1. Deconstruction
1.1. Learning Disability
1.1.1. Definition: Are a number of neurodevelopmental disorders that persistently and significantly have an impact on the ability to learn and use other academic skills (Special Education in Ontario, 2017, p. A16)
1.1.1.1. Colin’s giftedness can be seen as a learning disability as it is impeding his ability to learn, as it wasn’t recognized. In Bennett et al., (2019), it states that some students who are gifted may actually underachieve in class. This was seen in a form of him acting out because his giftedness wasn’t actually recognized.
1.1.1.1.1. Giftedness
1.2. Differentiated learning:
1.2.1. Differentiated learning is when the educator makes an effort to tailor to the needs of each individual student. Under this model, teachers can differentiate content, process and product according to the learner’s readiness. Colin could have benefitted from this if the teacher recognized that he was not engaged, most likely to the work being too easy. It is clear that Colin is a very clever thinker and may have benefitted from some problem-solving type learning.
1.3. UDL: (Universal Design for Learning
1.3.1. Improved access for Colin would mean more engaging work for all of the students in the class. By implementing more tasks where students are free to use their creativity, it will force them to push their cognitive abilities. Not only would Colin be more engaged, but other learners would have the opportunity to push themselves academically as well.
1.4. Enrichment Triad Model
1.4.1. Depicts giftess as an interaction among high levels of general ability, task commitment and creativity. In this case it shows that Colin has the creativity aspect however, there wasn’t task commitment involved. Therefore, if the Enrichment Triad Model is implemented into the classroom it will allow Colin to stray away from his pranks by keeping him more committed to different tasks through his creativity.
2. Parent
2.1. As parents, we want what is best for our child and as we see right now Colin is engaging in very disruptive behaviors. We are feeling some frustration as we do not currently know how to address the issue at hand. Colin is currently being stimulated by an art project, however when that is over what’s next? By constantly causing trouble and performing pranks, Colin is not learning effectively in school and is also becoming a burden to teachers and other students. He seems to not be interested in school and is finding other ways to preoccupy his time. We are concerned about his behavior and would like to work alongside teachers and administration to find a solution that works for everyone.
2.2. The first step may be to assess Colin’s relationship with his teacher and the other adults in the school. Is this a good connection? Are the adults at school dedicated to my child’s success? We are aware that this could become overwhelming with having to plan different lessons for Colin and we completely understand how this can be challenging could be especially with many other students in the class who also have different needs. And once you add that Colin’s bad behaviour may persist once he becomes under stimulated, everyone is walking on eggshells. I think that we need to host a meeting to discuss how we can support the teacher and include Colin in these conversations a well. Including may help him feel more dedicated to the process and show him that he should be invested in his own education.
2.3. At this point, there are other options that we could consider. Because Colin was tested and we know that he is gifted creatively, we could enroll him in a private school that has a lower teacher-student ratio or a more flexible curriculum. We would also like to look into gifted programs that the school board may have. We are also committed to spending more time with Colin outside of school to explore his creative interests. We plan on enrolling him in art and music classes that will stimulate him more.
2.4. We appreciate all of the work that the educational assistant did by recognizing that there was a problem, addressing it and getting Colin tested. If there was a way we could get an educational assistant in the classroom for Colin as an accommodation, that would be helpful as well. We are committed to our son’s academic success and will meet with the teacher, educational assistant and administrative team to discuss the next steps and formulate a plan of action.
3. Student
3.1. Significance of Issue
3.1.1. I am Colin and am in grade 3. I was always bored in class last year when I was in grade 2. I understood what the teaching but I did not want to sit at my desk and write, I don’t really like to read or write, but I can do it if my teacher asked me to. I got in trouble this year for pulling an awesome prank that got the school busses stuck, I planned it all out before I did it! My principal did not find it funny this time around, which got me in trouble. I have another teacher with me in class that works with me to make sure I am not goofing off. I really enjoy art, and she saw that I liked art and was good at it, so I had to take an IQ test to see just how good I was at it.
3.2. How might you be feeling?
3.2.1. I first felt bored in class because I was not interested in the work we were doing, and it didn’t seem like my teacher cared if I was participating or not, so I just continued to do my own thing. Now, I am starting to like school a lot more than I used to because I finally get to do stuff that I like, such as arts. I think I am a very creative person and the IQ test I took proved it to my teacher. It feels good to be doing work at school that I enjoy, I hope I get to continue doing stuff like this! I’m finally feeling like I’m really good at something in school.
3.3. How might you respond or behave?
3.3.1. I like doing art work, such as painting, drawing and even making crafts; I am really good at it! We were doing a Renaissance art project for class and I loved it, I spent a lot of time recreating a painting done by da Vinci, I had so much fun with it that I didn’t even realize I hadn’t pulled a prank in awhile. I think if I get to do creative work like my painting all the time, that I could be a good student that my teacher likes, along with my principal too! I don’t really want to be a troublemaker anymore. But if this was the only chance for me to be creative and do art, I know I am just going to get bored again in class, and I don’t want to do the boring work. I’ll just have to plan more pranks in class then, because that’s actually fun!
