What is Talent Development?
Talent development is the belief that matching students with the best curriculum, programming, enrichment, and services promotes achievement in life and will help students identify their strengths and build their capacity to be successful. By helping students identify their talents, explore their passions, and discover their abilities, Talent Development reveals the gifts, skills, and capabilities every student has, allowing them to contribute to our community and society.
My philosophy towards talent development and gifted education is simple. If you come to me (and often even if you don't) asking for something I will help you, punto final, as we say in our family. Want to find a summer program? Interested in taking an online Chinese class? Wondering about a college that can teach you about organic farming and philosophy? I am game. Do you want to do an Independent Study on the History of Jazz? Let's do it. Want to start a club here at school? You got it. Want to change something in our community for the better? Giddy up. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves, learn something new, take on the world, jump off that cliff is someone I want to work with. Punto. Final.
A word about gifted identification. People change as they grow. A test that is given in 2nd grade doesn't always mean the same thing in high school. Some babies walk at 9 months old. My daughter walked at 19 months old (and even then she did it grudgingly). But by Kindergarten able bodied kids are walking. Some kids read at 2. Some kids read at 8. By high school, kids can read. Second grade, fourth grade, sixth grade, once kids get to high school, these tests are a long time ago and students have grown and matured in countless ways.
I'd have hated to be judged by who I was in in elementary school. I still wasn't writing in 3rd grade. I read really well, but I couldn't write sentences much less paragraphs or stories. By high school though, I was an excellent writer and writing became a passion of mine. I couldn't have known in 3rd grade that I'd ever be able to write coherently, much less love doing it. I'd really hate to base everything on a test in elementary school that determined my whole life thereafter. Wouldn't you?
Talent development is the belief that matching students with the best curriculum, programming, enrichment, and services promotes achievement in life and will help students identify their strengths and build their capacity to be successful. By helping students identify their talents, explore their passions, and discover their abilities, Talent Development reveals the gifts, skills, and capabilities every student has, allowing them to contribute to our community and society.
My philosophy towards talent development and gifted education is simple. If you come to me (and often even if you don't) asking for something I will help you, punto final, as we say in our family. Want to find a summer program? Interested in taking an online Chinese class? Wondering about a college that can teach you about organic farming and philosophy? I am game. Do you want to do an Independent Study on the History of Jazz? Let's do it. Want to start a club here at school? You got it. Want to change something in our community for the better? Giddy up. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves, learn something new, take on the world, jump off that cliff is someone I want to work with. Punto. Final.
A word about gifted identification. People change as they grow. A test that is given in 2nd grade doesn't always mean the same thing in high school. Some babies walk at 9 months old. My daughter walked at 19 months old (and even then she did it grudgingly). But by Kindergarten able bodied kids are walking. Some kids read at 2. Some kids read at 8. By high school, kids can read. Second grade, fourth grade, sixth grade, once kids get to high school, these tests are a long time ago and students have grown and matured in countless ways.
I'd have hated to be judged by who I was in in elementary school. I still wasn't writing in 3rd grade. I read really well, but I couldn't write sentences much less paragraphs or stories. By high school though, I was an excellent writer and writing became a passion of mine. I couldn't have known in 3rd grade that I'd ever be able to write coherently, much less love doing it. I'd really hate to base everything on a test in elementary school that determined my whole life thereafter. Wouldn't you?
What are some things we can do?
Independent Study
Independent Study is a chance to create your own course of study so that you can learn about something you are passionate about. This is an opportunity to investigate a subject, learn or perfect skills, investigate a career or an area of interest, or a way to study something we do not offer at Western Albemarle High School. |
Thursday Round Up
A weekly newsletter designed to keep you informed about what is happening in school, our community, and more. It includes everything from summer programming and scholarships to some lesser known colleges (and yet not lesser colleges!) , and academic fun and games! |
College Prep
Plenty of information on all things college related. Essay help, interview help, and more. Plus some tips on the college visit and what to ask. There is also a link to the Colleges You Might Not Know (But Should!) from all the Thursday Round Ups over the last seven years. And if college isn't for you, check out the Gap Year ideas! |