Competencies for Teachers of Gifted

Teachers of gifted students must possess competencies not required of general educators. They have the same foundational competencies as other educators (e.g., classroom management skills, organization, lesson plan development), but must add other competencies to their repertoire when teaching gifted students. These competencies include the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that provide appropriately paced education with sufficient depth and complexity for gifted students to make reasonable yearly progress in their academic development. Discussing these competencies here is important because teachers' influence in their classrooms is a significant factor affecting student progress. This entry examines the competencies from varying perspectives: teacher, students, parents, program, colleagues, and the larger community.

Teachers must first know themselves as the major resource for the gifted student. This includes what they have learned ...