Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT is a weekly chat on Twitter that takes place on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT in the U.S. For one hour, parents, educators, advocates and experts in the field of gifted and talented gather to share resources, links, authentic life experiences and insights about gifted issues.
Welcome to Global Gifted and Talented Chat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented @TXGifted#TAGT ~ Thanks for joining us to chat about “The Effects of Stereotypes on Gifted Kids” #gtchat
I’m Lisa Conrad ~ moderator, advocate for gifted children, conference presenter, blogger and parent of 2 gifted adults from Pittsburgh, PA. Please take a minute to let us know who you are and from where you’re tweeting! #gtchat
Are you new to Twitter chats? We use the Q1/A1 format for #gtchat … Please remember to use the #gtchat hashtag to participate in the conversation. This will make sure that other chat participants see your tweets.
Lurking to learn? Please say ‘hi’ and then view a livestream from Participate Learning at https://t.co/1zR97oWQw0 (Please Note: This service will be ending February 25th!) #gtchat
Our first question is coming up; let’s get ready to chat! Please preface your responses with A1 Excited to collaborate and share ideas with you today about the effects of stereotypes on gifted kids. #gtchat
A1 The unflattering terms such as ‘geeks’ and ‘nerds’ promote the stereotypes of GT kids as being interested in only academic pursuits and lacking in social skills. #gtchat
A1 Deep breath...will be just fine on their own early ripe early rot they're all high achievers can't possibly have a learning disability give 'em more work not deeper work #gtchat
A1: That they automatically know the answer to or are good at everything, or automatically get A's. That they like to be told how smart they are. That they're too focused on themselves and/or school to engage with others and have outside interests. (via the young people) #gtchat
A1) Can I get a scroll to write out what people think of the GT stereotypes? They don't need help from teachers. They are privileged. They are Whites & Asians. Rich. They "practiced" to get there. #gtchat
A1 Another one that really impacts their social and emotional development is that their high vocabulary + advanced reasoning skills = emotional maturity #gtchat
A1) They are always eager, responsive, mature, compliant, and in the district I taught in if one looked at the demographics alone they would most likely NOT identify as a child of color, or come from a family of "means," or have "access" #gtchat
A1: They will do just fine if they aren't challenged -- it doesn't really matter to give them scaffolded work at their level. That they're doing well to show off / show up age peers. That they're the go-to kids (among peers) for answers in class. #gtchat
A1: That they never have to study -- they don't have to work at things, it's just "magic." That they enjoy calling themselves "gifted" to make themselves feel better or to elevate themselves over other kids. (again, all responses from young people) #gtchat
A2) Stereotypes can negatively affect performance in GT Ss who may feel resentful or anxious when they are not seen for who they are but rather what one might assume they can do. Performance naturally suffers, or at the very least, doesn’t reach its potential. #gtchat
A2) Yes, some drive them deeper into perfectionism. Or they stay up so late doing making their work/projects perfect that they don't get enough sleep. #gtchat
A2. Stereotypes often mean that giftedness is missed and misdiagnosed and learning, social and emotional needs aren't met. It becomes an issue of equity. #gtchat
A2 How gifted students see themselves in response to stereotypes can affect their willingness to be associated with gifted programs and even the gifted label. #gtchat
#gtchat Kelly from WA. Elementary teacher (25+ yrs), mother of homeschooled #2e DS13 boy, blogger and author of Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children. In and out tonight w/ the flu😟
A2 Academic performance can be diminished when GT students assume stereotypes which focus on intellectual ability; many longing to simply ‘fit in’ with age-peers. #gtchat
A2) Often only the successful students are recognized as gifted and those who do not fit the stereotype are not identified or given suitable educational provisions #gtchat
A1: That they never have to study -- they don't have to work at things, it's just "magic." That they enjoy calling themselves "gifted" to make themselves feel better or to elevate themselves over other kids. (again, all responses from young people) #gtchat
A2 When true academic challenge is first encountered (whether 2nd grade, 11th grade, grad school...) imposter syndrome may set in because the knowledge no longer arrives without effort #gtchat
A2) Stereotypes often have a tendency to reveal the biases of Ts & others especially w/ positional power/authority in the classroom/school that operate with a set of assumptions that negatively impact Ss..(e.g. why are your grades so low? you should be in AP/Honors etc.)#gtchat
A2: GT students often made to feel badly when they don't get the "perfect score" or get less than what's typical for them (grade peer perceptions). Other kids taunt, laugh, or comment specifically because GT student has made an error -- affects self-efficacy & esteem. #gtchat
