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 “Humor and Gifted Kids” with guest, Jo Freitag @jofrei#gtchat
Hi everyone. Great topic today! Justine from Auckland, New Zealand. Primary (elementary) teacher and full-time PhD candidate researching gifted ed. #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.
My name is Riley Kushner, and I am brand new to twitter. I am currently taking a gifted and talented graduate course and this chat was recommended as a great resource my our instructor. Professionally, I will be teaching 9th and 10th grade in Ohio this fall #gtchat
My name is Riley Kushner, and I am brand new to twitter. I am currently taking a gifted and talented graduate course and this chat was recommended as a great resource my our instructor. Professionally, I will be teaching 9th and 10th grade in Ohio this fall #gtchat
Lurking to learn? Please say ‘hi’ and then view a livestream from Participate Learning at https://t.co/1zR97oWQw0 Enjoy the chat! All the links and a summary of this chat will be posted later on our blog at https://t.co/BXpCBWEY56#gtchat
Before we begin, Best Wishes to all our #gtchat friends attending #SENGDiego2018 this week! @SENG_Gifted does great work to support the gifted community!
Welcome to Twitter Riley - it's honestly one of the best places for prof. learning. I agree with your instructor - I've learned so much from this weekly chat. #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 humor and gifted kids. #gtchat
A1) Gifted kids have a great sense of humor. They can see something funny in nearly every situation. They are also quite often so clever with words. #gtchat
A1. Definitely their quick replies - don't try to beat them, they've got there first. They often find the humour in odd situations - love this! #gtchat
A1) Gifted children with advanced abilities well beyond their years can manipulate and play with words in demonstrating verbal ability. via @CeliCeliC#gtchat
A1) #gtchat Don’t forger thise quick synapses! I’d daresay that many of the most successful comedians display gifted behaviors during their set: lightning-fast responses & subject changes, vocabulary, keen observers, and a large trove of knowledge that is wide (& sometimes deep!)
A2) Higher Order Thinking Skills, great verbal and literary communication skills, a vivid imagination and creativity - all indicators of high intelligence help generate great comedy. #gtchat
A2) Recognition and appreciation of adult humor is often part of an extensive native knowledge base possessed by intellectually gifted children. They may enjoy absurd types of humor such as Monty Python. #gtchat
A2) it’s a difficult thing to make someone laugh. The timing, oral fluency, inflection, and patience necessary to deliver a good joke are all advanced speaking and listening skills. Why we don’t have more K-5 students reading aloud from humorous text is beyond me. #gtchat
A2) One has to be exposed to and understand the content of some humor to get it. So many movies made for kids have adult humor, like Shrek, that goes over the kids' heads but keeps adults interested. #gtchat
A1) Gifted children with advanced abilities well beyond their years can manipulate and play with words in demonstrating verbal ability. via @CeliCeliC#gtchat
I read something long ago that Robin Williams said he developed his humor to combat teasing from bullies. He had to be quick and kept them off their guard - or sometimes just made them laugh. And stop. #gtchat
A2) it’s a difficult thing to make someone laugh. The timing, oral fluency, inflection, and patience necessary to deliver a good joke are all advanced speaking and listening skills. Why we don’t have more K-5 students reading aloud from humorous text is beyond me. #gtchat
Verbal Humor in Gifted Students and Students in the General Population: A Comparison of Spontaneous Mirth and Comprehension (Abstract Only) https://t.co/uMCRfLydP0#gtchat
A2) As mentioned before, comedians have a strong command of language, they must be able to think quickly and on multiple levels. They have to look at the literal meaning of things and an alternate humorous meaning as well. They make connections that most people wouldn't #gtchat
A2) Higher levels of intelligence permit the gifted child to be more quick witted and display a sense of humor that belies their ability to interpret everyday experiences in a different light than age-peers or even older children. #gtchat
A3) Language abilities tend to shine a light on gifted children making them a target of age-peers who don’t understand them. This can lead to teasing and verbal bullying. #gtchat
A3. If it's not appreciated or encouraged, the student can get shut down. Sometimes not seen as one of their gifts. Can be seen in a negative light when it shouldn't be. #gtchat
Sometimes, especially for the younger kids, it's the only way they can think of to combat the abuse. Adults need to be on the lookout for what exactly is going on. #gtchat
A3 seriously this time!) too much of a good thing is still too much. When they use their power for evil (like trying to get their teacher off topic on test day) then it’s hard to have that behavior encouraged at a more appropriate time. #gtchat
We are already half way through our chat! Thank you for sharing so many inspiring thoughts about humor and gifted kids! Please remember to use the #gtchat hashtag to participate in the conversation.
