AIG Student Analyses

Elementary School 

Palmetto Elementary School is located in Miami, Florida in a suburban, middle-class neighborhood. The students are mostly Caucasian or Latin American and come from mostly supportive homes with involved parents. It is a public school, so students are identified as gifted and subsequently tracked for the rest of their time at school. I observed two 4th grade gifted classes, which were jointly taught. The teachers were in a trailer
with a partition, so it made it easy to co-teach the students. One teacher specialized in English Language Arts and Reading. The other teacher specialized in Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

• Background Information 
• The student that the teachers told me to pay attention to was a student that was identified as twice exceptional. A quiet and reserved boy, he would most likely be overlooked by teachers and called "slow." He comes from an extremely involved family—his motheris the "Room Mom"—and both parents attend regular meetings with his IEP team. Although he keeps to himself, it is clear that he has several gifted tendencies.
• Gifted Characteristics 
• Most notably, he is an abstract and unusual thinker. The kinds of questions he would ask were above and beyond the questions other gifted students had in the class. For example, in a lesson on magnets he asked, "Is there any evidence proving that different sides of magnets can have different strengths?" As soon as he asked this question, it was evident on the teacher's face that they had not gone over this as a class, nor did she know the answer to his question. 
• He also struggles with perfectionism, and had several outbursts throughout my time observing when he got answers incorrect or did not perform better than all of his classmates. On two specific occasions, his outbursts were hysterical and he interrupted a significant amount of class time in order to recollect himself, even when he was redirected to another task. 
• Rebel, Social Leader, Creative Intellectual, etc.? 
• This student is considered Twice Exceptional. He is both gifted and autistic. He is gifted in mathematics and science, but struggles socially and has a difficult time expressing his wants and needs. 
• Gifted Program
• This student is indeed enrolled in a gifted program at his school and is in contained gifted classrooms throughout the day, with the exception of Physical Education and Music. 
• Accommodations 
• In terms of accommodations being made, this student has several simply because he is identified as twice exceptional. His desk is surrounded by two motherly girls that are there to redirect and refocus him throughout the day. In addition, the teachers consistently, but quietly, check in with him so that he stays on task. This is different from how the teachers treated the rest of the students, because they expected them to be listening and focused throughout directions.
• I noticed that he was extremely impatient, especially when writing things by hand. He got frustrated easily, so the teachers allowed him to use the classroom computer to type up his assignments. The class was finishing their first essay on natural disasters, so his was printed and turned in at the end of the week. 
• When the teachers noticed that he was getting restless or when he had an outburst, they would redirect him to the computers to code. He had learned to code as part of an independent contract in his math class, so the program was a place of refuge for him when he was upset. He would usually spend anywhere from five to ten minutes at the computer, and then he would move back to his seat. 
• What is School Like? 
• Despite his constant outbursts and his "unusual" behavior (by the students' standards), his life at school is not difficult. He has a lot of friends, but tends to stick around with the girls in his class instead of the boys. Because of his quiet nature, he gravitates towards them and chooses to play with them during recess time. The boys typically play soccer or football, and he avoids contact sports. 
• One of his teachers informed me that because the same group of students has been in the gifted program for so long, and classes are typically contained, the students have a deep understanding and respect for him. When he had an outburst, students would comfort him without prompting from the teacher. They would encourage him and say things like, "We all make mistakes sometimes" or "You'll do better next time." 
• It didn't seem as though the student faced any bullying problems in his own classroom, but I wonder whether or not he experiences it in different learning environments. I also wonder what school would be like for him if he was in a general education classroom or in a classroom with students he had never met before. 
• "Ideal" Learning Situation 
• This student's ideal learning situation is quite similar to the one he is in now. I truly believe that the students in his class make him feel safe and valued. This is essential to any student, but especially one identified as twice exceptional. He most definitely needs to be in a classroom where he is understood, and that means he would need to be in either a pull-out program for part of the day, or a completely contained gifted classroom. The latter is the more desirable option, simply because it requires less movement and instability throughout the day. He also needs to be challenged in mathematics, his strongest subject. Time to explore topics and investigate problems further would be nice, however he needs structure in his day so this may prove challenging. Ultimately, he needs teachers who understand him well and have developed relationships with him so that he feels comfortable asking for help or identifying when he is feeling frustrated. 