A2) Often only the successful students are recognized as gifted and those who do not fit the stereotype are not identified or given suitable educational provisions #gtchat
A2) I've also seen it play out in IEP meetings for re-evals in MS when IQs regress a bit towards the mean. It can be devastating to the family and often the Ss who built their entire identity off of an eval report. Ts then if not careful lord the IQ over the child #gtchat
A3 If the kid doesn't fit the mental image of what gifted is, then the kid just ain't gifted. 🤬 And hooboy let's not get into twice-exceptional! #gtchat
Q3) If gifted kids don't fit the stereotypes, teachers may miss the giftedness and they may never be identified if the parents don't know what they are looking for and how to advocate. #gtchat
A3 The stereotype of the always high achieving gifted student can put at risk those students identified as GT but for a wide array of circumstances do not achieve at expected levels. Achievement shouldn’t be the sole consideration. #gtchat
Understanding the Stereotypes against Gifted Students: A look at the Social and Emotional Struggles of Stereotyped Students (pdf) https://t.co/EfUQLvKt0U#gtchat
A3 Gifted is not synonymous with well behaved. :) Nor is it necessarily across the board. A student can be interested and engaged in some subjects, but disengaged, and even a poor performer in other topics. #GtChat
A3) Shift from deficit-lens to strength-based lens: Giftedness comes in all colors, streaks, and shades #gtchat
Disrupting Deficit Narratives on Gifted Children of Diverse Backgrounds https://t.co/5VnwMhFyV0 via @mrsbennahaas
We are already half way through our chat! Thank you for sharing so many inspiring thoughts about the effects of stereotypes on gifted kids! Please remember to use the #gtchat hashtag to participate in the conversation.
A3) Most often I see the consequences of these stereotypes manifest themselves when teachers don’t refer students for GT because they don’t feel they deserve it or they want to furlough/exit GT students for not excelling academically or behaving poorly in class. #gtchat
A3 Gifted is not synonymous with well behaved. :) Nor is it necessarily across the board. A student can be interested and engaged in some subjects, but disengaged, and even a poor performer in other topics. #GtChat
A3: In differentiated/mixed ability classroom, an educator assumption that the GT student doesn't need help -or- isn't GT in the first place because student struggles (ex.) with self-regulation, focus (rather than digging deeper to recognize need for differentiation) #gtchat
Yes - you see this so much in the media, the gifted person (not so much a student) effortlessly loks at a problem and devines the solution. Completely unrealistic. #GTChat
A3 Not all GT students are ‘teacher pleasers’ and may exhibit unexpected behaviors. Support professionals should be consulted rather than removing services for these students. #gtchat
A3) They contribute to the under-identification of all Ss especially Ss of color in gifted and talented programs due to lack of teacher referrals. #gtchat
A3 Negative stereotypes about gifted students can be mitigated by increasing exposure to gifted education for teachers at the undergraduate level and through high-quality professional development in the field. #gtchat
A3) They may also impact the instructional moves that teachers make re: cold calling, curriculum planning, and even differentiation especially when those stereotypes fuel biases that Ts have not worked through internally to unlearn. #gtchat
A4 Stereotype threat occurs when a student assumes a negative stereotype is true and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Steele & Aronson 1995) #gtchat
#gtchat A3. Schools do have systems in place to acquaint teachers of the strengths and challenges faced by the gifted and talented, however if we have preconceived notions and stereotypes, the teachers themselves remain challenged and "closed"
A3) We can't change adults' "beliefs" on giftedness because they/we are what they/we experience. When it comes to giftedness, they all want to tell their stories; however, we can always model what equitable gifted services look like & feel like #gtchat
A3: Related to struggles with self-regulation/focus -- reprimanding or withholding services because GT student doesn't self-regulate or seeks other activity/work rather than being compliant, paying attention when instruction covers known material #gtchat
A4 Test performance can be significantly influenced by stereotype threat; specifically culturally stereotypes relating to intelligence; the belief that certain racial groups or low-ses students do not do well in particular subjects. #gtchat
Not just imposter syndrome. I remember in high school we all thought Mensa members were some unfathomable genius breed of intellectual superstars. We had no idea that our school program used the same qualifications as Mensa. #gtchat
A4) For many Ss from backgrounds that have been traditionally marginalized the fear of being identified as "smart," "intelligent" or "isolated" from their friends that might not also be w/in the social group of the gifted might impact perf. & therefore identification #gtchat
