My understanding of the student identified as gifted changed greatly over the past 7 weeks. I have taken other gifted courses, so I had some initial knowledge on gifted students, but now I realize how complicated "giftedness" can be and it has changed my perspective in many ways. In the following pages, I will share the four most important changes in my thinking .

Part One

Acceleration is not a bad thing.

I, like many others, had a negative opinion of acceleration. I thought it would isolate children both socially and academically. I was surprised and happy to see that research shows that is not the case. In one of the final articles I read, "Nine Truths About Working with Gifted Students," it states the importance of challenging stereotypes and myths about the gifted education population. I chose this as one of the most important changes because my thoughts on this topics made a total 180. I went from thinking acceleration was a terrible thing,

to seeing the many benefits it provides to

gifted students.

Change of mind Number One

Underachievement makes sense.

Before taking this course, I did not understand the reasons behind gifted underachievement. It seemed very counter intuitive until I read, "Gifted Underachievement: Oxymoron or Educational Enigma?" It was after that that I realized how much a student's academic and social environment impacted their achievement level. It was not about intelligence or effort, it was about what was supported and praised by their home and school environments. I chose this as one of my most important changes because it really showed me the importance of praising academics and giftedness can make all the difference in the world.

Change of mind Number Two

There are many ways to lead

I know leadership is important and I know it is a positive quality, but I rarely preach it's importance in my classroom. I have realized that being a leader can mean different things in different situations and that all students should be given the opportunity to be a leader. According to Amy Bisland of Gifted Child Today, "Teachers and parents can help students to build a foundation early in life by acquiring the skills and concepts necessary to become successful leaders." I chose this as one of my top realizations because I never focused on leadership skills in the past and now I realized how important they are to a gifted child's life long success.

Change Number Three

Striving for perfection can be painful

I have taught many gifted learners, so I have seen perfectionism in varying degrees. I have always understood what it is, but I am sad to say that I never understood the causes of perfectionism until I read, "Sylvia Rimm on Perfectionism in the Gifted." I am much more capable of empathizing with my perfectionists now that I understand what motivates it. I chose this as one of my most important changes because I was able to incorporate it into my classroom almost immediately. I found myself feeling guilty as I read through the article, because I have dealt with perfectionism in a less than helpful way that very day.

Change Number Four