'The Characteristic most readily
identifiable in gifted children, varying in both kind and degree, is
sensitivity. Whether the sensitivity is to one or more particular areas of
learning, sensitivity to discovering or solving problems, or sensitivity to the
feelings of one's fellow man, it is so much a characteristic of giftedness that
it can almost be said that the two terms are synonymous.'

Walter Barber (date unknown)
The purpose of these professional
development sessions is to provide an introduction to socio-affective needs of
gifted students. For the purposes of this series of sessions the work of
Kazimierz Dabrowski (1902-1980) will be used to provide a framework for the
identification of these needs. We will also investigate what these
characteristics might look like in our classrooms - using as examples characters from popular culture - and develop strategies to
assist us in catering for for these students' academic and emotional needs.
