It’s Safe to Be Smart

Abstract

Gifted teenagers in middle and high school benefit from classroom environments that support their social and emotional development. Teachers of gifted adolescents may create classroom environments in which young people know it is safe to be smart and where they feel valued and respected for their intellect, creativity, and passions. By utilizing available strategies for creating such environments, teachers enhance the psychosocial well-being of gifted adolescents.

Gifted Classroom Environments and the Creative Process: A Systematic Review

“…Five empirical articles were reviewed, of which two were qualitative (Chan & Yuen, 2015;Wu et al, 2019) and three were quantitative (Jo & Ku, 2011;Kettler & Bower, 2017;Sak, 2013). Of the remaining articles, most (n = 16) were practitioner-focused and written with classroom teachers as the primary audience (Beason-Manes, 2018;Chandra Handa, 2015;Coxon, 2012;Firmender et al, 2017;Fletcher, 2011;Gavin & Casa, 2013;Groman, 2019;Hagge, 2017;Hébert et al, 2014;Hines et al, 2019;Schroth & Helfer, 2017;Scott, 2011;Senne et al, 2016;Shively et al, 2018;Thompson, 2017;Westberg & Leppien, 2018), but several (n = 5) were more theoretical in nature with a broader audience that included researchers and school personnel (Miller, 2012;Renzulli, 2012;Renzulli & Reis, 2012;Subotnik, 2015;Subotnik et al, 2011). Overall, the 26 articles described learning environments for gifted students with an emphasis on classroom systems that promote and support creativity and the creative process.…”

“…Students spent an extensive amount of time troubleshooting potential solutions and weeding out those that did not work. Authors recommend that educators build supportive environments in which high-ability students feel comfortable interacting with their ideas and with others while they reflect upon and evaluate their end goal (e.g., solution, product; Chandra Handa, 2015; Hébert et al, 2014;Renzulli, 2012;Westberg & Leppien, 2018) before moving forward with the best ideas.…”

“…The sixth theme related to the integration of creative process skills is that feedback shapes future creative endeavors. Authors in the articles encouraged teachers of gifted and talented students to allow class time for students to share their work, either formally to an audience (e.g., professionals in the domain; Beason-Manes, 2018;Renzulli, 2012;Senne et al, 2016;Westberg & Leppien, 2018) or informally to the class (Fletcher, 2011;Hébert et al, 2014;Jo & Ku, 2011). To progress toward a quality final product and competence in the domain, talented students in gifted classrooms engaged in ongoing dialogue with their teacher (Gavin & Casa, 2013;Jo & Ku, 2011) and with peers (Hébert et al, 2014;Shively et al, 2018).…”

“…Authors in the articles encouraged teachers of gifted and talented students to allow class time for students to share their work, either formally to an audience (e.g., professionals in the domain; Beason-Manes, 2018;Renzulli, 2012;Senne et al, 2016;Westberg & Leppien, 2018) or informally to the class (Fletcher, 2011;Hébert et al, 2014;Jo & Ku, 2011). To progress toward a quality final product and competence in the domain, talented students in gifted classrooms engaged in ongoing dialogue with their teacher (Gavin & Casa, 2013;Jo & Ku, 2011) and with peers (Hébert et al, 2014;Shively et al, 2018). Building school-based mentoring relationships between high-ability students and professionals (e.g., independent study courses, projects with mentors; Beason-Manes, 2018;Fletcher, 2011;Renzulli & Reis, 2012;Schroth & Helfer, 2017;Subotnik et al, 2011;Westberg & Leppien, 2018) was one suggestion for providing learners with valuable domain-specific feedback, so they could begin to understand the nuances of creative thought and production within the field.…”

“…The second theme related to adaptive environments is that access to resources is necessary for creative production. To participate in the gifted classroom activities described in the articles, high-ability students needed access to a variety of resources, both tangible and digital, to support research, exploration, collaboration, and production, including computers and other devices that connect to the internet (Beason-Manes, 2018;Coxon, 2012;Firmender et al, 2017;Fletcher, 2011;Groman, 2019;Hagge, 2017;Hébert et al, 2014;Jo & Ku, 2011;Renzulli & Reis, 2012;Senne et al, 2016;Thompson, 2017;Wu et al, 2019), access to experts and mentors (Beason-Manes, 2018;Fletcher, 2011;Renzulli & Reis, 2012;Schroth & Helfer, 2017;Subotnik et al, 2011;Westberg & Leppien, 2018), software programs (Coxon, 2012;Hagge, 2017), and tangible materials, such as books, art supplies, or musical instruments (Groman, 2019;Scott, 2011). For example, gifted classrooms focused on STEM require access to specific resources commonly found within STEM professions (e.g., devices for coding, construction materials, and equipment for scientific experiments).…”