Middle School 

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School is a private middle school located in High Point, North Carolina. The majority of students are Caucasian. I observed 3 classes taught by Ms. Harris, an HPU graduate. These classes were a 5th grade math class, a 6th grade math class, and a 6th grade science class. 

• Background Information 
• Ms. Harris instructed me to pay attention to an 11 year old boy, described as extremely advanced in comparison to his peers. He enjoys working independently and is particularly reserved. Although he does not share his knowledge with the rest of the class, students respect him and enjoy having him around. 
• Gifted Characteristics 
• The most telling characteristic of this student's gifted tendencies is the ease with which he understands mathematics and how much he enjoys challenging problems. In watching him complete his online modules, he flew through them and had a solid grasp of the concepts and how to solve problems using what he had learned. He worked on several sections of a lesson in one class period, finishing all of the modules and all of the workbook pages with correct answers. 
• His diligence and drive were other indicators which led me to believe that he was truly gifted. Having the responsibility to teach yourself a topic you've never learned before, online, at your own pace, and in 6th grade is a rarity. It requires a lot of self-restraint, organization, and self-discipline. Because he is highly interested in the topic, it comes easily to this student. His teacher also mentioned that he is a quick worker, he always turns assignments in before they're due, and he always has a book in his hands.
• Rebel, Social Leader, Creative Intellectual, etc.? 
• This student would be considered a reserved intellectual. Although he is social and can easily handle interacting with his peers, he is quiet and reserved and keeps to himself when he is not playing sports or spending time with people that are familiar to him. 
• Gifted Program 
• There is no designated gifted program at this school, so this student is considered to be on an "accelerated track." He is the only 6th grader working on Pre-Algebra and the school has established accommodations so that they can meet his needs. 
• Accommodations 
• This student is in 6th grade, but he is working on Pre-Algebra during the designated 6th grade math period. Ms. Harris has an office that is attached to her room with working space and windows that allow her to watch his progress throughout the class period. The student goes into that classroom and uses online resources provided by the textbook, McGraw-Hill, to move through lessons at his own pace. Essentially, he teaches himself the math concepts and completes workbook problems to reinforce them. The online resource is called the Online Learning Center, through which he uses a "Personal Tutor." This is a pre-recorded module that goes step-by-step through each section of each lesson. Every module has a voice over which also explains what is going on. The lessons online correspond to the lessons in his textbook and workbook, which he uses to follow along with.  
• What is School Like? 
• Although this student is extremely quiet, he interacts with others well and fares well socially. He is a member of several sports teams at school and has friends in his classes. Before class, he was socializing with them and laughing at jokes in the hallway, so it is clear that school is generally enjoyable. He is, however, the quietest one of the group. He hangs out with his friends but is not necessarily an active participant in conversation—he is more of an observer. Ms. Harris explained that it takes him a little bit of time to "warm up" to situations, so I assume that he just needs to be comfortable before he contributes to a situation. Because he takes his Pre-Algebra class alone, science was the only opportunity to see him perform in a classroom setting. His class is a rowdy group that frequently talks out of turn and shouts the answer. He did not jump to answer questions, but he knew the answers when called on and was diligent about completing his work in an orderly fashion. 
• "Ideal" Learning Situation  
• I believe that this student's learning situation is the one that I would recommend for him and his abilities. He is gifted and advanced in certain topics, so therefore he should be able to explore these topics further and move at an accelerated pace. This gives him the opportunity to hone his strengths. Because math comes easily to him, he should have a separate and individualized program and also have the opportunity to be in mainstreamed classrooms that are working at grade-level. I think that this gives him a unique environmental balance, which allows him to challenge himself academically and meet his needs as a developing, social being. The only additional recommendation I have is that there be more student-teacher interaction when he is working on his accelerated curriculum. In a conversation he and I had, he mentioned that math "just comes naturally" to him. I asked him if he worked on projects or anything like that, and he said he did not but that might be interesting. Because he is working alone, his teacher may not be able to gauge what is working, what might need to be modified, or what could be added to his experience. I think implementing projects that require him to use analysis and higher order thinking skills would keep him interested and break up the constant self-directed lessons that he learns online. 

