An Interview with Monita Leavitt, Ph.D.
12.01.2010
1. Could you please tell us about your first experience with giftedness or gifted children?
I'll share both a personal and professional "first experience" with giftedness. I can remember being in 5th grade (10 years old) and visiting my town library, a one-room building that opened only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. One day, I was searching for a book to read when the librarian came over, took me by the shoulders and scolded, "Monita, you can't choose a book from that shelf. Those books are for 8th graders. Here, these are the books for 5th graders." And, she redirected me to a particular shelf of books I had already read. Not only had I read those books, but I had also read the ones on the 6th and 7th grade shelves. How I wished she hadn't caught me! How I wish she would have selected a new book for me to try!
On a more professional note, during the summer of 1973 I worked as a counsellor at Buck's Rock, a summer camp of creative and performing arts for gifted children in CT. This camp hired professionals from across the U.S. to work with gifted children to develop their self-discovery and creativity. Having previously worked at camps for special needs children, I soon became aware that gifted children also have exceptional needs. I began to understand how gifted children learned quickly and must be challenged at their own developmental rate. I realized how important it was for gifted children to find peers who shared their common interests and exhibited intellectual curiosity. And, I witnessed firsthand the drive and passion of many gifted children who wanted to delve more deeply into areas of their interest. Gifted children are exceptional learners and must be respected as such.
2. Do you have some tips for teachers working with gifted students?
My tip for teachers is to see gifted children as individuals. Provide the support and guidance each one needs to realize their dreams and feel confident about their exceptionality. Connect them with mentors who can serve as role models in fields they are interested in. And, then, get out of the way to let them discover who they are and what they can do!
3. What are the most important problems for working with gifted children in your opinion?
Because gifted children have exceptional needs, it is important for them to understand and accept themselves and to find supportive adults who can guide them in their self-discovery so they can create, connect, and explore different ways to express their gifts.
A second problem is that of elitism. Oftentimes, people believe the myth that 'gifted children can make it on their own.' However, this is untrue. Gifted children need advocates. They deserve to have an appropriate education that meets their academic and socio-emotional needs. Because funding is not always available or allocated to educating gifted children, teacher-training and programming for the gifted are often lacking in a school system. Sadly, gifted children may not reach their full potential.
4. What is the best way for teachers to motivate gifted underachiever?
The best way for teachers to motivate gifted underachievers is to listen to them and offer choices. It is important for teachers to facilitate opportunities that encourage gifted underachievers to actively engage in the pursuit of activities and independent studies that are of interest to them. Do not give gifted students more of the same work; rather, involve them in the decision-making process to enrich or accelerate their learning.
5. Please tell us about your book Building a Gifted Program: Identifying and Educating Gifted Students in Your School.
Over the past few years, I had been consulting in several school districts to work with teachers on identifying and educating gifted students. After my workshops, teachers asked for copies of my Powerpoint presentation and expressed the need for additional materials and information in giftedness. They especially wanted to share this knowledge with their parents of gifted students and their administrators. Because teaching is a time-consuming profession, many teachers do not have time or resources to research the latest information on giftedness. My book was created to meet that need. Building a Gifted Program: Identifying and Educating Gifted Students in Your School is a manual that is supported by a CD, which includes Powerpoint presentations that are targeted for various audiences: teachers, parents, policy makers and administrators. Based upon brain research, the book explores more than one definition of giftedness, how to identify gifted students using multiple criteria, differentiation, how to develop a gifted program and implement a model that involves the community. Resources for advocates of gifted children are also included so that information on giftedness is located right at one's finger tips!