# data[].attributes.body
This will be my third year working with GEM students, and while I’ve definitely learned a lot, I’m still figuring things out as I go. Every group is so different, and what works one year might not work the next. I’m always trying new strategies, adjusting along the way, and learning how to better support and challenge them. It’s a learning process, but I really enjoy it and want to keep getting better at it.

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I have had GEM cluster students in my class before, and enjoy integrating their ideas with the rest of the class. I want to focus this next year on providing more opportunities for all students to have extended learning. This includes focusing more time on pre-assessment planning and differentiating for all levels of learning.

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I tested into GEM when I was in 2nd grade, where the school I attended had a pull-out program. In retrospect, I missed a significant amount in my grade level classes. Instruction was typically interest-based or PBL that was focused on either math or science.

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I am transitioning from high school gen ed to elementary GEM. As a high school teacher we had kids of all varying abilities in our classes, some with IEPs and some gifted, some with neither. I would say that most of my time spent with differentiating was put on my students with IEPs and 504s and far less with those who were identified as gifted.

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My kids have all been tested for GEM but none have qualified. That being said, one of my daughters very much shows many of the characteristics but has severe test anxiety and shuts down anytime she has to take a test. This puts her in. difficult place educationally. She is often bored at school because she is able to do things much faster than her peers.

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My sister was a GEM kid and was in the GEM classes from elementary school through middle school.

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I have had gifted students all three years of my teaching career and have loved it. I do see some of myself in them, which sometimes makes me nervous because I know the pressure they put on themselves. It also allows me to give them the support, reassurance, and challenge they need.

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I am not a parent yet, but the thought of having kids identified as GEM actually makes me nervous. As a gifted learner, I put draining expectations on myself and was disappointed with my academic performance the older I got (even though I did very well!) School felt like a competition for me and I do nottt want my kids to feel that.

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I tested into GEM when I was in 2nd grade. My GEM classroom was the place I felt seen the most. I never really understood why I was considered gifted until much later in life.

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My older brother and younger sister both qualified for GEM as well. I think my mom would have too if she was tested.

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I qualified for my district's gifted program in 3rd grade and participated in weekly meet ups and a gifted club until 7th grade. I moved to a new school where they did not offer anything for gifted students and that was the same through high school.

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Love my Kiddo with my whole heart. However I would not ever want to be his teacher. He has been counting down the years when he will be set free since 1st and possibly kinder. dI am hoping that Marana Vista Helps him see a bit of value in education. :)

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As I read these manuals I see my grandfather, grandmother, mother, father, sister, and myself. All of unidentified. I see my sisters children who were eventually identified. I see my son who will possibly not be identified and that is OK he makes his own way.

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My parents sent me to a small Catholic School in St. Louis City. The city public schools were very rough and they wanted us kids home alive each day. The nuns ran a tight ship. There was no room for original thought. Science and Social Studies were not taught until 6th grade. Teachers did the best they could with outdated materials and hour long religion lessons each day and Mass at least 3 times a week. My Family moved to the county bywhen it was time for me to start High Schoo. It waI had learned to mask andI was still not identified but excelled at industrial Arts!

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i have taught for 3 years and it has only been the gem clusters

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my daughter is in the gifted program at my school

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My experience teaching gifted identified students is very little. Each year I taught I had an opportunity to co-teach and service our special education population. I am inspired daily by the teachers on our campus who differentiate and challenge all our students to reach their highest potential.

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Both of my boys (1 & 2) are showing a love of learning and are very curious. I am excited to see where this takes them throughout their educational journey.

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Like I mentioned before, access to gifted education or gifted services wasn't readily available where I grew up. I am positive my oldest brother would have been identified and possibly my middle brother as well.

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I grew up in an area and district that didn't have gifted services readily available at every school. If you were identified gifted you were bused to a school that served only gifted students. I appreciate being in a district now that has so many opportunities for all our students at any ability.

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I have had gifted students in my class for the past 9 years. I have had the priveledge of working closely with Tori Moreland who has mentored and supported me in learning how to best support gifted students in my classroom.

