Making Great Kids Greater

Dorothy Sisk holds an endowed chair in education of gifted students at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Throughout her career, she has been intensely involved with the education of gifted and talented children. Sisk is an international consultant focusing on leadership, communication, and creativity development. She was a professor at the University of South Florida, coordinating programs for training teachers of the gifted, and former director of the US Office of Gifted and Talented in Washington, DC. She currently directs the C.W. Conn and Doroth Ann Conn Gifted Child Center at Lamar University and teaches courses in gifted education. She received the Distinguished Leader Award from the Creative Education Foundation (CEF) in 1989, the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in 1983 and 1994, the Creative Lifetime Award from CEF in 1994, and was selected for the Hall of Fame Award of CEF in 2005.Sisk served as one of the founders and the first president of the American Creativity Association, and president of The Association for the Gifted (TAG), the Florida Association for the Gifted, and the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, where she also was the executive administrator and the editor of Gifted International from 1980 to 1990. She has conducted training sessions throughout the U.S. and internationally. Sisk is the author of Creative Teaching of the Gifted; coauthor with Doris Shallcross of Leadership: Making Things Happen, The Growing Person, and Intuition: An Inner Way of Knowing; coauthor with E. Paul Torrance of Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom and Spiritual Intelligence: Higher Level Consciousness; and coauthor with Susan Israel and Cathy Block of Collaborative Literacy: Using Gifted Strategies to Enrich Learning for Every Student. In addition, she has contributed numerous articles and chapters in books on gifted education, creativity, and leadership development.

• Foreword by Linda SilvermanAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIntroduction1. Gifted Kids Have a Unique Perception2. One Size Does Not Fit All: Socialization vs. Social Development3. Perfectionism: A Positive or Negative Characteristic of Giftedness?4. Moral Courage5. Individuality: Knowing Oneself6. Sensitivity and Empathy for Others7. Reflective Thinking: You Are in Charge8. Developing Creativity in Gifted Students9. Developing a Sense of Peace and Tranquility10. Achieving Balance in Your Life and Finding Your PurposeIndex

"Gifted children are often at risk of losing the essence of their giftedness in a sea of accountability. This book serves as a tool kit for the discovery and growth of giftedness. It provides specific strategies for educators and parents whose goal is to understand and nurture the giftedness of the children in their charge. Sisk′s words go to the heart of what giftedness is all about and lead to true understanding by parents, educators, and the children themselves."