What is Gifted Education?
What is Gifted Education?
Educational research has found supporting evidence that the needs of gifted children are simply different from that of other students. Bright children may find themselves withdrawn or disengaged from grade-level curriculum. Even when slightly accelerated content is offered, children may still become disinterested and frustrated with the classroom experience, both in content and process. Children who find themselves in an environment that is not designed for their learning needs may exhibit behaviors that are tangential to the actual learning, including acting out in class or expressing social emotional concerns that may result in anxiety, depression, or low self-confidence. As a result, parents may find themselves struggling to discover the best course of action for their young children to ensure emotional well-being and foster a love for learning.
At Quest Academy, we are dedicated to providing a nurturing and balanced education, ensuring all Quest students reach their full potential regardless of their circumstances. Our school is comprised of qualified educators who have the expertise and training to engage, motivate, and inspire an advanced group of students. They embrace the qualities that make a child unique, understanding that each learner interprets and receives information differently. With the teacher’s support, students develop into thoughtful individuals and ask more complex questions, channeling their inner curiosity
Our Beliefs
WE BELIEVE THIS ABOUT GIFTEDNESS
- Giftedness is exceptional intellectual, physical, creative, and/or affective capacity that can be transformed into extraordinary ability.
- Giftedness is domain-specific—it may occur predominantly in one or more domains, such as mathematics, science, the arts, or language—but can be enhanced in all domains.
- Giftedness is best identified and cultivated by means of thorough and multifaceted assessment.
- Giftedness may involve asynchronous development and does not preclude exceptionalities.
- Giftedness is nurtured by an environment that provides continuous intellectual stimulation and creative engagement within a community of like-minded peers and supportive adults.
WE BELIEVE THIS ABOUT LEARNING
- Learning is a critical process to growth and development.
- Learning is integral to a healthy and productive life.
- Learning requires taking risks, challenging one’s ideas and beliefs, and putting forth effort.
- Learning is most effective when it involves the intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and creative domains.
- Learning can be catalyzed by competition but must be measured relative to the self.
WE BELIEVE THIS ABOUT TEACHING GIFTED
- Curriculum that first emphasizes conceptual understandings and applications facilitates the subsequent successful retention of discrete knowledge and specific skills.
- Assessment that is differentiated and involves ongoing and meaningful feedback facilitates the learning process.
- Learning environments that provide interaction with other gifted students promote intellectual stimulation and healthy socialization.
- Learning experiences that involve challenge, problem solving, and reflection ensure greater student engagement and intellectual risk-taking.
- The most effective teachers have expertise in gifted education and can differentiate curriculum, assessment, learning environments and learning experiences.