Marcia Dvorak

Gifted Education Teachers: Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions in Thoughts and Actions Marcia Dvorak

Considerable literature exists about teacher qualities that promoted talent development in general education and specialized settings. Talented teachers are the most important means of reaching gifted students (Feldhusen, Van Tassel-Baska, & Seeley, 1989; Renzulli, 1987). What do these teachers know, do, and believe to bring out the best in students of talent? A surprising gap revealed little research and vague standards of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions (attitudes) of a gifted and talented teacher. The naturalistic inquiry study named, categorized, and studied, key qualities using Costa?s (2001) habits of mind as a conceptual organizer. Results indicated teachers with reputational expertise display the habits regularly and articulate well their thoughts and dispositions. Reputational expertise surfaced stronger with wonderment, learning continuously, and commitment to ?policy;? (Costa, 2001, p. 9). The study raises intriguing questions relative to preparing teachers to work with bright students, preparation for teaching at various age levels, and about the implicit curricula of teacher education.