A Day in the Life of a Gifted & Talented Teacher Back to Top

Gifted students can surprisingly be quite difficult to teach. Because they learn and complete classwork at an accelerated pace relative to other students, gifted students may often become bored, and as a result a disruption or inhibitor to other students. For this reason, there is an increasing trend in the development of Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs, such as part-time or pull-out programs with accelerated curriculum, Summer Enrichment Programs (SEP), full-time separate classes or schools, or even homeschooling. Whether teaching gifted students as a regular teacher or in one of these specialized gifted student programs, a teacher of talented and gifted students will:

• develop enrichment material that will challenge the student
• recognize and cater to unusual abilities
• seek out unusual opportunities and lesson plans for their students
• be able to keep the student motivated when normal material is underneath their level of ability
• use innovative and advanced methods and a more difficult curriculum

Though much special education effort is focused on those students with behavioral, physical, and/or learning disabilities, there has historically been little done for students who are perennially left unchallenged and thus unmotivated by standard curriculum material. A special education teacher specializing in gifted and talented students must be capable of handling as well as cultivating the advanced mind of the student and the behavioral problems that can often come along with it. The teacher must relate to the students needs and be organized and dedicated to the pursuit of finding challenging material and developing alternative lesson plans without overwhelming and discouraging the student. In addition to having a bachelor’s degree, almost half of the states require a teaching license along with certificate specific to Gifted and Talented Education. Each state’s Department of Education page will have a set of requirements for the position.

Teachers of the gifted might pursue any of six professional tracks: working directly with gifted youth; consulting with regular classroom teachers about gifted and talented students; administering state, county, or city gifted education programs; teaching college courses and conducting research in gifted education; and consulting with local school districts, area service centers, and state or regional groups about programming for gifted students. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that these teachers will have a salary often in the upper range for teachers, as high as $78,200.

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