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Guiding the Gifted

Advanced Academic Services

Austin Independent School District

MentoringtheGiftedStudent

“One of the most valuable experiences a gifted student can have is exposure to a mentor who is willing to share personal values, a particular interest, time, talents, and skills. When the experience is properly structured and the mentor is a good match for the student, the relationship can provide both mentor and student with encouragement, inspiration, new insights, and other personal rewards.” (Berger, 1990)

There are many reasons to establish a mentoring relationship and many possible ways to structure one. A variety of gifted student populations can benefit from such a relationship, including those interested in career choice and development, students needing assistance with specific curriculum areas or young people wanting to pursue a specific area of interest in-depth. Students who have progressed beyond the curriculum offered at school will find a mentorship useful. However, a mentoring relationship will not meet the needs of every gifted student. Before going through the work of setting up a mentorship, one must ask seriously if there is enough of a commitment on the part of both the mentor and the

student protégé to make it successful. Mentoring offers students an opportunity to explore possible career paths or special interests such as government, politics or community concerns. Mentoring relationships with dedicated scholars, artists, scientists, or business people are highly suitable for gifted adolescents, especially those who have mastered the essentials of the school curriculum. Many of these students have a varied potential (they like everything and are good at everything) and may encounter college and career planning problems if they cannot establish priorities or set long-term goals (Berger, 1990; Frederickson & Rothney, 1972; Kerr, 1985). Mentored students may have more options and alternatives than they can realistically consider through regular academic programming. Parents often notice that mentors have a maturing effect on their children. Through mentoring, students can potentially develop a vision of what they can become, find a sense of direction and focus their future efforts or education towards the experiences they discovered through meaningful mentorships.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made

them feel.” M a y a A n g e l o u

Guidelines/Roles of Parents & Educators

Questions to Ask Students Questions to Ask Mentors

Identify the student’s needs. Does the student want to learn or develop a particular skill?

Does the student want a mentor?

Does the mentor understand and like working with gifted students?

Identify mentoring candidates. Determine if the mentor has the time, interest and capacity to

be a positive role model.

What type of mentor does the student need?

Is the mentor’s teaching style compatible with the student’s learning style?

Interview and if necessary train the mentor. Provide guidelines

and expectations for the mentorship.

Is the student prepared to spend a significant amount of time with

the mentor?

Is the mentor willing to make the time commitment?

Prepare the student. Make sure the student understands

the rights and responsibilities of each side of the mentorship.

Does the student understand the purpose, benefits and

limitations of the mentorship?

Is the mentor willing to share the excitement and joy of learning?

Monitor the mentorship. Make sure learning is taking place,

self-esteem and confidence are being fostered and

expectations are being met.

What does the student hope to gain or learn from the

mentorship?

Is the mentor optimistic and have a vision for the future?

The ideas and suggestions in this edition are excerpted from:

Berger, Sandra L. Educational Resource Information Center (U.S. Department of Education) .COLLEGE PLANNING FOR GIFTED STUDENTS. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children.Boston, B. (1976). Fertig, Carol. “Mentor Relationships and Gifted Learners.” http://resources.prufrock.com/GiftedChildInformationBlog/tabid/57/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/159/Mentoring-Gifted-Children.aspx. Web. December 2012.

Mentoring Points to Ponder...

Austin Independent School District Advanced Academic Services