Should teachers of the gifted be gifted themselves?

It's questions like these that split the educational community into different schools of thought. On one side of the spectrum, Bray argues that it is a fundamental requirement for teachers of the gifted to be gifted themselves (Bray, 1988). On the opposite side of the spectrum, the authors of our textbook argue that students agree the "personal—social qualities of the teacher were more important than their intellectual qualities (Davis, 1985). But, before we get into making a decision about which side holds the best argument, it's important to understand what it really means—by definition—to be gifted and talented.

In my search for the perfect definition of gifted children, three stood out to me as the most relevant (National Association for Gifted Children, n.d.):

• “Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).” (National Association for Gifted Children)
• "The term ‘gifted and talented,” when used with respect to students, children, or youth, means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities." (No Child Left Behind Act, Federal)
• “Academically or intellectually gifted students” exhibit high performance capability in intellectual areas, specific academic fields, or in both intellectual areas and specific academic fields. Academically or intellectually gifted students require differentiated educational services beyond those ordinarily provided by the regular educational program. Outstanding abilities are present in students from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor." (North Carolina) 

Each of these brings a unique perspective to this fluid definition, which has been modified so many times since its inception. The national definition does what most do not and explicitly identifies the different domains of giftedness. The federal definition adds that students require additional support, which cannot be provided in a traditional classroom setting. And, finally, North Carolina's definition qualifies that giftedness can be present in all types of students.

Therefore, my definition of a gifted child is as follows: Gifted children are students from all cultural and economic groups who have achieved exceptional levels of aptitude or competence in one or more domains. These domains include academic fields, areas of activity with their own symbol system (mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (painting, dance, sports). These kinds of children require services that are not normally provided by their schools in order to fully realize their potential.

Despite defining what a gifted child is, no where in any definition I found did it say how these students should be taught and who should be teaching them. Unfortunately, this is where experts come to a standstill. Fortunately, they all can agree that these teachers should possess a few qualities that meet the needs of gifted learners.

Qualities of a Teacher for the Gifted

What is it that makes a teacher qualified to teach gifted students? In an article, Who Should Teach The Gifted, Imogene Ramsey, an elementary education professor at Eastern Kentucky University, referenced Barbara Clark's seven "Personal Characteristics of Effective Teachers of the Gifted" to shed light on this question (Ramsey, 1990):

1. Understand the characteristics, needs, and problems of the gifted; Gifted teachers must be familiar with gifted students, understand that there are several different types, and that they are all uniquely gifted. Because they are all so unlike each other, they require individual attention. These teachers must be able to creatively differentiate lesson plans, come up with intriguing and captivating projects, and appeal to the distinct interests of each child. In addition, gifted teachers must understand the issues that gifted learners face. Boredom, feelings of isolation, and social anxiety are problems that they should be ready to confront.
2. Develop a curriculum through which individual needs can be met and group interaction nurtured; Because it is possible for these students to excel in so many different disciplines, it is important for teachers of gifted learners to understand the academic goals of each student and establish a plan to achieve them. These plans are likely to not look alike, simply because each student might be functioning at a different level than the next. In addition, gifted teachers should strive to make interdisciplinary connections, so that students with different interests may interact and socialize. Sometimes, gifted children "may develop an adult-like manner with others" so it is important that they practice working in a group in order to develop collaborative skills (Roedell, 1984). 
3. Create an environment in which the gifted feel safe and yet challenged to know and be who they are; Often times, gifted students struggle with their identity—they feel as though they do not fit the social norm. This is especially prevalent in middle and high school, but permeates every level of education. Research shows that gifted females "are less likely thank boys to take advantage of opportunities to accelerate their mathematics education" (Roedell, 1984). This is because these students want to "fulfill the role expectations" of the traditional males and females that surround them (Roedell, 1984). As a teacher of the gifted, it is important to foster relationships with students in and environment which encourages them to be themselves. 
4. Help learners acquire skills in higher levels of cognitive thinking, mind and body integration, self-actualization, intuitive development, and self-evaluation; Teachers of gifted children should be able to motivate their students to think critically and at the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy—creating something original and innovative to display their knowledge. By establishing an atmosphere that encourages independent development, where students are in control of their learning and have the opportunity to self-evaluate, students have the opportunity to acquire these skills and put them to use. 
5. Nurture creativity; Gifted teachers must push beyond the "killers of intrinsic interest and creativity" in the classroom and allow students to explore their areas of interest. This is extremely important to both gifted and general education students alike, as "there is a direct link between the motivational orientation brought by a student to a task and the likelihood of her being creative at that task, and it is the environment that in large part shapes that motivational orientation" (Hennessey, 2004). Therefore, it is essential to a student's motivation that gifted teachers nurture an environment that breeds creativity. 
6. Encourage a sense of social awareness and responsibility; Although this is important for all teachers to do, it is especially essential that gifted learners understand humility and community responsibility. Because it is common for gifted learners to feel isolated as a result of their gifted tendencies, it is a teacher's job to teach their students social awareness. Students should be encouraged to feel responsible for their community, their classroom, and their school. 
7. Relate to and communicate with colleagues and parents; As a teacher, it is already immensely important to develop relationships with colleagues and parents to provide the best education to your students. With gifted students in particular, developing relationships with parents might provide insight into student personalities, quirks, and social tendencies. In addition to nurturing relationships with their parents, colleagues are equally as important. If a student has an interest in something that is unfamiliar, there is a chance that there is someone in your learning network that could provide background knowledge about the topic, furthering your understanding and improving your ability to teach the subject to a student. 

