEPT SCORE AND MANY CHEERS AGO, OUR POOR TEACHERS BROUGHT FORTH THE CONCEPT, CONCEIVED IN MEDIOCRITY, THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL AND THEREFORE NEED ONLY BE EQUALLY CREATIVE.

    NOW WE ARE ENGAGED IN A BACK TO BASICS BEDLAM. WE HAVE MADE OUR BEDLAM, BUT IT IS THE YOUTH WHO MUST LIE IN IT. THEREFORE, IT IS ALTOGETHER FITTING AND PROPER THAT WE SHOULD STOP LYING.

    BUT IN A LARGER SENSE WE CAN NO LONGER DEMONSTRATE, WE CAN NO LONGER EDUCATE, WE CAN NO LONGER CREATE IN THE CLASSROOM. THE BRAVE MINDS, DEAD AND DYING WHO STRUGGLE THERE, MAY NEVER CREATE BUT THEY CAN ADD AND SUBTRACT.

    TRUE, THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE NOR LONG REMEMBER WHAT WE SAY HERE, BUT GENERATIONS OF YOUTH WILL BE FORCED TO MEMORIZE IT VERBATIM AND PASS A TRUE-FALSE TEST. AND SO IT IS RATHER FOR US, THE THINKING TO ABHOR THE DEAD MINDS AND SPREADING BEHINDS WITH OUR LAST FULL MEASURE OF REVULSION. THAT WE HERE HIGHLY RESOLVE THAT THERE MUST BE A NEW BIRTH IN FREE THINKING, AND THAT THE CREATIVITY OF THE YOUTH, BY THE YOUTH, AND FOR THE YOUTH OF THIS COUNTRY, SHALL NOT PERISH FROM EDUCATION.”

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN

SERVICING THE GIFTED:THE CURRICULUM SHOULD....

• PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES BEYOND THAT PROVIDED IN THE REGULAR SCHOOL PROGRAM
• AVOID ROUTINE, DRILL, “WORKSHEET” APPROACH
• ALLOW FOR THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE ‘BIG PICTURE” BY FLEXIBLE GRADING
• IN COMPACTING THE CURRICULUM, STUDENTS SHOULD PLAN FOR INDEPENDENT WORK AND PROVIDE ALTERNATE WORK CONTRACTS. ACTIVITIES THAT HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP INDEPENDENCE, OPENNESS TO NEW IDEAS, INNOVATION, EXPLORATION, SELF-MONITORING, CREATIVITY, PLANNING AND DECISION-MAKING.
• USE HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS
• KEEP A STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT TO KEEP INTEREST....BROAD THEMES APPROPRIATE TO SEVERAL DISCIPLINES HELP STUDENTS TO BUILD A COHESIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIOUS DISCIPLINES
• KEEP WORK RELEVANT TO REAL-LIFE SO THAT STUDENTS SEE PURPOSE AND CONNECTION
• CHALLENGE THE STUDENT WITH A GROUP OF SIMILARLY GIFTED PEERS; STATISTICS/STUDIES SHOW THE AVERAGE LEARNER BENEFITS FROM TEACHING OR PEER TUTORING BUT THE GIFTED DO NOT!

SUCCESS OF THE GIFTED: HOW PARENTS CAN HELP

1. Academic performance: Encourage GPA but remember that gifted very often are already self-critical. Dr. Robert Taylor, of Curriculum Design for Excellence, Inc. believes, "A grade is an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgment by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinite amount of material." This quote mimics the curriculum design of some advanced programs-make sure the grade reflects ability level- not motivation of the learner.
2. Academic rigor: Make sure that courses align with ability and challenge the mind; coursework should differentiate with enrichment and/or acceleration. Colleges need to know if the student can succeed in high level course.
3. Extracurricular activities: If two students are equal academically, the highly selective schools make their decisions on the leadership demonstrated in extracurricular activities. Colleges want to know who the applicant is, what activities he enjoys, and how he'll contribute to campus life. Be specific in the quality of your choices.
4. Community service: Giving to the community tells employers and admission officers that your child will be an asset to society.
5. Explore interests: Acquire good study and time-management skills so that there is plenty of time to explore interests. Join new clubs and try new activities. Internships and scholarships are sometimes available.
6. Shared experiences: Share your life and time with your child….