Absolutely. They can start to feel like there is something wrong with *them*. Adults really need to help them - but then they need to understand what's going on before they can help. #gtchat
A3. If it's not appreciated or encouraged, the student can get shut down. Sometimes not seen as one of their gifts. Can be seen in a negative light when it shouldn't be. #gtchat
A3: many peers of gifted students don’t understand their humor. Often times, gifted students communicate in ways that other students don’t comprehend. This makes some feel isolated #ElonEd#gtchat
In their defense, it is an entertaining way (for them) to combat boredom in class. Keep a clever, funny gifted kid mentally occupied and he won't have to use his or her talent for evil! #gtchat
A3 seriously this time!) too much of a good thing is still too much. When they use their power for evil (like trying to get their teacher off topic on test day) then it’s hard to have that behavior encouraged at a more appropriate time. #gtchat
A4) Recognizing a mature sense of humor is an easy way to begin the identification process for giftedness. Expressions of humor deemed beyond that of age-peers may reveal a gifted child in hiding. #gtchat
A4) Teachers may notice that a gifted student makes funny/quirky remarks, observes situations with an amusing expression, is amused by abstract ideas rather than simple slapstick comedy #gtchat
A3) verbal ability of a much older child or even adult can “rub” others...teachers the wrong way. Children may learn to verbally manipulate and are bright enough to engage others into an argument of sorts #gtchat
A4) I think it’s a good first indicator for sure. Those funny kids are thinking big thoughts and shouldn’t just be hushed and ignored. I can’t help but think of Dav Pilkey. I heard him speak a few weeks ago and that man is a gifted kid if ever I saw one! #gtchat
A4) I would think that if a child is making jokes - good, more advanced ones - it might lead to teacher to take a closer look at that student, and not immediately assume the kid is just a problem student, even though the kid might be disruptive. #gtchat
I completely agree! Way too often, many teachers right away think the worst. But if they take the time to get to know the student on a personal level, they may be pleasantly surprised #ElonEd#gtchat
A4 never had my youngest son officially labelled or coded as GT, but after years of teaching them, I believe he is. He has been cracking us (me, his dad, older siblings) up with his humour since he could speak. #gtchat
A5) Teachers may use satire in Greek drama, political cartooning, or investigate bathos (anticlimax; especially in literature) & pathos (pity, sadness; in rhetoric, film, or literature) to develop humor potential in gifted children. #gtchat
Our youngest's prep teacher said he laughed at different things to rest of the class - when she read Winnie the Pooh the class laughed at Pooh getting stuck in door but he laughed at Anyone home? said Pooh. No said Rabbit #gtchat
A4) teachers will many times note that the funny/comical gt kid makes jokes/statements connecting ideas that otherwise wouldn’t seem related. AND they are indeed funny! It’s a very creative way of thinking. #gtchat
A5. Be open to it. Encourage a culture of humour in the classroom and don't shut it down. Develop an environment of trust where Ss can be themselves and value that. Show that you value it. #gtchat
A5) Use as much humor as possible in class. This frees them up to using it as well and you can discover those teachable moments of when and when it is not ok. It also has a side effect of building relationships due to the endorphin release. #gtchat
A5 Seems obvious, but sure they know it's okay to laugh when something is funny! We laughed so much in my GT class--former students still laugh about things that happened 10 years ago! #gtchat
A5) Teachers can encourage using humor appropriately and at appropriate times; using humor for positive purposes; and give students time to explore different types of humor. #gtchat
A5) provide multiple opportunities for practice. Let them read funny books, analyze comics like Foxtrot and The Far Side in critical thinking w exercises and set up a classroom where humor and joy are allowed and celebrated! #gtchat
A5) Teachers should model appropriate forms of humor that show students the need to be considerate of others’ feelings; emphasizing the importance of developing positive relationships with age-peers. #gtchat
A5) Don't put down students who make good jokes. Make one back and move on. If joking gets out of control, have a talk with the class or a private one with the kid starting the joking. #gtchat
A5 I always taught Gr 10s a Shakespeare comedy even though the tendency was to do 3 tragedies in 10, 11, 12. Had to explain the levels of humour (puns, wordplay, dramatic irony, farce) at first, but they really enjoyed themselves. #gtchat
I used to tell jokes and riddles at the end of each day, or while waiting on specials teachers, and the kids started bringing their own jokes and riddles to class to share as well #gtchat
5A) laughing is good for the ❤️. It can reduce anxiety (which more than not these kids a known to have). Teachers should encourage & welcome humor. #gtchat
Riddles are great. We used to have a 'joke slot' in assembly each week for students to share their jokes with the rest of the school. It was very popular. #gtchat
A6) Laughter can eliminate stress, so humor would certainly help gifted kids deal with stress. Finding something to laugh about in a situation takes some of its power away. #gtchat
#gtchat A5 ... appreciate the humor. I will tell you, some of the funniest people I know are my students. They need to learn when the audience is appropriate and that is all part of learning the "school game". Keep the humor polished - just learn when to share your shine.
A6) humor can “break the ice,” allow students to feel connected, safe, confident to take learning risks, not scared to fail....etc. It can also help create stronger peer and peer/teacher relationships. #gtchat
A6) Humor is a natural way to reduce stress; to recognize social injustice and work to seek a way forward involving fairness and equality in society. Humor and laughter can enhance enjoyable leisure activities. #gtchat
A6) humor is a huge stress reliever. A good laugh gets endorphins going and makes you see stressful situations differently Adults do it and we should teach it’s use to our students. The world can be scary but mostly it’s ridiculous if you look at it just right. 😂 🙃#gtchat
Takeaway from today - humour is another learning tool and can offer insight and different perspective on situations, problems, and ideas. It needs to be encouraged, not squashed. #gtchat
Final thoughts) My class has always been a funny place to be but I’m going to use more humorous texts with my ELA instruction. Maybe we’ll write and deliver joke monologues instead of speeches. Sounds like way more fun!! #gtchat
Take away from tonight's #gtchat - Don't forget to include something funny during the 1st few days back to school. So many times there is a huge to do list but, we need to laugh too.
GT kids can be easily bored and tune out, so using humour to go over something dry can make them take a fresh look at it, and that reduces stress during and later. A favourite was examples of really bad similes and metaphors #gtchat
Our next chat will be on Thursday July 26th at 8E/7C/6M/5P US and Friday 27th July at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1AM UK. Our topic will be “Taking a Closer Look at Mentorships” #gtchat
A6) #gtchat Gotta have a sense of humor when dealing with things we really can’t control. Goes very well with a side-order of #kindness, too! Thank you for this chat!
