Like many of us, I have several teachers from my early life in school imprinted on my memory – and there’s no doubt that they’ve help shape me into the animal-loving, word-loving person I am today. One of my earliest school memories is of Mrs. Colliard, my second grade teacher. I was one of two lucky second graders chosen via lottery to take home one of the baby Finches born to Mrs. Colliard’s pet Finch. I remember being elated to bring home my new pet bird, who I named Gargamel after a character in one of my favorite cartoons. I already loved animals as a second grader, but in gifting me this new pet, Mrs. Colliard deepened my compassionate roots in caring for other living creatures.

Then there was Mrs. Van, my eighth grade teacher, who put me on a path to becoming an avid reader and communicator. I loved diagramming sentences and learning how to dissect meaning out of prose. I credit Mrs. Van with instilling in me a respect for language and for being the “go to” proofer among my friends and family members. In high school, there was my honors English teacher Brother Aquinas who painstakingly took the class through Beowulf to show us the hidden story behind the poetry. While I may no longer read Old English, I grew a deep appreciation for nuanced storytelling and love of fiction writing.

All of us have these types of stories, of teachers who have touched our lives, instilled in us integrity and compassion and put us on a particular path to achieve our potential. And with all the negative noise in the ether about today’s schools, it’s refreshing to have a dedicated week in National Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate true heroes – our teachers.

Here are a few ways you can recognize teachers who have impacted your life and celebrate the work of today’s teachers:

1. Post a shout out on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag and . Check out the National PTA’s for more post ideas.
2. Donate supplies or money to your child’s teacher’s latest class project. Or ask the teacher what they could really use in their classroom – they’ll thank you for not having to dip into their own bank account again for these items!
3. Hand-write a thank you letter to one of your favorite teachers. Even better, deliver it in person!
4. Create a short video about a teacher who’s made an impact on your life and upload it to the National Education Association’s for them to share to their national audience.
5. Like to bake? Make a favorite treat for your child’s teacher to enjoy. are some more creative ideas from PTO Today.

While my pet bird Gargamel is no longer with us, I will always remember him and Mrs. Colliard as a positive influence in my life. So I thank Mrs. Colliard, Mrs. Van and Brother Aquinas, for teaching me.

Do you have a story of how a teacher impacted your life? Share your story with us in the comments below.

The gifted brain is a unique place. In fact, it is so unique that many of the complexities of giftedness are still not fully understood. Still, there are some common quirks that have been identified as being associated with the gifted brain.

Overexcitabilities

Dambrowski identified that he believes are strongly connected to giftedness: intellectual, psychomotor, imaginative, sensual, and emotional. These overexcitabilities give gifted individuals some of their unique traits, but can also make it hard to function within a traditional classroom environment.

Psychologist Carrie Lynn Bailey noted in :

“A challenge for gifted individuals is that they can often be viewed negatively, or pathologically, particularly in educational settings.”

So how do you deal with a gifted child with overexcitabilities? An from the California Association of the Gifted suggests a combination of teaching stress management techniques, ensuring clear verbal and nonverbal communication skills and creating a comforting environment can help gifted children manage their overxcitabilites.

Social and Emotional Vulnerabilities

Many gifted children are . A passing comment that may seem harmless to you can be crushing to a gifted child, who could internalize and overanalyze it. Because of their high-sensitivity, gifted children often perceive others to have a , leading to social issues, such as interacting and bonding with their peers and teachers.

The article “”  highlights the extremes of gifted social and emotional issues. It notes that many gifted kids live in a world that doesn’t fully understand them, leading them to feel isolated and lonely. The author suggests gifted students should learn in environments that focus not just on their brains, but also the “fragility of their hearts”.

(Hoagie’s Gifted Education Page has a on the social and emotional lives of the gifted for further reading.)

Twice-Exceptional

Twice-exceptional children demonstrate both giftedness and a learning or emotional disability, making them the most under-identified group in today’s schools, according to the . These students are often forced between choosing programs that serve their giftedness or their disability. Consequently, they are often underserved.

This “quirk” of the gifted is often difficult to diagnose even by professionals. notes that even those in the gifted community have trouble imagining a gifted child with a learning disability. Luckily there is a growing awareness of 2e and, as a result, more resources available on serving these children.

If your child has been diagnosed as twice-exceptional or you expect they may be, the 2e Newsletter has some for serving 2e students.

Although we still don’t understand everything about the gifted brain, identifying the quirks and giving students, parents and teachers the tools to deal with them is a win-win for everyone.

Like this post? to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

Nicole LaChance graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism before moving West in pursuit of milder winters. Prior to joining the ������Ƶ team, she spent time working in marketing for an architecture firm and completed two years of national service in the AmeriCorps program. Over the past few years she has worked with nonprofits to communicate their message and impact to the world around them, work she is excited to continue at ������Ƶ. When not at the office, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling wherever she can and making bad puns.

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