High Achiever vs. Gifted Learner vs.

Creative Thinker
PART I
Review the resources provided (articles and videos). Complete the
chart below with single words or short phrases. A minimum of 10
items in each column is required:

A High Achiever...

A Gifted Learner...

A Creative Thinker...

Teacher pleasers

Works independently

Visual-spatial learner

Enjoys group projects

Gets bored easily

Likes to play their way

Follow directions

Sometimes isnt focused

Very alert

6-8 reputations mastery

Curious/questions

Daydreams

Enjoys

1-2 reputations for mastery

Plays with new concepts

Good memorizations

Hates schools

Creates/brainstorms well

Is alert

Excellent memorizers

Works in own groups

Performs top in class

Perfectionist

May not be motivated

Enjoys company of peers

Out of sync with other

learners

Improvises

Completes assignments on
time

Already knows

Initiate more projects that will

never be completed

Is pleased with his or her own

Guesses and infers well
learning

Are original and continually

developing

Copies and responds

accurately

off-the-wall humor

Initiates projects

Understand complex, abstract

Thrives on complexity
humor
Create abstract humor

PART II
Consider three (3) different students that you know and/or have
taught that you considered a high achiever, a gifted learner, and a
creative thinking.
Which of the attributes you listed above (or others you didnt list)
were recognized in that student (currently or in hindsight)?
The student that I considered
Student type
High

Attributes
-

Teacher pleaser

I was correct or
incorrect because
I was correct because

Achiever

Gifted
Learner

Willing to complete the

work and ask for more.
KNOWS all the
information
Does not have to
redirect
Researches topics
outside of class without
being told

Sometimes off task,

doesnt want to
complete the
assignment.
Needs activities that
they find interesting to
engage them
Constant redirection to
stay focused
Knows the answers, but
wants to know why/how

high achieving
students and this
student can complete
the assignments and
will usually do so in
order to please the
teacher. This student
does not complain
about school and is
always eager to
learn. Sometimes, I
confuse the high
achiever with
giftedness. I was
incorrect, because
there is a difference
between high
achiever/giftednessgifted learners arent
always people
pleasers, but that
does not make them
lazy or seem
unintelligent.
I was incorrect
because I believed
that gifted learners
wanted to please
their teachers and
always complete
their work. Students
who are off task,
unfocused or hate
school are sometimes
viewed as troubled
students. In my mind,
when I hear the word
troubled students, I
do not place it with
gifted students. After
reading the
characteristics of
gifted students, I feel
like the

characteristics of
these students just
scream that we need
teachers that can
identify strategies to
engage these types
of students.

Creative
Thinker

Oh creative thinkers!
Thinks outside of the box We do not give
Always ask why?
enough credit to our
Seldom follows
creative thinking
directions
students. I was
Like to work by
correct in the sense
themselves
that the student likes
Take extreme pride in
to go against what
their work
the directions say
and put their own
spin on the
assignment. This
student does not like
to work in groups
and is often the day
dreams in the
classroom. This
students are very
alert in the
classroom, but like to
do things their way.

Do you think the school and/or system met/meets the needs of these
students? Why or why not?
Schools theoretically are built to meet the needs of ALL students learning
abilities. It is a matter of how the individual teacher meets the needs of these
students. I believe that our school as a whole does a great job in reaching the high
achieving and gifted learner, but we struggle with reaching the creative learners.
High Achievers and gifted learners are going to excel in a traditional classroom
because these students are able to learn and master the material if they are
interested in the topic without being directed to do so. Campbell High school offers
a wide variety and level of classes for high achievers and gifted learners through
our honors, AP and IB classes. Creative learners need environments that foster
growth, foster the acceptance to think different and the respect that creative
intelligence is just as important as ability intelligence. While attending the Model

School Conference in Atlanta last week, we were introduced to Maker Spaces. Maker
Spaces allow creative students to flourish by providing an environment for them to
explore, discover and investigate real world problem with hands on tools such as
makeymakey, raspberrypie, etc. As a school, this is something that we are looking
at implementing in the future to address the needs of our creative learners.

When all assignments have been submitted, the instructor will provide a chart of
characteristics of each type of learners. You can compare that list to yours.