As a band director, when I suggested to a new band student that playing the same instrument as his sister was a bad idea, my advice was overruled by the head director, my husband. When I taught Eduardo in his Kindergarten music class, he showed no signs of being a brilliant musician, but in sixth grade, he successfully made a sound on each band instrument he tried. Then, in the brass class he began to master the fundamentals of the French horn faster than any other 6th grader we ever started. He began to meet with me after school one or two times a week. Bored with the short, simple lines in the beginner book, he became driven to learn the scales he would need for All-region Tryouts for the next two years. He eagerly mastered those, and toward the end of that year, he began working on the scales for high school. His goal was to play his scales on the French horn faster than I could play them on the flute. He became one of the few students to make the state’s Small School All-State band all four years of high school. We lent him books with études, solos, books about famous horn players, and recordings of well known pieces featuring the horn. We continued to work together even after my family moved from the rural town to the big city, with Eduardo calling me on his cell phone for a quick lesson when he needed help. Eduardo earned a scholarship to the state university where he double-majored in horn performance and accounting. He also commuted to a nearby metropolitan area to take lessons from a top horn professor. Eduardo and his older sisters were first-generation college students. Their father immigrated to the US from Mexico and worked in agriculture. He taught his children the value of hard work. Eduardo later received a fellowship at Yale for his master’s degree, then finished his music studies with a doctorate in music. He now prepares for future auditions while working as an accountant. He is also saving money to buy another horn.

Eduardo is an excellent example of Joseph Renzulli’s three-ring model of giftedness, with his combination of above average ability, creativity, and task commitment. Of these three, his most exceptional trait was the motivation he displayed in middle school for his chosen instrument. Looking back, I’ve come to realize that motivation is embedded deep within a student. Motivation cannot be taught but must be nurtured, and the teacher needs to provide the tools and opportunities the student needs to be successful in the years ahead. I somehow made the correct steps with Eduardo, encouraging him to improve as a musician with practice. He loved playing music, and I fed his passion with instruction in technique. There were two other students in Eduardo’s grade who also had unusual musical ability. They also stayed after school for lessons, but they lacked his desire. To truly develop talent, the student must have all three: ability, creativity, and persistence.

The task for teachers begins with recognizing an emerging talent potential. Talent is not limited to the fine arts. Young mathematicians love solving difficult problems and can compute many of the steps mentally. They may carry around books of math-based brain teasers or like to draw geometrical figures with letters identifying angles or line segments. Instructing them in advanced operations is the next logical step. Students who enjoy writing stories may have notebooks full of papers or computer files filled with story ideas or scenes. There are many directions the teacher can guide the student, such as helping to make the connection between reading and being an author, modeling on the work of favorite writers, and exploring new works by excellent writers. A potential scientist may question everything and follow up why questions with extensive, teacher-guided investigations and participation in science fairs and weekend science camps.

These talented students may see working on their talents as fun, and that becomes an opening for a teacher. With a little guidance, students can see what is possible even as a basis for a future career. I have learned from my experience with Eduardo to be open to the possibilities students may present in doing something they love, and discovering the passions of their students. Identifying students who score at the upper end of special tests is still typical in gifted education, but using models of talent development that also recognize the element of motivation opens doors to other students who may not score as high on a test, but will grow their potential into lifetime accomplishments with the help of a teacher, whether in music, math, writing, science, or any other subject of their chosen, intense interest.

Deborah Edmondson is an experienced educator in Music and Social Studies. She is working on a PhD in Educational Psychology with emphasis in Gifted and Talented at the University of North Texas. She also teaches U. S. History and AP World History at Anna High School just outside of the Dallas Metroplex. She has had the pleasure of working with gifted children who are highly intelligent or greatly talented, including her grown children. She still plays her flute in a local flute ensemble.