ABSTRACT
I HAVE reflected a lot on my journey as an educator as we have prepared this book. One of the reasons that this project is so important to me was realizing the lack of preparation that I had when I first entered the classroom. Do not get me wrong; I received a wonderful education from a nationally recognized educator preparation program. However, upon reflection I realized that, contrary to what is stressed to presendee teachers, my preparation involved a “teach-to-the-middle” model—the student population was presented as primarily homogenous in their developmental needs. When differentiation was discussed, the conversation was primarily from a deficit perspective, focusing on what teachers can do to “fix” the student who is struggling. What was missing is what is lacking in many programs—adequate preparation for when gifted students walk into your classroom expecting that you will advance their understanding of the world. And what was never discussed was what to do if those gifted students also have special education needs.
