Loading

The Truth About Gifted Learners’ Special Needs Specialist Teachers Required

Today’s blog challenge is a brief article which debates the differences between high achieving and gifted students, a debate I have heard before with students referred to on a spectrum from quite talented to really gifted, able to more able to very able, and so on. The article makes a number of claims related to giftedness and the research supporting gifted education, but the sentence that caught my eye states,

... gifted children have ‘special needs’ that the typical classroom teacher does not have the bandwidth or training to address.

This statement positions gifted students alongside students with disabilities and learning differences, as having special needs. These needs might be related to learning, social, emotional, cultural, behavioural, physical, creative, spiritual or any other gifted characteristics that are out of sync with other students of a similar age or background.

The New Zealand Ministry of Education has long recognised that gifted learners have special needs.

The National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) state that schools must identify and provide for students with special needs (including gifted and talented). This NAG was amended in 2005, so that, for the last 13+ years, all schools in New Zealand have been expected to address the needs of gifted students in the same way in which those with disabilities and learning challenges are provided with opportunities for access and participation in learning.

Yet, until the recently released Draft Disability and Learning Support Action Plan, there has been no real inclusion of gifted learners in Ministry of Education-led policies, funding, professional learning or support. In fact, the gifted - and those specialist teachers who support them - have been excluded. The reasons for this exclusion of gifted learners are unknown to me, but I can hazard a guess that it boils down to limited funding, philosophical opposition to gifted as a label and gifted education as a concept, and misunderstandings of the ways in which gifted learners demonstrate their special needs.

A gifted learner’s special needs primarily relate to having opportunities for learning - at an appropriate pace, with sufficient depth and complexity, guided by strengths, abilities, qualities and interests.

Whether a child can create amazing drawings, solve mathematical equations, speak fluently, or lead others in social change, it is likely they will have advanced knowledge and skills, coupled with a quick ability to pick up and apply new learning. This creates a need for higher level content taught at a fast pace, with access to resources that challenge thinking by introducing more advanced concepts and skills.

The gifted learners’ special needs, on the surface, appear to be markedly different from other children, especially those with learning, physical, or behavioural difficulties. And, indeed, they are different. But, the results of not identifying special abilities and qualities and matching those with appropriate learning are the same as ignoring a child’s disability: exclusion from participating in and accessing learning. Gifted learners may experience exclusion from learning new ideas, developing new skills, engaging with like-minds, and being accepted and celebrated by their peers.

As the blog states, “gifted children have ‘special needs’ that the typical classroom teacher does not have the bandwidth or training to address.”

Today’s blog challenge makes a clear statement that teaching skills to include special needs related to giftedness are not adequately provided in teacher education, so, most teachers are not prepared to ensure learning access and participation for gifted students. Yet, in New Zealand, our Ministry of Education has pushed for all teachers to work with gifted learners in all classrooms, and research commissioned by the Ministry showed that regular classroom differentiation was a preferred approach for many schools (Riley et al., 2004). Ministry research investigating teacher education programmes, over a decade ago, demonstrated that giftedness was not included in compulsory teacher education courses, beyond a one-off lecture (Riley & Rawlinson, 2007).

The truth is gifted learners have special needs, unlikely to be identified by the majority of their teachers, who have not been provided adequate initial and ongoing teacher education and professional learning.

Although both research studies are quickly becoming dated, without more funding for research, one can only assume the situation has stagnated - or possible even worsened in light of funding cuts for gifted education over the last decade. Chances are, initial teacher education is not preparing our teachers well, and those new teachers are joining a workforce with inadequate specialised knowledge and skills for meeting the special needs of gifted learners. There is little current evidence to the contrary. Which brings me to the truth about gifted learners’ special needs.

The new Draft Policy on Disability and Learning Support provides an opportunity to accept this truth - and change it - through building teacher capability, for all teachers, and incorporating some responsibility for giftedness into Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and learning support coordinator roles. Will these roles adequately meet the special needs of gifted learners?

No, It is unlikely this will be the case.

Just as children with learning and behavioural challenges are supported by Resource Teachers for Learning and Behaviour, students with complex needs might attend a special school, or a child with physical disabilities might access occupational therapy, the special needs of gifted learners are best addressed through a continuum of approaches. The Ministry of Education (2000,2012) calls for a range of differentiated, enriched and accelerated options, indeed, beginning in all classrooms and extending into the school and community. To provide this range of opportunities, as an inclusive approach that enables participation and access to learning for gifted students, requires specialist teachers for gifted students. The Draft Policy should address provisions for teachers and other professionals to gain advanced, specialist knowledge and skills for teaching gifted students.

The truth is gifted learners have special needs that require specialist professional learning, teaching and support.

This blog was written by Tracy Riley as part of the 2018 giftEDnz Blog Challenge, but the views expressed are her own.

Credits:

Created with images by TeroVesalainen - "thought idea innovation" • Tristan Colangelo - "untitled image" • rawpixel - "untitled image" • annca - "radio old nostalgia retro music radio device" • rawpixel - "untitled image" • Fischer Twins - "untitled image"

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a copyright violation, please follow the DMCA section in the Terms of Use.