Dr. Monita Leavitt
Gifted kids are a lot of fun! They bring a uniqueness to the classroom that never fails to surprise me. Just when I think I know something, they challenge my views to open my mind and think about something in a new or different way. I love being kept “on my toes.” And, in return, I love to provide them with stimulating opportunities so they can experience new and exciting learning and feel good about themselves!
Just like no two brains are alike, no two gifted children are alike. Each one has unique gifts that need to be ‘unwrapped.’ Each one is guided by finding their own passion that needs to be nurtured and developed. As a teacher of gifted kids, I often see myself holding the reins of a ‘troika’ (a Russian three-horse vehicle). I can offer direction, provide guidance and resources, and then the best thing I can do is to get out of their way!
What could be more important than valuing and listening to a child? I enjoy giving my gifted kids opportunities to talk and share their work and bounce ideas off of one another. Learning should be fun! I welcome the stimulation of their “wild and crazy” creative ideas as well as the challenge of their profound and, sometimes, argumentative questions. I enjoy providing a safe classroom environment in which gifted kids can take intellectual risks, make friends, and tap into their
particular learning styles to apply their thinking to create an authentic product for a real audience. I enjoy helping gifted kids make meaningful connections so they can see the relevance of their learning. By setting their personal goals and keeping a journal, gifted kids are empowered to develop their potential to become all that they can be!
Dr. Monita Leavitt is an International Gifted Education specialist and author. Her published books include:
- Your Passport to Gifted Education (2017), author
- Building a Gifted Program: Identifying and Educating Students in Your School (2007), author
- Exceptional Needs Standards (2010), contributing author
- Let it Flow (2014), co-author
- Make them Shine (2015), chapter author
- Creativity in Gifted Children (2016), chapter author
- Parenting Gifted Children (2021), chapter author
Dr. Monita taught a gifted program for 25 years in CT and lectures internationally, including at the World Gifted Conferences. She previously worked as an online instructor for SIG (Summer Institute for Gifted). Dr. Monita holds several degrees including a Ph.D. doctor of philosophy in Gifted Education from Oxford Brookes University, England; MS in Special Education from Central Connecticut State University, CT; and BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Art from Moravian College, PA.
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