4. Summary
4.1. The issue that can be identified within the case of Colin, is that his giftedness was not recognized, which led to him rebelling and losing interest in school, leading to him conducting complex pranks around the school. His pranks were not taken seriously at first due, but only became an issue when the behaviours escalated and evolved into extreme and disruptive to the school as a whole. The educators at the school did not give his behaviour enough attention, which led his pranks to be “laughed off” and not addressed, if they were addressed sooner. Colin could have been assessed for his giftedness earlier on and been given the correct modifications and IEP to allow him to be successful in the classroom.
4.1.1. Assessment
4.1.1.1. EA for bad behaviour- EA recognized creativity level which was what started the process of assessing him for giftedness. It was good that his giftedness was caught at the most appropriate time within his education as it will allow for a better understanding of his abilities which will allow him to be more successful. If the teacher, principal, and EA chose to disregard the behaviours there might have been a chance that Colin’s behaviours would worsen over time.
5. Teacher
5.1. Significance of the issues.problem
5.1.1. Colin is one of my Grade 3 students. I had heard about the way that Colin was acting when he was in Grade 2, with consistent pranking or ‘acting out’. I believe that his teachers in the past did not properly discipline Colin, which resulted in his pranks and actions becoming a lot more dangerous and serious as well. These actions continued into Grade 3, as my student and his actions continue on thus far this school year. Myself and the educational assistant (who had a background with Gifted students) when working on an Art lesson, where we were able to see that Colin was gifted in Art and had duplicated da Vinci’s The Last Supper mural. This pushed our educational assistant to recommend getting Colin assessed for Giftedness. The assessment showed that Colin scored off the charts in creativity and had a superior IQ. I am afraid if we do not put a proper program into place for Colin that his actions and pranks would continue to become more of an issue and of danger for himself or his peers within the classroom and outside as well. His creativity and high IQ is concerning without a proper understanding and plan in place.
5.2. My feelings
5.2.1. After the test results have come back and I have a little bit of a better understanding of Colin’s abilities and have been able to keep him focused with Renaissance Art we have noticed a decrease in his pranks. This is a relief to find out this information and to know of a subject area that intrigues Colin. I was feeling very overwhelmed and worried for my other students as well as Colin prior to this assessment. As his teacher I find it very important to support Colin in all the best ways for his learning to be successful and keep him away from his pranking and ‘acting out’. I feel as though with this new understanding that Colin’s time in school will provide a better outcome for him.
5.3. My behaviour
5.3.1. With this new information about Colin’s giftedness,I would like to begin by consulting with the school’s resource room teacher along with the educational assistant and see what they belief is the best option from here. I would work alongside them to figure out the best suitable plan of action and strategies to implement into the classroom until we can formulate and IEP for him to best succeed in the classroom. I additionally, would like to talk to Colin to understand how he might be feeling with this new information as well as his new found passion for Renaissance Art. After discussing with Colin and the Resource room teacher I would like to meet with our principal, the resource room teacher, my educational assistant and the rest of the in-school team to discuss the best approach that we are wanting to implement into the daily actions for Colin to be the most successful. Once we have settled on one final action plan I would like for all of us to meet with Colin’s parents to discuss the situation and action plan with them and then later on with Colin.
5.4. Strategies and/or approaches
5.4.1. I believe that Colin would be succeed by getting him onto a recognized IEP. With this plan in place I think that consistent discussions with his parents and work alongside them will help us to keep Colin focused working at his best ability. Additionally, I think offering an encouraging environment for Colin to best use his creativity and his intellectual IQ to support his development. I think it is also important to have an open discussion with Colin about his interests to keep him interested during class and outside as well. As well, I think it would be important to focus on developing the other theories of intellectual giftedness, to help him become more well rounded when in class which might help him stay active and away from pranks.
5.4.1.1. Enrichment Triad Model
5.4.1.1.1. Depicts giftess as an interaction among high levels of general ability, task commitment and creativity. In this case it shows that Colin has the creativity aspect however, there wasn’t task commitment involved. Therefore, if the Enrichment Triad Model is implemented into the classroom it will allow Colin to stray away from his pranks by keeping him more committed to different tasks through his creativity.
5.4.1.2. Theory of Intellectual Giftedness:
5.4.1.2.1. It is understood that most people have all three kinds of intelligences. In the case of Colin its demonstrated and exhibited that he has synthetic giftedness, it could be understood that Colin’s creativity might help him to develop his analytical giftedness. This then would lead to him gaining the three intellectual giftedness that most people have.
5.5. Plan of action
5.5.1. My plan would be to continue to have meetings within the in-school team and with Colin’ s parents to continue to best support the development of the situation. I would also like to implement the Enrichment Triad into our classroom to continue to work on Colin’s success as a Gifted student. I think the next step to to continue to focus on Colin’s abilities in class.