The Importance of Teachers' Attitude in Nurturing and Educating Gifted Children

For many decades the issue of "who is to teach the gifted" has been at the center of many teachers-training programs, in many different countries, and in a variety of institutions for higher education. Most experts have agreed that the teacher of the gifted should love teaching, be an interesting person, very knowledgeable, especially in the subject matter he or she teaches, loves to help, be considerate, must be self-confidence, s well as polite and respects others. Others have found that the most important trait of teachers of the gifted is their intelligence: while many gifted students could not connect educationally and emotionally to average intelligence-teachers, the loved being taught by teachers who were experts in the subject matter, taught in a logical, well-built structure; teachers who were not only intelligent but creative as well. However, a recent study done with education students in two teachers colleges revealed a different picture. The most important characteristic of the "ideal teacher" was her or his personal traits, while the least important was her or his general education and broad mindedness. Indeed, in countries such as Israel, where the requirements for being admitted to a teachers ’college are the lowest among all other academic professions, it has been hard for many gifted students to be taught by some of the less intelligent teachers. But the most important characteristic of the good teacher of the gifted has been her or his attitude towards the gifted: High intelligent and high educated teachers with a negative attitude towards giftedness made bad teachers for the gifted.