What I learned from teaching gifted kids

By 2013 I had been teaching in mainstream schools for 12 years. I loved my relationships with my students but was frustrated and overwhelmed with paperwork and red tape. A confined curriculum stifled my creativity, and I knew something had to change. A friend of mine worked at Radford House, the only official school for gifted children in my country. They had an opening, and she put my name forward. When I was asked for an interview, I was terrified. What on earth did I know about gifted children? I was not smart enough to teach kids that bright.

Well, it turns out that I nailed the interview. My selling point? I spoke about my experience as a mom. You see, without knowing it, I was raising a 2E child. My son, who was nine, is dyslexic and on the autistic spectrum. While I knew he was exceptionally bright, the world led me to believe that reading, writing, and arithmetic were the only ways of proving it. And speaking about my journey made the interviewers realise I had all the empathy that was needed. It turns out that all gifted children need is empathy. Empathy, and someone willing to think out of the box.

My New Path

I began my new job bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was the beginning of an eight-year adventure that transformed me and allowed me to be the teacher I always wanted to be. It also allowed me to embrace my own giftedness. Something that had been alluded to throughout my life but stomped on by circumstances. I was the epitome of a tall poppy.

Over my time at Radford, I was mentored and guided by the most incredible, profoundly gifted man, who founded the school 20 years before, after surviving the mainstream system. He knew that these children needed more, and he made it his mission to give it to them.  

The Lessons

Over eight years, I connected with some of the most incredible little humans I will ever meet. I also met some amazing parents who bonded with me over our shared parenting experiences and valued my insight. Some of them remain my closest friends. These are some of the most important lessons I learned from teaching gifted children and what I imagine they want the world to know.

1. They may be more intelligent than me. Most of them are. But they need my wisdom to guide them in harnessing their superpowers. They are still just kids who need a loving adult to set boundaries and guide them.
2. Giftedness comes in many forms. Not all gifted children walk around with a scientific calculator in their pocket quoting quantum theory.
3. Many gifted children are not academic. What counts is their insight, how they question and seek answers, unique problem-solving ability, and deep sensitivity. That kid who gets straight Ds is often way brighter than the valedictorian. It’s in real life that they show what they are made of.
4. They want to be heard. They need to feel safe and know they can have an opinion, even if it differs from mine. We can agree to disagree or, where possible, investigate together to find the answer.
5. They want to be actively involved with their learning. They don’t need a teacher to stand before the class, spewing meaningless facts. Instead, they want to engage, offer their own theories, consider the ‘What ifs’ and disappear down rabbit holes.
6. Gifted kids are often overwhelmed by anxiety. Their bust minds mean they extrapolate every possibility to the worst-case scenario. And it keeps them awake at night.
7. A gifted, super-sensitive brain also leads to heightened sensitivity in other areas. And it can be tough to navigate. Too much noise, visual stimulation, strong smells, and scratchy shirts can render them useless.
8. Make the content matter. It’s a means to an end, anyway. Education should be about learning skills, not facts. So, tailor your content around topics that deeply interest them, making the skills your outcome.
9. 2E is absolute. And 2E kids go through life questioning themselves. Support their challenges, but don’t make it the focus. See past it and focus on that incredible mind. There is enough technology in their world to mean they will probably never pick up another pen once school is behind them. Speech-to-text and text-to-speech exist. Audiobooks are a thing. We need to shift what we consider academic success.
10. Avoid repetition. It numbs their mind. If you teach a new concept and they can do two examples accurately, I guarantee they can do 20. But they won’t bother, and it will look like they don’t get it. Very often, poor performance is based on disinterest.

Let the Light Shine

This is just the beginning. I learned so many more lessons and so much more that they wish the world would understand. I was so privileged to know this firsthand. This was why I chose to leave the classroom and reach people on a broader scale. To be their voice and their advocate. Parenting gifted kids can be challenging, especially when dealing with anxiety, overexcitabilities, insomnia, and social challenges. Their parents need as much support and understanding as their children do. Gifted kids need to be free to be. They need programs and support groups that allow them to shine without being cut down or branded know-it-alls. However, they also need to be accepted in the mainstream for who they are and not just pulled out so that they can exist outside of the real world. The real world needs to make space for them, too.