Special Teachers for Special Students: Training Educators for Gifted Students in Regular Classrooms in Brazil
Abstract
The article addresses training educators for gifted/talented (G/T) children in regular classrooms in Brazil, which might be of interest to teachers of special education as well as researchers into most humanities and social sciences. Retrospective research proves the peculiarity of the region as an example of intense collaboration of special education and inclusion, implying the maximum inclusion of various groups of students, including gifted ones, into the comprehensive school system. We draw on international research in this area as well as papers by domestic scholars showing great interest in G/T issues in the recent decades. Brazilian researchers dwell on the definition of giftedness, policies, and educational programs for the development of giftedness as a reasonable basis for successful teacher training for the gifted. They also speculate on mental health of G/T students, emphasizing an exceptional importance of family and school environment for the genesis of a gifted individual. In terms of G/T teacher training, we analyze the general challenges and available best practices to present a range of opportunities for improving G/T educators training and improvement in Brazil and worldwide on the federal and local levels, where special attention is paid to the development of gifted child education within comprehensive schools.
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References
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