Most preservice teachers have 0-1 hours on Gifted Education. When school leaders believe the stereotypes then training is seen as something not needed. #gtchat
A4) Those stereotypes can hinder a student’s growth as they may become caught up in what others think they should be instead of growing into who they are. Stereotypes don’t understand asynchronous development and seek only to categorize and label. #gtchat
A4 At the same time, stereotype threat can be diminished simply by acknowledging that it exists (Johns, Schmader & Martens, 2005) and by seeking affirmation of positive personal characteristics (Marx & Roman, 2002). #gtchat
A4: Perfectionism springs to mind. Peers or educators or parents have expectations of perfectionism when GT student shows high achievement, becomes self-fulfilling cycle -- student sees self-worth as wrapped up in that perfect score, no room to fail, anxiety, etc. #gtchat
A4) One might also see behavioral outbursts, absenteeism, unwillingness to come to a smaller setting (if the g/t services are primarily pull-out) especially in the upper grades --- this draws attention from being "gifted" and reduces risk at times #gtchat
A5) Most of the gifted stereotypes in media deal w/Ss who are profoundly gifted in an extraordinary way & exist in some degree of isolation. My GT Ss w/are “stealth geniuses” who fly under the radar more often than not, desiring peer connection & adult respect/guidance. #gtchat
A5 Movies and television too often portray gifted kids as the butt of jokes, the kid no one wants on their team, or a failure in interpersonal relationships. Gifted kids can develop low self-esteem and find it hard to overcome in real life. #gtchat
A5 A lost of entertainment and mass media is not flattering to the gifted. Usually they are shown as socially inept, or ineffective in leadership. More positive role models would help. :) #GTChat
A5 Negative stereotypes of gifted children in the media are also consumed be age-peers who may lack understanding and maturity in how to respond positively towards their GT friends. #gtchat
A5) For shows like Young Sheldon & others w/ characters that have multiple exceptionalities at times (if not careful) they ⛽️ the misunderstandings & reduce “real life” to humor, entertainment for public consumption viewers laugh, taunt, & receiver sub msgs that can harm #gtchat
A4) Most textbooks for the grad level AG certification defines giftedness through the lens of Euro/White/Asian-centric views. We need more resources on how other race/cultures/countries define giftedness & dissect how it is normalized in the US #gtchat Please share!
A5. Shows etc can minimise the importance of the unique differences in our gifted students. This can perpetuate the lack of provision and understanding that already exists. #gtchat
A4) Most textbooks for the grad level AG certification defines giftedness through the lens of Euro/White/Asian-centric views. We need more resources on how other race/cultures/countries define giftedness & dissect how it is normalized in the US #gtchat Please share!
A5: Movies & shows about GT youth are always about giftedness in math and/or science (vs. other disciplines, ex. writing, humanities), and those portrayals are always about profoundly GT vs. depicting range/variety (am chuckling at vehement reaction from young person) #gtchat
A6) Parents/GT advocates can let their children have more of a voice/choice in what they learn/study, develop healthy working relationships w/educators. I try to help my daughter’s teachers learn things about her & her interests so they’ll better understand her needs. #gtchat
A6 Parents need to discuss stereotypes honestly with their children and make it personal. These kids look up to their parents and can appreciate smart strategies to combat negative stereotypes. #gtchat
A6 Advocates must stand up for gifted children by countering negative stereotypes whenever they are proposed either in a school setting or society at large. Presenting strong positive alternatives is important. #gtchat
A6) It takes a team of people working together to advocate for a gifted child to truly help them reach their full potential and avoid pitfalls. #gtchat
A5: My addition to young person's observations: impact of stereotype portrayals serves to devalue kids whose strengths are elsewhere -- they don't see themselves, they don't associate, they start to think their interests, etc., aren't perceived by others as worthwhile. #gtchat
A6) Parents/GT advocates can let their children have more of a voice/choice in what they learn/study, develop healthy working relationships w/educators. I try to help my daughter’s teachers learn things about her & her interests so they’ll better understand her needs. #gtchat
A6 Parents need to discuss stereotypes honestly with their children and make it personal. These kids look up to their parents and can appreciate smart strategies to combat negative stereotypes. #gtchat
A6) If I as a parent focused on what my daughter wasn’t getting in school instead of collaborating w/her teachers to ensure she did get what she needed, I’d harm my daughter. Everything should be for the good of the child & not the convenience of the adults in her life. #gtchat
Our next chat will be on Thursday, February 14th at 8E/7C/6M/5P US and Friday, 15th February at 2PM NZDT/Noon AEDT/1AM UK. Our topic will be "Reassessing the Need for Soft Skills for Gifted Students." #gtchat
