Partnerships such as those that Pfeiffer’s discussions help forge between parents and educators can help minimize the differences between the treatment that athletically gifted and the academically gifted students receive. But what about the glory? What can academically gifted students do that will bring them the rewards and recognition that those who excel athletically often receive? The answer is competition, and there are plenty of competitions open to those who excel in areas such as mathematics, science, geography, writing, and the arts.
There is nothing more important than a good quality partnership between a school and the parents of the students they teach.
In an article I discovered this week by Linda Neumann, it outlines the importance of deepening that connection so that academically gifted students receive just as much support as our athletically gifted students.
Although this article is dated 2011, I would argue that this disparity still exists in terms of how society sees gifts and the importance of gifts.
As educators we need to ensure that ALL gifts are catered for in the best way we can within the school we teach in.
As parents we need to advocate for our gifted students to ensure that there are as many provisions for them as possible. If the school cannot have all these provisions on site, there are many great places to go to both online and in person.
We also need to ensure there is regular communication between parents and teachers to ensure everyone knows how to support the student in every aspect of their education.
Gifted Education Musings 