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All three of my children are gifted. Two have been part of the GEM program. However, I wish I would have understood what It meant meant to be part of GEM when my oldest was in elementary school. He was tested and he had such bad anxiety we would not allow him to do it because we didnt think he could handle switching classes and an icreased amount of work. Looking back I wish I would have allowed him to be part of GEM.

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I was in a class for gifted students in elementary school, but never knew it and neither did my dad. When the option was presented for me to go to a middle school that was geared for gifted students my dad did not send me and because it was not our home school and he was not clear on why I got paperwork offering me a spot.

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I assumed that gifted students would be high achieving and highly motivated in the academic setting. While some students are, I have found that is not the norm. While my assumptions might not have been correct, having taught gifted students has made me a better teacher and a better human.

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Years ago I have some gifted students in my classroom and loved getting their ideas and view points within class discussions.  I am excited to have that again

# data[].attributes.subject
Years ago I have some gifted students in my classroom and loved getting their ideas and view points within class discussions.  I am excited to have that again

# data[].attributes.headline
I have 3 children who are all very different.  One tested into GEM at 1st grade and it was very obvious.  He was and still is a total mathlete.  The next two children were not tested but excelled in more outdoor activities.  It is interesting to watch how 3 children raised the same are so different in so many ways.  

# data[].attributes.subject
I have 3 children who are all very different.  One tested into GEM at 1st grade and it was very obvious.  He was and still is a total mathlete.  The next two children were not tested but excelled in more outdoor activities.  It is interesting to watch how 3 children raised the same are so different in so many ways.  

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While my brother was considered gifted he would a bit of a dingbat with everyday things.  When we would find oven mits in the freezer, he would answer the phone but not really talk to who ever was on the phone.  Very interesting watching him as a child.

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While my brother was considered gifted he would a bit of a dingbat with everyday things.  When we would find oven mits in the freezer, he would answer the phone but not really talk to who ever was on the phone.  Very interesting watching him as a child.

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I was not considered gifted but had a brother who would go to the "special" class once a week.  He was embarrassed by going to a "special" class but I know he really enjoyed it. 

# data[].attributes.subject
I was not considered gifted but had a brother who would go to the "special" class once a week.  He was embarrassed by going to a "special" class but I know he really enjoyed it. 

# data[].attributes.body
I taught GEM for the first time as a full class and they were a real challenge. I had many twice exceptional students, so I am also learning more about autism and dyslexia this summer as well. Next year I am going to be teaching "normal" 6th grade, but I will continue to use so much of the differentiation and project based work I did with my Gemmies. As a gifted kid that is now a teacher I recognized a need to learn about individual needs because all gifted kids are so different

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We have given our kids a unique life. As missionaries in Beirut, Lebanon for 10 years our kids went to a school there where they were learning Arabic, French, and English. The fluency of those languages is expected much later because they are learning all three at once. This is definitely a place that our kids shone that isn't seen in America. Both kids have been recommended, but we only had my son tested thus far. With the culture shock and trauma of living through the explosion in Beirut in August 2020, the co-taught class my daughter was placed in was perfect for her. She crumbles if pushed too hard too fast still and so we want to give her another year of adjustment. She is very imaginative. My son is loving GEM and excels at higher academic expectations. He loves learning chess, and I am working on this class at the UofA while he attends an engineering camp for a week.

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I think all my family is gifted in such different ways. My mom is a hyper artistic creative perfectionist. My sister somewhat follows that artistic path, too. My dad and brother are lateral thinking, critical thinking gurus.

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All three of the kids in my house tested into the gifted program, but we had a teacher who told my sister she wasn't gifted by comparing her to our younger brother and she convinced both of us girls my brother was the only "real" gifted one.

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It's always been a challenge for me with my on-level classes to differentiate content in a way that doesn't punish the gifted students and doesn't confuse / exclude the on-level students. With individual check-ins, I was able to push the gifted students, but it's not always feasible.

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None of my family members have been in gifted education. Though my sister and I took many honors/AP classes, we never were identified as gifted.