High School 

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School (BMHS) is the largest non-public high school in the North Carolina Triad. Located in Kernersville, the co-ed school operates under the Diocese of Charlotte and promotes a strong Catholic faith. The majority of students are Caucasian. The school has four different "levels" of classes—Foundations, College Prep, Honors, and AP. I observed an 9th grade honors geometry class with Mr. Rad, an HPU graduate.

• Background Information 
• Mr. Rad pointed out three students that were exceptionally gifted in his class. I chose to focus on a 14 year old female, who he described as extremely diligent, intelligent, and beyond her years. She was also very quiet. 
• Gifted Characteristics 
• Most indicative of her gifted tendencies was her speedy mastery of skills. Even when learning new topics in class, this student was extremely quick and I found her teaching others whenever she was done. It seemed like the material, no matter how difficult, came naturally to her. When she answered analytical questions, her answers were extremely insightful and mature. She had a unique way of solving problems, but she was usually always right. When she was wrong, you could see that she was truly defeated. She was a perfectionist and it was clear that she was not content when she wasn't strongest student in the room. 
• It looked as though she enjoyed helping others. On multiple occasions, her tests and quizzes would come back with a 100% and she would be the first to offer her support to others when they were wrong. It almost seemed as though she enjoyed feeling superior to her classmates. Most notably, she was often frustrated when others were off task or had wrong answers. I found this interesting, especially since she was willing to offer her help. When students were consistently wrong or just couldn't come to a conclusion, she could understand what was taking them so long.
• Her perfectionism comes with an affinity for the rules, and it was clear that she got annoyed when others were not following them. Even when Mr. Rad stepped out of the classroom, she still was on task. Other students, however, pulled out their phones or started chatting with their neighbors. I watched her closely and found her rolling her eyes, upset with her peers for this behavior. 
• Rebel, Social Leader, Creative Intellectual, etc.? 
• This student would be considered a hyper-perfectionist. She is a perfectionist and prides herself on this. When her authority on subjects are questioned, she shuts down. She is a rule-follower and likes that people know she performs well in school. 
• Gifted Program 
• As aforementioned, Bishop McGuinness has four levels of classes. Although there is no gifted program, students are tracked. This means that students that partake in an honors level course typically end up in another honors level course afterwards, in preparation for an AP course. At BMHS, students that are in honors geometry typically take Honors Pre-BC which is the equivalent of honors pre-calculus. This is a prerequisite for AP BC Calculus. The student I observed is on this track, and on several other honors tracks in other subjects. That's the extent of the "gifted program." 
• Accommodations 
• Because this school does not have a gifted program but an honors level course, this student is not provided accommodations. The 9th grade geometry class is all-honors students, so the teachers assume that these students can handle a more challenging curriculum. Although this is true, I don't think that they differentiate their lessons more than that. Most assignments performed in class were either more detailed than the College Prep class or the same with some modifications. These modifications were class-wide, not individualized. Therefore, I cannot conclude that she was provided with any accommodations for her giftedness. 
• What is School Like? 
• Fortunately, school for this student seems great. She appears to have a close knit group of friends in her class that she shares inside jokes with and feels comfortable around. However, while many students in the class were friends with each other, it seemed she kept to herself and her friends. She rarely interacted with boys—only when the asked for help did she speak to them. Despite being in an honors class, she is viewed as the "smart" person in the room. Students looked to her for guidance and help on more difficult problems and cheered for her when she was the only one in the room who answered a problem correctly. 
• "Ideal" Learning Situation 
• Although this student found refuge in her friends during this class, it was clear that she was bored and always finished first. The majority of the time I spent watching her, she was waiting for new instructions from her teacher. Because of this, I think that this student needs a more individualized learning plan or contract. In Mr. Rad's class, they have extensive projects each quarter. By adding to or changing this student's project instructions and allowing her more time to work on it, it might give her something to do in class while others are still working. This way, she doesn't feel like she is so far ahead of her classmates. Additional research or explanations would give her an opportunity to develop higher order thinking skills and challenge herself to complete more appropriate work on a more regular basis.