Mentoring Empowers GiftedLearning Disabled Students to Soar

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Mentoring Empowers Gifted/Learning Disabled
Students to Soar!
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Gifted Learning Disabled Students

• Between 2- 5 of all students are G/LD
• G/LD students are often misunderstood and
  regarded as lazy and apathetic
• Characteristics of G/LD
• Actively participates in class discussions
• Unable to write a complete sentences
• Rarely have homework completed or cannot find it
• Ahead in math
• Reading below grade level
• Creative problems solvers and analytical thinkers

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• In School, G/LD students become frustrated by
  their inability to demonstrate academic
  achievement that reflects their ability,
  therefore the Wings Mentor Program was
  established to support these students

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Wings Mentor Program

• Students realize creative and intellectual
  potential when paired with mentors who nurture
  them by increasing their knowledge and skills in
  an area of interest.

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Four Principles of Wing Mentor Program

• Focus on Strengths
• Build in Success
• Enhance self-esteem
• Plant a seed for future success

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The Students

• Grades K-12
• Most have been identified as gifted
• Many are identified as LD
• All are bright, underachieving and often have
  negative self images
• Are referred to the mentor program by parents,
  school personnel, and G/LD specialist

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The Program

• Students are interviewed and individual interests
  are identified
• A mentor is matched with student based on the
  students interest and the mentors expertise
• Mentor and student meet for one hour a week for 8
  weeks and study in depth a topic of choice

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The Program

• The projects the students complete are hands- on
  and experiential
• Mentor help students learn new strategies and
  methods to circumvent their weaknesses and show
  their strengths

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The Mentor

• Obtaining the right mentor is crucial to the
  effectiveness of the program
• It is the mentor/student relationship that serves
  as a catalyst for improving the students view of
  themselves, empowering then to be successful in
  the classroom
• Must understand the characteristics of G/LD
  students and undergo training

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Final Presentation

• At the end of the mentor program students present
  their final project to their classmates
• Often the first time classmates see the G/LD
  students as gifted
• Positive feedback boosts self-esteem

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• Strengths and weaknesses

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• Debra Norman
• Karen Havard