Toward a Definition of a Gifted and Talented Teacher

Abstract

What shapes an individual into a teacher who is gifted and talented? How does one identify gifted or talented educators in education classes or in the schools? In an exploration of these questions, the authors review related gifted education literature to ground the synthesis of auto-ethnographies and case studies in what is known. Using grounded theory, the researchers analyze the stories of GATE teachers in Chapters 4 – 15 and identify common themes. The researchers use these findings to create a definition of the individual who is a gifted and talented teacher.