II.+Philosophy+of+Gifted+Education

=My philosophy of Gifted Education:=

My philosophy of gifted education follows my philosophy of educating children in general. And this I owe to my experience as a parent and introspective learner and observer of people throughout my life. My beliefs on teaching gifted can be traced back as far as I can remember.

I had the blessing of becoming a teacher and a mother in the same year. While this was exhausting, to say the least, it enabled me to develop as a teacher at the same time I was making my way for the first time as a parent. During my early years as a parent, I was determined to do everything "right". I was very caught up in details and felt pressure to do the best I could every second of every day to make sure my son was being stimulated and respected and nurtured. As I analyzed what I did in my classroom each day, I could clearly define what I considered successful based on what I would want for my own son. This to, creates immense pressure when used as a measure for success! I have always felt that what I do for my students absolutely must be in line with my standards for my own child.

Along with the standards I place on myself, comes a sense of humility and humor. I tend to approach my students as if they were my own! I jokingly tell each group of new parents in the fall that I will never say anything to their child that I wouldn't say to mine. This easy approach builds trust with families and my students. It is easy for me to enlist the help of my students' parents because they trust me as an educator and a mother. I have worked hard to establish a reputation as being smart, trustworthy, and skilled in teaching young children (especially bright ones).

In my classroom, you will find students at ease. They are moving freely from area to area, working on their own, in groups, or with me to further understandings and generalities. My fundamental belief is that if students feel safe to choose for themselves how they will tackle a problem, they will be more apt to grow as a learner, problem solver, and citizen. I work hard to maintain an atmosphere of trust where risk taking is encouraged and everyone is respected. The children in my classroom have the sense that their opinions and contributions are just as important as the adults who frequent our school building. My students are //**invited**// to learn each day, through carefully facilitated activities and materials.

Gifted children, in particular, seem to flourish in my classroom. I attribute this to my philosophy of teaching through facilitation and invitation vs. a traditional "sit and get" style of direct instruction. When my students need a "how to" lesson, they get it. But, the skill they are learning will be quickly practiced in a real life activity. This pace and natural flow in instruction suits my gifted learners nicely. The trust I place in my bright and gifted children to control their own learning helps them develop into stronger students as they are held accountable for much of their daily routine and objectives.

Overall, I would describe my teaching philosophy as invitational and developmental. I believe the students should develop as learners, problem solvers and citizens at their own pace. However, these areas can be nurtured by the adults in the school, and especially the classroom teacher. The teacher (especially in early childhood) is the adult that the child spends the most time with, and with this realization comes huge responsibility to treat them as we would our own.