Whether or not a teacher has a class of gifted students, these seven qualities serve as great guidelines or goals. Having worked with gifted students through a program, Breakthrough Miami, I've found that these specific qualities help students in your care expand the breadth of knowledge they have and succeed both socially and academically. So, why can't just any teacher have these qualities?

I think they can. Ultimately, if you're a good teacher, organized, can expertly differentiate lesson plans, and work well with children who are gifted, with a few courses and certification you can teach them. That being said, I think non-gifted individuals teaching gifted students comes with an age limit.

Elementary School and Beyond

When gifted students are so young, it's unlikely that their knowledge will surpass their teacher's. Therefore, I don't believe that it is necessary for teachers—at the elementary level—to have been labeled as gifted. However, as students progress through their academic career, graduate to middle school, and then high school, it is critical that they are challenged as much as possible. Without this, teachers are, essentially, wasting their student's time.

Richard Feynman, the late theoretical physicist, was gifted. In his book, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, he explains a time in high school where his physics teacher—who was not gifted—allowed him to independently learn from college textbooks in the back of the classroom. After he would finish a chapter, Feynman and his teacher would discuss the topics and then he would move on to the next (Feynman, 1985). In my opinion, this was a disservice to Feynman. Although he was eventually awarded with several accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Albert Einstein Award (Feynman, 1985), Feynman's talents were not challenged with a gifted education.

When students like Feynman exist in a classroom, I believe it is only right to require that a teacher who is gifted runs the classroom. Not only will this give the students someone to emulate, but it will also challenge them intellectually and require them to go above and beyond what would be expected of them from a general education teacher.

Conclusion

Like in any community, rifts are bound to form in ours. Despite the several schools of thought, it is important for us to think about the students how teachers can best suit their needs. If it was left up to me, the decision of whether a teacher should be gifted in order to teach gifted students would depend on a wide variety of qualities—the ages of the students being the most important. Teachers, like students, come in all types and with different levels of interest and ability. It is the administrators job to capitalize on teacher traits that suit gifted learners best and use those teachers to cultivate an academically rigorous, genuinely accepting and understanding environment in which gifted students can excel.


References
Bray, J. L. 1988. Characteristics of G/C/T Teachers. Gifted Child Today. 

Davis, G., & Rimm, S. (1985). Education of the gifted and talented. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. 

National Association for Gifted Children. (n.d.). Definitions of Giftedness. Retrieved September 16, 2015. Retrieved from: http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/definitions-giftedness

Ramsey, I. (1990). Who Should Teach the Gifted? The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 351-354. 

Roedell, W. (1984). Vulnerabilities of highly gifted children. Roeper Review, 127-130.

Hennessey, B A. (2004). Developing creativity in gifted children: The central importance of motivation and classroom climate. University of Connecticut, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.

Feynman, R., & Leighton, R. (1985). "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a curious character. New York: W.W. Norton.