Gifted and talented elementary students are a remarkable group of young individuals who possess an extraordinary capacity for learning, creativity, and intellectual curiosity. These young prodigies excel not only academically, but they often display remarkable talents in areas such as music, art, and sports. Their ability to think critically, adapt to new situations, and solve complex problems sets them apart.
The uniqueness of gifted and talented students lies not only in their exceptional cognitive abilities but also in their passion for exploration, their desire to delve deeper into subjects that captivate them, and their ability to make connections and solve problems in innovative ways.
These young minds are not just students, they are the future leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Their potential to shape our world and push the boundaries of what we believe is possible is truly awe-inspiring.
I recently had an opportunity to meet and talk with one of these individuals. His name is Hazen Walker, and he did not disappoint. He is a 10-year-old native of Memphis, currently living in Houston, Texas. We met through a friend, his grandfather, Pastor Marvin Mims.
Hazen is a brilliant young boy and is enrolled in his school’s gifted and talented program.
We connected via Zoom and talked about everything from his experiences at school, sports, family, his faith, and one of his favorite pastimes, building Lego models. It was an uplifting and inspiring conversation!
Gifted and talented programs in public schools across the United States are designed to provide advanced educational opportunities for students like Hazen, who demonstrate exceptional abilities or potential in areas such as academics, creativity, leadership, or the arts.
Young, gifted children often display various characteristics that set them apart from their peers. For example, gifted children often have a remarkable memory, recalling facts, details, and events with ease. Many learn to read exceptionally early and demonstrate a natural grasp of mathematical concepts.
They approach challenges with innovative thinking and enjoy puzzles and complex tasks.
One of Hazen’s favorite pastimes is the love and enjoyment he gets from playing with his Lego sets. He has created an impressive collection of Lego models over the years. In addition, his career aspiration is that of an architect. He wants to build things!
Hazen has written and published his first children’s book, “Walker’s Wise Words.” His book reminds its readers of the importance of listening to and obeying God’s word and encourages them to “Walk in Wisdom.” He is already working on book number two as well. The inspiration for his book came from wanting to create something that everyone from all walks of life could read and relate to.
Hazen has a fascination with comic books. He has been creating comic books since the age of six. Those books were only known to his family but later served as drafts for his new book.
According to Hazen, the characters in his book are inspired by his friends and family members, including his brother Addison and grandfather, Pastor Marvin Mims, Sr., who is himself a writer and author.
So, Hazen is both an accomplished author and an aspiring architect, all at the tender age of ten years old.
The conversation with Hazen brought to mind the challenges and problems that yet linger around the issues related to identifying and servicing gifted and talented students.
Gifted programs have been a feature of our public school system for over a century. Nationwide, these programs serve a relatively small share of the total student population.
However, it’s important to note that the actual percentage of students labeled as gifted and talented can vary significantly by state, district, and even individual schools, particularly in the age of charter schools, which have more freedom and flexibility when making such determinations.
Most estimates suggest that somewhere between 5% and 10% of the student population may be gifted.
Of course, it is also worth noting that there are ongoing concerns about the underrepresentation of low-income and minority students in these programs. Despite efforts to increase diversity and equity, these students continue to be significantly underrepresented.
This disparity is often attributed to factors such as biased identification methods, lack of access to resources and opportunities, and cultural barriers that may hinder the recognition and nurturing of their exceptional abilities.
Addressing this underrepresentation is crucial to ensuring that all gifted and talented students, regardless of their race or background, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The challenge for educational leaders is how to address the needs of gifted children so that they can get the appropriate teaching and learning experiences that will help them excel.
This is not always a simple issue to address.
Not all gifted children are the same; every child is unique. Gifted children often experience developmental differences. Their intellectual abilities may be far ahead of their physical, social, or emotional maturity. This can be problematic at times.
Despite their exceptional abilities, gifted children have special learning needs that, if not addressed, can lead to frustration, boredom, a loss of self-esteem, and underachievement. Understanding these challenges is critical to their development.
The awesomeness of gifted and talented children, especially at the elementary level, lies not just in their current achievements but also in their boundless potential to impact their communities and the world at large significantly.
Hazen has a fantastic team of supporters (i.e., his family, school, church, and friends) to assist in his growth and development. We wish him nothing but the best and look forward to reading his many books in the future.