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In late elementary school, I was excluded from the GEM program. I recall the "gifted" kids telling us all the new words they were learning, and I felt jealous. I always was identified as a smart kid, and I felt left out. :(

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As a math student, I learned the formulas first, then recognized how to apply them to everyday life. As a math teacher and previous STEM teacher, I realize the importance of discovery to support understanding and application. Unfortunately, discovery takes time, and the pressure of getting through content rarely affords us the luxury of time. I love seeing new thought processes and guiding students to be able to describe their OWN thought processes for problem solving.

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All three of my children think in different ways. All three were in some type of advanced courses in school. Were they gifted? Probably, but not all of their educators recognized gifted "thinking" because they were very focused on "processes".

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I was in advanced courses all through school. I assume because of test scores. In junior high school there was a group of us from various elementary schools that were all placed into an advanced math, and we basically stuck together all the way through high school. I never considered us to be gifted, just hard workers.

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I have always worked with gifted students. I am always looking for opportunities to engage their mind and way of thinking.

~Salina Wolf

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Recently my son tested into GEM. I always knew he had some characteristics and is quirky. The way he learns fascinates me and I love his explanation of things

~Salina Wolf

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My brother's kids tested into the gifted program in MUSD. They love their experience with their classes

~Salina Wolf

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I was never identified as gifted. I did have friends that went to another class and did fun things, but I never knew what it was until I was in high school.

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It is wonderful having students who are gifted, but it is also challenging. Keeping them engaged, growing, challenged, and excited about learning is a lot of work! :)

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All three of my kids were in the GEM program in elementary school. They all decided not pursue it any further once they got to middle school because they wanted to use that elective time for other interests.

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My little sister was also in GEM and we had fun sharing that experience.

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I was in the MUSD GEM program in 3rd-6th grades. I was bussed from Butterfield to Thornydale for GEM once a week with the best teacher, Mrs. Looper! It was a wonderful experience and I'm grateful I got to participate in it!

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I switched from the ELL cluster teacher to the GEM cluster last year. I taught ELL for 10 years. ELL teaching is a much slower pace, with visuals, demonstrations, and frequent check-ins. As the GEM teacher this year, I enjoyed being able to move faster and have a more student-led classroom. I am looking forward to learning how to stretch their minds.

-Charlotte Galvan

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My daughter was identified as GEM last year and loves her GEM program. It has inspired me to learn more about how we're challenging her mind at home. Also, my son qualified for SpEd services last year, and now receives Speech, Hearing Impairment, ELA pullout, and SEL counseling services. We are so thankful that our MUSD school offers these much-needed services to children.

-Charlotte Galvan, Estes

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My Grandpa is a part of MENSA, High IQ Society, and worked and retired as Chief Engineer at Boeing. His math skills are unbelievable.

-Charlotte Galvan, Estes

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I just finished my 1st year of teaching 5th grade after getting my degree 20 years ago and staying home with kids and then subbing for 6 years. I had a GEM qualified student in my class who chose to step away for a year due mostly to social reasons. what i saw was that whoever she sat near often worked hard to rise to her level and many students went to her for help and advise. She wasn't as bored as i might have expected and she seemed to thrive emotionally and socially being mixed with gen ed students.

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My 3 oldest children are gifted and math accelerated, we started in the gifted program in flowing wells and then moved to Marana. My oldest son got a little lost with covid in HS, he continued to take AP classes, but his grades weren't great, he lost his motivation to keep trying. My 2 middle children are high achieving gifted students who thrive in the gifted environment. My youngest just this year was identified with specific learning disabilities in 1st grade and is pulled out for services in reading, writing and math. She definitely is an outside of the box thinker and a problem solver, so we will see where her educational journey takes her.

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My parents graduated HS in the sixties and i'm fairly certain didn't have gifted options. My mom has a HS diploma and my dad has bachelors degree and 2 masters and was a successful engineer.

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I was put into gifted and talented classes in elementary school, but didn't excel and eventually moved back in to general ed classes and was much more successful.

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My daughter is a gifted learner and my son is not considered a gifted learner. Learning both learning styles can be the biggest challenge sometimes.

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As a gifted learner myself, I know it can be exciting and difficult.

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As a gifted learner myself, I know it can be exciting and difficult.

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I was part of a pull-out TAG (Talented and Gifted) program in elementary school, but I remember feeling anxious about missing whatever instruction was happening with my classmates while I was in TAG.

