Talk To Your Past Students

Here is a common piece of feedback I receive from folks after leading a workshop:

It’s so nice for our teachers to hear from someone who actually went through a gifted program…

This has always struck me as sort of a strange thing to say.

Certainly, you know many people who have gone through a gifted program, right? If you run a gifted program!?

Keep In Touch

It makes me wonder, do gifted programs keep in touch with their alumni?

If not, reach out to some past students. This would be a phenomenal (and very cheap) way to improve your program.

• Ask them what they loved.
• What do they remember?
• Which teachers stood out and why?
• What should you have done differently?

You’ll also get to see what your kids have gone on to do.

When I chat with gifted grown ups, I often hear:

I don’t remember too much, but Teacher X changed my life.

So many people had one key teacher who made a massive difference in their lives. That would be really valuable feedback to know, right?

But Keep It Simple

Don’t overcomplicate things. One interview is better than zero.

• Ask some 5th graders what 3rd grade was like.
• Ask a few high school students about elementary school.
• Ask first-year college students how well their K-12 experiences prepared them.

Invite these students back to speak at parent nights or to address teachers during PD!

Your former students are a gold mine of information about your schools. Use them! Many of them would love to talk to you about this topic. Students often self-organize on Facebook or other social media which makes your job even easier.