As a teacher in a Title 1 school in the Central Learning Community of Fulton County, I

think about issues of diversity every day. One of my goals as a teacher has always been
to try and improve the educational experiences of all students. The TAG endorsement
program has encouraged me to make sure that students in low socio-economic areas
are better represented in TAG programs. My goal as a teacher of the gifted is to help to
improve these numbers in schools throughout these areas by incorporating gifted
strategies into the general education classroom, as well as to provide support to all
teachers on how to help students to pass the testing required to get into gifted
education.
My experience in the TAG endorsement program has also opened my eyes to the
range of types of gifted children. I believe that many general education teachers
confuse high achievement with gifted, and this correlation is not always the case.
Gifted students may be withdrawn, they may act out in class, and they may
underachieve because of boredom. Gifted students are also more likely to have
emotional problems that may lead to more serious problems later in life. Identification of
gifted children can help to put these children on a better path because it will help to
re-direct these students into challenging school enrichment activities.