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My son was obsessed with insects at a very early age. I thought that was peculiar Anyhow, we checked out various library books on insects and ended up buying a few as well. It didn't take long before he could rattle off all sorts of insect information. After entering the gifted program in MI, they gave him additional diagnostic tests. He was the first student in the school's history to earn a perfect score on the math placement. (I honestly don't where in his DNA this came from!) Now as am adult, he still loves math but has concentrated his efforts in data of all things! He's currently a senior director for Comcast.

Our daughter was also peculiar. She started speaking at a very young age and could form short sentences before two. People were shocked when she spoke to them. I quickly found out that she couldn't have any tags in her clothing. She also hated jeans and other coarse fabrics. When moving onto solid foods, texture was a huge issue. To this day, she has to be the pickiest eater I've ever known! She currently teaches 4th grade and is working on writing a novel.

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Years of experience, but years of failure

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Years of experience, but years of failure

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I have many years of experience with gifted students in my class before we went to self contained classes. I definitely was not prepared to differentiate, I don't feel like the college of education did not prepared me to teach the wide range of students in my classroom. I felt inadequate as a teacher for years... Amanda K Summer 2024

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I have three kids and many times I can see gifted tendencies in many areas, but then there are also many deficits. Oldest high anxiety, second couldn't care less, third too adhd to function. It's wild round here.

Amanda K Summer 2024

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We moved around a lot as a military family and I went to school in many states and countries. Some schools I had gifted classes and some I did not continue in gifted classes in middle school or beyond but always had accelerated/skipped classes. Amanda K Summer 2024

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Both of my brothers are fantastically gifted and school was so easy for them. One went on to become a successful doctor, the other didn't graduate college on time because of his procrastination, disinterested in boring classes, and lack of organization. Still smart, and successful now... but it was interesting to see their different learning styles.

Amanda K Summer 2024

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I've worked with gifted students for many years. For the last 8 years, my experiences with my school's gifted population has manly been through social interactions due to my school's self-contained gifted classrooms.

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My sister was identified as gifted early in her schooling. I would bet a lot of money that my mom is also gifted. My boyfriend and I think our five year old son will also eventually qualify.

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K-12 MUSD student here. Was never tested (or considered) gifted, but I was usually in the same class as my peers who were in GEM. I think I was just a "bright" student.

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I have always been so curious about the GEM program in our district and loved learning from the GEM teachers at our school when I first started teaching in Marana 4 years ago. I loved planning as a grade level with the GEM teacher giving ideas and explaining how they would be learning the concepts we all needed to cover. I am so excited to grow and learn as I take on this opportunity to join our GEM team!

-Liz Strathman

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I am a new GEM parent! Our youngest daughter will be in 2nd grade next year and just tested into GEM. I will be moving from teaching 3rd grade to teaching 3rd grade GEM at our school next year as well! I'm so excited to watch her learn in this new environment and to learn how to help her and our oldest daughter more.

-Liz Strathman

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Our youngest daughter just qualified for GEM after 1st grade and will be starting in our GEM program next year as a 2nd grader. I will be teaching GEM for the first time next year as well and I am looking forward to learning about Gifted learners as a teacher and as a parent wanting to understand our daughter more. :)

-Liz Strathman

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I grew up in Texas and I know there were programs similar to our GEM program in my elementary school. I think it was called REACH back then. -Liz Strathman

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I grew up in Texas and I know there were programs similar to GEM in my elementary school. I think it was called REACH.

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As an educator, I have taught honors, AP and Academic Decathlon. Each program has about 1/3 students per class period that are identified as gifted. Having the notifications on Synergy has been super helpful in identifying which kids need different support. Teaching an accelerated or honors course is not the same as providing gifted services and I have worked hard to differentiate assignments and instruction to meet the needs of students all the while knowing they needed more.

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Both of my daughters are in the GEM program in MUSD. They have benefitted from the program at TPK8 and advanced programming options at the high school.

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Although my parents have never been officially tested I have zero doubts that they would qualify for gifted services if they were in school today. They exhibit so many of the characteristics and overexcitabilities.

