Throughout this module, you have learned about several issues related to parenting for the social/emotional needs of gifted and talented children. As a teacher, it is a double edged sword to have a parent involved, depending on the involvement levels. However, one thing is certain, that involved parents care for their child and desperately want their child be successful. Watch these two videos and describe the materials you would need to provide parents to help establish a positive home-to-school collaborative partnership that will foster the healthy social/emotional growth of a gifted child.
Forming a positive home to school collaborative partnership to foster social/emotional growth of gifted children is a developmental process that begins with getting to know not only the student but also the family. Because parenting styles differ so, meeting the needs of one family will be different from meeting the needs of another. The key to it all, however, is making sure communication is constant and a two way street. As it relates to specific materials that should be shared, detailed reports of progress are a must, especially as it relates to the student’s area of interest and/or gifts and talents. As educators, we hope that parents are aware of these areas in their child’s life, but we must never assume it is true. Information about programs and extra-curricular activities that are geared towards the student’s area of interest could be very beneficial for several reasons. Not only do such programs lead the student to explore areas of interest in more depth than a classroom can provide, it could also create opportunities for students and parents to participate, together, allowing for an increased understanding of the gifted child. Additionally, opportunities and invites for parents to participate in school related activities that showcase student work, interests, talents, and gifts allows parents of gifted children to get a glimpse into the life a child that is anything but ordinary. Information about support contacts that parents may use for any number of positive and negative issues that are likely to accompany the developmental needs of the gifted child can also be beyond helpful. People don’t often think of the needs of the gifted student as needing immediate attention. Many see them as the type of student that can “figure it out”. The problem is, while the student can surpass, cognitively, his/her peers, emotionally and socially, the struggle is real and many times seemingly insurmountable without an understanding as to why. With the outside opportunities to channel interest, both within and outside the classroom; the invitation for parents to be involved in those interests; as well as the outside support available when parents need answers but do not know where to go, the effects of the asynchronous development that the gifted student is likely to encounter can be minimalized and carefully navigated. For educators one more point of understanding is crucial – we must understand that we do not have all the answers, but we can find them. Constant, comprehensive communication is paramount and should be aimed at developing not only the gifts and talents of the child, but also the positive self-image and self-efficacy necessary to help those gifts and talents to be realized into and throughout adulthood.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this is not always the case, parents of children identified as gifted have often already suspected or known their child was gifted since “diaper days”, due to the child’s meeting of many milestones, significantly early. This is relevant to the gifted educator because parents can provide a level of understanding unavailable to (at least initially) superficial contacts. In light of the video on misdiagnosis, parents should be reminded of their unique role in that they are not only emotionally closest to the child, but are also a wealth of information regarding the child’s history, tendencies, preferences, and countless other aspects of what makes that child who he is.
ReplyDeleteI think our tendency to rely on physicians for answers, in spite of our own innate, intuitive or gained knowledge, is a disservice to ourselves and underestimates our capacities to know ourselves and our own needs. I would encourage parents to stay calm, ignore hype surrounding the current diagnostic trends, and listen to their child first and foremost. As teachers we must ensure that parents feel not only included, but recognized and valuable assets and partners in our combined efforts toward their child’s advocacy.
The initial impression we make on parents after identification will
impact how they view us, the program, giftedness, and their own child. Depending on their level of involvement, this may also be the only time we get to explain some key points.
During the first meeting, perhaps a convenient folder or packet could be prepared, then an informative and earnest discussion can help establish a meaningful rapport with the parents. This would be an opportunity to ask and answer any questions; invite parents to sit in on or speak during a class; inform them about gifted education policies on the state, district, and school levels, including the options/limitations they entail. They should also be explicitly informed that, disorders such as Asperger’s and ADHD look very similar to giftedness and should only be diagnosed after thorough observation, evaluation, and testing performed by trained professionals. These diagnoses and others should be made using the combined results, expertise, and professional opinions of school counselors, psychologists, gifted education specialists. Information from the parent can help professionals make an accurate diagnosis.
Specific materials that may be provided to parents:
• A list of websites to explore (SENG, NAGC, etc.)
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Social/emotional characteristics of g/t students, including excitability traits and challenges like perfectionism and asynchronous development
• Contact information for parent groups, legislators, school psychologists, and other gifted specialists
• Information on supplementary home-schooling strategies
• Extracurricular resources (camps, enrichment programs, weekend workshops)
Gifted educators should then continue this dialogue by making herself available ( offering contact information and hours), sending home progress reports,including a folder that can go back and forth between school and home which describes current activities and space for parents' commentary and questions, and inviting parents to periodic conferences.
All this being said, we want parents to know they are integral parts of their child’s gifted development, however, they need also be reminded not to hover over their child. We are all coming together to accommodate and provide a support system for the student, however, there must be room for us all to breathe. Too much involvement can make a child feel pressured and smothered, which may hinder his abilities. Parents would be well-advised to maintain a space with the tools and materials their child needs to work and explore on his own. Most of all, they must remember that giftedness in their child’s domain is only one aspect of his life and only one element of family life. Social networks, family relationships, self-esteem/emotional health, physical fitness, etc. all need the same level of nurturing and attention.