By Rhonda Schaar, Greenville Middle School Principal
We are fortunate at Greenville City Schools to have a community and administration who supports and encourages a blended approach of teaching and learning. In this blended approach it is essential that teachers reach the wide range of student needs. At Greenville Middle School we follow the Ohio Department of Education guidelines for highly able students found through the Office for Exceptional Children. http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other- Resources/Gifted-Education/Teaching-Gifted-Students-in-Ohio
Considerations when educating Gifted students are scheduling, enrichment, social and emotional needs as well as academic skill development. At GMS we take each of these aspects to heart as we create a learning environment for the children of our school district.
Scheduling: When students are scheduled, we deliberate on the unique aspects of how students learn. Greenville schools support heterogeneous groupings in scheduling Gifted students in grades 5 and 6. Students with a Written Education Plan and identified as Gifted learners are cluster grouped with like-minded peers throughout their middle school experience. Teacher training and experience, along with student identification are taken into consideration when students are scheduled into classes. For example; a math teacher with multiple years of training may have the math identified students scheduled in his/her class to support the student’s math goals within their Written Education Plan.
Social Emotional Considerations: Teachers have received training in understanding and addressing the needs of Gifted students that could impact their learning. These social and emotional needs may include heightened awareness of those around them, decreased awareness of others, anxiety, perfectionism, stress, and concerns with relationship building. One area that teachers seem to address on a regular basis with our Gifted population is the need for perfectionism. The teachers use strategies in the classroom to assist students as they navigate the process of making corrections, learning material through alternative opportunities, and resources to help students transition to the next activity if needed. “The needs of our gifted population and their understanding of how to deal with perfectionism is ever changing. The staff members who work with these students are constantly aiming to help students address not only their needs but also to help them grow through their perfectionistic tendencies as middle school students,” explains Emily McIntyre, 6th grade Language Arts teacher and Gifted Intervention Specialist.
Academic Skill Development: At Greenville Middle School we are fortunate to have all academic teachers trained in Gifted instruction. These teachers have received professional development in alignment with state laws and regulations. As outlined on the state website these teachers are trained to, “Modify Instruction and Assessment. There are three ways to differentiate standards for gifted students: teaching advanced skills and using high quality, grade-appropriate content; teaching grade-level skills and using above-grade level content; and teaching advanced skills and using above-grade level content. A Written Education Plan
WEP is written for students receiving gifted services”. Meeting the needs of Gifted students does not mean more work. It is about the depth and breadth of skills. The newly adopted math resources are an example of an effective tool in assisting teachers in meeting the needs of Gifted students. The teachers use the resources to identify those who need enrichment, increased pace, and/or advanced content with higher level thinking opportunities. The built-in assessment protocols will provide guidance to the teacher for needed adjustments or accommodations based on the student’s formative performance on that lesson. WendiGibson, 5th grade Language Arts, Social Studies and Gifted trained teacher elaborates further, “In Language Arts the highly abled learners may be reading similar novels or writing to the same prompts, but the teachers are working with them to develop more advanced techniques of writing or helping them to synthesize the information for deeper understanding while focusing on state standards.”
As Gifted students and their parents enter the world of middle school, we are aware the setting may seem different but we are consistent in the mission of Greenville City Schools that we “will be the leader in educational offerings, student performance and community involvement, and will maximize the potential of each and every student.” This is what we believe and this is what we practice with all students. Our Gifted Services are an example of this belief and practice.