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I was identified for the "TAP" program back in the early 80s in MUSD in first grade and by 2nd or 3rd grade the GEM program was developed. I rode in a bus from Roadrunner to DeGrazia at first and later Thornydale for a once a week pull out program by grade level. I was the only person in my grade level from my school until 5th grade. It was lonely but I loved GEM and my teachers, Judy Looper and Judi Lester (Gentry). I continued in GEM in middle school in my reading classes and AP and advanced classes in high school.

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This is my first year teaching in a gifted classroom.

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This is my first year teaching in a gifted classroom.

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I have two very gifted kids, but my daughter is doing really well in a co-taught class instead of a gifted class because she struggles with sequencing. She loves math, and is amazing when she is able to understand the instructions. My son is thriving in advanced classes, and loves the academic portions, especially the ELA. 

# data[].attributes.subject
I have two very gifted kids, but my daughter is doing really well in a co-taught class instead of a gifted class because she struggles with sequencing. She loves math, and is amazing when she is able to understand the instructions. My son is thriving in advanced classes, and loves the academic portions, especially the ELA. 

# data[].attributes.headline
My dad, brother, and sister were all placed in the gifted program. However my sister had a teacher that made a big deal about how my brother was the only actually gifted one in our house.

# data[].attributes.subject
My dad, brother, and sister were all placed in the gifted program. However my sister had a teacher that made a big deal about how my brother was the only actually gifted one in our house.

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I was in the gifted program throughout elementary school. In middle school I had advanced classes and then AP courses in high school.

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I was in the gifted program throughout elementary school. In middle school I had advanced classes and then AP courses in high school.

# data[].attributes.body
In college, I promised myself I'd pay more attention to my gifted students than my teachers did to me and provide opportunities to deepen their learning outside of serving as peer tutors. Now, I find myself so overwhelmed by supporting struggling students (including some who are gifted) that I lose track. In my subject area (choir), I struggle to find ways to support both my students who are gifted in music and those who are gifted in other ways. My understanding from college in Colorado is that they primarily identify students as gifted or talented in specific subject areas, with many fewer students receiving general cognitive gifted identifications.
- Cass Brandriff

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My older sibling was also identified as gifted in elementary school in MUSD. I watched them struggle as they got into college and lacked skills to help with studying and focus.

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I was tested and identified as gifted in second grade. I participated in the once-a-week self-contained gifted classroom at Twin Peaks Elementary, the GEM elective class at Marana Middle, and AP and honors courses in high school and college. I have a lot of emotional turmoil around "being a gifted kid" and how I'm still unsure of what it means (not just "smart" or "good at school," I've been told) and how it does or doesn't affect my life today.
- Cass Brandriff

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I've taught for 27 years and still learning.  I always loved having the "GEM" crew because they were known as the high achieving kiddos who were easy to teach.  Things have changed and now they tend to have a lot of anxiety and are not all high achieving and "easy."

# data[].attributes.subject
I've taught for 27 years and still learning.  I always loved having the "GEM" crew because they were known as the high achieving kiddos who were easy to teach.  Things have changed and now they tend to have a lot of anxiety and are not all high achieving and "easy."

# data[].attributes.headline
I have two gifted kids (one an over achiever and one an under achiever).  One an extrovert and one an introvert.  Two very different students.

# data[].attributes.subject
I have two gifted kids (one an over achiever and one an under achiever).  One an extrovert and one an introvert.  Two very different students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Both of my kids were identified as gifted.  My daughter is an over achiever and loved it.  My son is an under achiever and hated it.

# data[].attributes.subject
Both of my kids were identified as gifted.  My daughter is an over achiever and loved it.  My son is an under achiever and hated it.

# data[].attributes.body
It was in NY. It was an all day pull-out. I remember it only being a handful of kids. These kids went on to become doctors and scientists and were off the charts smart.

# data[].attributes.body
I have taken several of the district book studies about gifted education.  I always have gifted kids in my classroom but since I teach primary and haven't had the gifted cluster in my classroom, none of them are identified until testing takes place throughout the year.  Not always, but often, the gifted kids I have had are usually some of the most sensitive, stubborn, (seemingly) adversarial, empathetic, challenging, funny, and most amazing kids that I get to teach.  You know - those awesome kids who drive you crazy but whom you  enjoy and love anyway (or maybe because of the reasons they drive you crazy).

