Julia Link Roberts - Teachers Survival Guide: Gifted Education, A First-Year Teachers Introduction to Gifted Learners

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Roberts, Julia L. (Julia Link), author. | Boggess, Julia Roberts, 1972- author.

Title: Teachers survival guide : gifted education : a first-year teachers introduction to gifted learners / Julia L. Roberts, Julia Roberts Boggess.

Description: 2nd ed. | Waco, TX : Prufrock Press Inc., 2020. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Teachers Survival Guide: Gifted Education" is packed with practical information, up-to-date resources, tips for success, and advice from experts in the field"-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020025891 (print) | LCCN 2020025892 (ebook) | ISBN 9781646320714 (paperback) | ISBN 9781646320721 (ebook) | ISBN 9781646320738 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Gifted children--Education. | Teachers of gifted children. | First year teachers.

Classification: LCC LC3993 .R6125 2020 (print) | LCC LC3993 (ebook) | DDC 371.95--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025891

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025892

Copyright 2020, Prufrock Press Inc.

Edited by Katy McDowall

Cover and layout design by Shelby Charette

ISBN-13: 978-1-64632-073-8

No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

For more information about our copyright policy or to request reprint permissions, visit https://www.prufrock.com/permissions.aspx.

At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active. All publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in the book, and all have been verified. The authors and Prufrock Press Inc. make no warranty or guarantee concerning the information and materials given out by organizations or content found at websites, and we are not responsible for any changes that occur after this books publication. If you find an error, please contact Prufrock Press Inc.

Dedication

This book is the third one that we have written as a mother-daughter team, and we would like to dedicate it to Elizabeth, Caroline, Jane Ann, and ClaireJulias four grand-girlsand Julies daughter, Claire, and nieces.

In addition, we would like to dedicate this book to all of the children and young people with whom we have worked over the years in schools as well as in summer and Saturday programs. They enhance our understanding of their needs that are so often overlooked as their strengths disguise needs.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

So many people have offered ideas included in this book. We are especially appreciative of our colleagues across the country who have written pieces that highlight their areas of expertise and interests. These pieces written by experts add so much to the learning for our readers.

We are also grateful to Gail Hiles for the careful, professional work on the tables and figures included in this book.

INTRODUCTION

Teachers Survival Guide: Gifted Education is a starting point for educators and others who are new to gifted education or who need an update on what is current in gifted education. This book is a collection of information, advice, resources, and suggestions that we hope readers will turn to again and again. Leonardo da Vinci once said, He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards a ship without a rudder and compass, and never knows where he may land. This book provides the rudder as you navigate your entry or reentry into the field of gifted education.

This survival kit is filled with basic information on gifted education and strategies for helping gifted kids soar. The goal is to help readers recognize and address the needs of gifted children that are often created by their strengths, encourage their creativity, and implement strategies to remove the learning ceiling. Although written for educators, the information can be shared with parents and decision makers, as the book is an easy-to-read resource for introducing gifted education. After all, it was written as a survival guide.

The chapters in this book are short and to the point, even though each could be the topic for a longer work, even a book. They are written this way to bring you key information and resources on the many topics pertinent to understanding and supporting gifted and advanced learners. The resources in each chapters Survival Toolkit will guide readers as they learn about gifted education, with the goal that resources will help readers thrive, not just survive. Several chapters have short pieces called Survival Secrets, written by experts in the field of gifted education who share their experiences and provide advice that will help you understand specific topics in gifted education. Chapters also include leading questions to guide your thinking, tips to highlight important points, and quotations that you may want to remember.

As a mother-daughter team, we truly have enjoyed writing this book. Julie is a librarian at Pearre Creek Elementary School in Williamson County, TN. She has had experience as a gifted resource teacher and as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher as well as serving as an elementary librarian. She has taught many sessions of summer and Saturday programs for young people in grades 18 who are gifted and talented. Julia is a teacher educator who has prepared hundreds of gifted resource teachers and other educators in gifted education in the course of their graduate study. As the founding and current Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University, she has directed more than 3 decades of summer programming for hundreds of gifted children. She has shared ideas and strategies with many parents and provided professional learning opportunities for numerous parent and teacher groups. She has held leadership positions in gifted organizations, including serving as president of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children.

We hope that you will learn much from Teachers Survival Guide: Gifted Education and share the important information with your colleagues and friends.

Happy reading. Welcome to the world of gifted education!

Julia Link Roberts and Julia Roberts Boggess

Chapter 1

Lets Start at the Very Beginning

Who Are Gifted Children?

Gifted children are perishable.Troy Coleman, parent

Key Question

What definition for gifted children is current and used in your school, school district, and state?

What Does Gifted and Talented Mean?

Lets start the conversation by looking at children who are gifted and talented. Who are they? What terminology is used in the United States in reference to these young people? What are gifted children called in your school, district, and state? What categories of giftedness are recognized where you teach or where your child or children are in school?