DELENE, Berryville, Arkansas, USA

Years in Education: 7-10
American Indian 
Multiracial 
Female 
Heterosexual 
6--12th Grade Gifted and Talented Teacher


Q: What do you have in common with your students? 

A: Commonalities between me and my students:
--Diverse ethnicity 
--Cultural customs
--Rural living

I myself am considered to be highly creative with some ADD tendencies and I am secondarly gifted in Math​.

Gifted students are special people. They are highly intelligent, but not always across the board.

Gifted students often times do not learn or function well in the traditional classroom; their learning styles and tendencies tend to lend towards unconventional learning methods and more exploration and project-based experiential learning.

My relationship with my students is different than most teacher/student relationships because I spend a ton of time with the kids on projects, and on local and cross-country trips. These are experiences that the majority of students do not receive.


Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? 

A: Yes, without commonality relationships are hard. Without relationships, community is difficult.  And without community, we are isolated. It is my job as an educator to  highlight those likenesses that bring us together, and to bring a sense of compassion for the diversity we encompass. 

I always try to find commonality with my students because that helps build connections and relationships. A community must be connected to build a working relationship. That being said, diversity is a key element to our country and our world as a whole. We are a melting pot of varied backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures. 


Delene is a TED-Ed Innovative Educator. She is designing curriculum to guide gifted students in self-discovery. Connect with her on Twitter @mccoy_delene.  

Photo (c) 2017 Kristin Leong

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