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I think my son is gifted. He reminds me a lot of me in that he always excelled at ELA, Social Studies, and Science, but struggled with math. Unlike me, he got much better at math when he got to college and passed classes like Calculus and Statistics. He was never tested because he went to a private Catholic school. If testing was an option, I never heard about it. I kind of wish he had been tested though, mostly just to validate my opinion. :)

# data[].attributes.body
I think my Dad would have been considered gifted if they would have done testing back then. At least one of my brothers is gifted. Most recently, my nephew qualified for GEM in Marana. :)

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I moved to AZ from SD just before 6th grade.  I don't think they had any gifted programs at the school I went to in SD.  I don't remember being specifically tested for gifted classes but I took Honors English and other Honors/AP classes, like Science, after 6th grade.  -Jaime Drobeck

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I moved to AZ from SD just before 6th grade.  I don't think they had any gifted programs at the school I went to in SD.  I don't remember being specifically tested for gifted classes but I took Honors English and other Honors/AP classes, like Science, after 6th grade.  -Jaime Drobeck

# data[].attributes.headline
On average I have had about 1-2 gifted students in my classroom each year. Initially, I just connected their giftedness with high achievement, and quick processing abilities. Since then I have grown to understand so much about giftedness beyond just "abilities."

# data[].attributes.subject
On average I have had about 1-2 gifted students in my classroom each year. Initially, I just connected their giftedness with high achievement, and quick processing abilities. Since then I have grown to understand so much about giftedness beyond just "abilities."

# data[].attributes.body
It seems there is a running theme in my family experiences - I had some gifted qualities as a child, my brothers were pulled for GATE testing, and now as a parent, my kids have exhibited many gifted-like qualities and are high achievers. However for all of those situations, none resulted in an official mark as gifted.

# data[].attributes.body
I have two brothers both tested for the GATE program in CA. So they were on the radar but i'm not sure they qualified. My sister in law used to teach in the GATE program.

# data[].attributes.body
I was not gifted. As I learn more about gifted, kids I see similarities in myself when I was young, although not enough to be considered gifted :)

# data[].attributes.body
I currently finished my 3rd year teaching and have had a few gifted students. Each one is unique in their way of learning and has made me reflect on different support strategies for their learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
I appreciate that schools and classrooms need to have inclusion.  However, we have many supports for students that needs more resources for learning the material taught in class.  I wish that the gifted students had additional supports offered to keep them engaged and motivated.

# data[].attributes.subject
I appreciate that schools and classrooms need to have inclusion.  However, we have many supports for students that needs more resources for learning the material taught in class.  I wish that the gifted students had additional supports offered to keep them engaged and motivated.

# data[].attributes.headline
I am really grateful that my son has an avenue to think creatively and supports to navigate through being a gifted student.

# data[].attributes.subject
I am really grateful that my son has an avenue to think creatively and supports to navigate through being a gifted student.

# data[].attributes.headline
My son began the gifted program in the 3rd grade of 2020.  At the time he felt it was more work, but we explored the fact that 2020 was a unique year.  He now loves being able to think in different ways with others that think differently as well.

# data[].attributes.subject
My son began the gifted program in the 3rd grade of 2020.  At the time he felt it was more work, but we explored the fact that 2020 was a unique year.  He now loves being able to think in different ways with others that think differently as well.

# data[].attributes.body
My gifted students fell into one of a few categories:
1. in my AP class
2. bored in class
3. helpful to other students
4. always asking questions and ready for more

# data[].attributes.body
I was tested for gifted education a couple of times in elementary school but I'm not sure anything ever came of it. My school was small and the only option for gifted children was to skip a grade, no special classes per se. I didn't test quite high enough to skip a grade.

# data[].attributes.body
After taking the self-advocacy class last year, I have realized how much students need help in this area.  I decided to take the Foundations course to dive deeper into gifted education so I can better help first graders in my classes in a variety of ways.

# data[].attributes.body
My son took the gifted test in high school, as a freshman. Things about his personality, behviors, and our interactions with him were more clear after we got the results!