Personal Philosophy on Giftedness

I believe that children needs to be invested into. I think of my students like flowers. The more they are watered and tended to, the  more they will grow. If children receive the resources they need, the more they will grow and reach their upmost potential. I believe that an educator's  responsibility is to create learning experiences that make a student excited about school. I believe that facilitating learning geared to the academically gifted and talented student will help them continue to learn, grow, and reach new heights. 

Place

The school I teach at, South Greenville Elementary school is urban. The link provided breaks down the number of students of each ethnic group, gender, and who qualifies for free and reduced lunch.

economics

In Pitt County, the population is  172,169 people. The median household income is $44,450 and 22.5% of individuals live below the poverty line. The links below include links about the census data of Pitt County,  the economic and financial report for Pitt County schools  for the 2022-2023 school year, and the Pitt County schools budget that goes into detail where the allocated money goes in the schools. I have also included a link on the Pitt County AIG plan because it mentions the budget and how money is allocated for the AIG program in Pitt County schools. 

Twice Exceptionality

Children can be gifted and have a twice exceptionality such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, and behavior and mood disorders. With the right supports, these learners can receive resources to grow in their strengths while receiving resources to help them in their areas of growth. I have two websites  linked. Both of these will help individuals learn more about twice exceptionalities and how to support a child who has a twice exceptionality. The National Association for Gifted Children website gives an example about what the teacher may see at school and the parent may see at home with a twice exceptional child. This shows that twice-exceptionality can look different at school and home. 

Beyond Academics

A website from the National Association of Gifted Students presented 11 myths about gifted students.  These myths range from gifted students does not need help or support to their overall mood and how gifted students communicate and make friends. This website is helpful to debunk myths and stereotypes that are generally associated with gifted students. 

Cultural

The school I teach at in Pitt County comprises  of 95% African American students. The link below is to an article that talks about the under-representation of African American students in gifted programs and how gifted and talented programs help students overall with behavior and student achievement.