At the beginning of this semester, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette transitioned its master’s program for gifted education to being entirely online, prompting discussion about students who are labeled as gifted, what modifications to course instruction may need to be made for them and why there seems to be a significant number that burn out when they get to the university level.
In Louisiana, gifted education falls under the umbrella of special education, meaning that services for gifted students are protected and teachers in the program must either have a master’s degree in gifted education, or a master’s degree with 18 graduate hours in gifted education.
While the criteria for a student to be labeled as “gifted” varies from state to state, they typically exhibit similar traits: they learn faster, retain more information and explore deeper and more complex topics. They might also have a particular talent, such as for visual arts, music, and so on.
UL Lafayette’s master’s in gifted education offers courses that examine what the characteristics of gifted students are, what challenges they face and what kind of support they need.
Originally offering a mix of in-person and online class, the program has now shifted to a completely online delivery. Dr. Christine Briggs, director of the College of Education and Human Development’s Center for Gifted Education, said that this was to better fit the schedules of the program’s students, who are often full-time teachers with commitments to school or family.
Briggs also discussed the prevalence of burnout among gifted kids. While some are comfortable and work well under pressure, others may be pushed too much, whether by their school, family or themselves.
“So oftentimes we accelerate our gifted students, and they’ve taken a lot of AP classes and a lot of more advanced classes in high school, and when they get to university they’re tired,” Briggs said.
Other times, the opposite happens, where a gifted student isn’t challenged enough in school and doesn’t know what to do when a challenge finally arrives.
“My eldest son had a friend in high school who took AP classes, could write the paper the night before and make great grades, he lettered in track, he was just fabulous. He got a full ride to the state university for four years,” Briggs shared. “He did his first semester and all of a sudden he’s with kiddos that are just like him and he couldn’t pull it out the same way because he never knew how to struggle. And that’s part of the reason we want to provide the kind of services we do.”
Briggs noted that often when we’re interested in something, burnout isn’t as likely. She said the university environment is one where students may discover new passions or fields of interest that they didn’t have access to before or just didn’t know about.
“And I really see the university life as an opportunity to pursue something that you’re interested in,” Briggs said. “I think that it’s not just a preparation for a world of work, I think it’s a combination of doing something that you really like to do and that you are passionate about, and what’s wonderful is when that can roll into a career that’s meaningful and provides you with joy.”
Briggs closed with advice applicable not just to gifted students, but to all incoming undergraduates. She recommended not taking too many classes, as well as finding some kind of group or organization where you feel like you belong while you’re at the university.
She also stressed the importance of realizing the hard work that comes with pursuing a degree, and preparing yourself for that challenge by not being afraid of asking for help.
“Don’t be afraid to ask your professors for help, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for help. Because that doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it just means you want to work together,” Briggs said.