NYC Gifted and Talented Program and Testing

Mrs. Zimmerman often lets parents know about the material being taught at her Gifted and Talented class Chelsea Prep P.S. 33 in NYC. For example, for one lesson, the students explored the concept of fractions by using the 1/4″, 1/2″, and 3/4″ markings on a standard ruler. The students were taught conceptually about how 4/4=1 and 1/2=2/4, and she found that for many of the students, counting with 1/4s was challenging. Continue reading →

On Thursday, June 23rd, Mrs. Zimmerman’s class from P.S. 33 Chelsea Prep gifted and talented class will hold its end of year publishing party to celebrate a year of academic and artistic achievements of her students. The students will be invited to present their newly published Pourquoi Tales, which they wrote based on folk stories. The event stresses the sharing of students’ work so the students can see that their work is important, inspiring them to work harder in the future.

Says Mrs. Zimmerman , “Education is about the journey, not the destination. Oh no, now I sound like an awful bumper sticker, but the truth there is undeniable. When I approach education as an exciting journey, all of the detours, side-conversations, and student-led explorations become an important part of the learning, not distractions. This approach leaves a world of room for students to nurture and explore their own passions, to grow as socially responsible individuals within a community, and to experience the power of building and uncovering their own truths through exploration.” Continue reading →

There’s no better way to see the results of tests like the OLSAT and the Bracken than the Gifted and Talented programs that exist in New York City. One such program is Mrs. Zimmerman’s Gifted and Talented class at p.s. 33 Chelsea Prep. We’re dedicating the next few blog posts to Mrs. Zimmerman’s class to show you what can happen for your child once they’ve passed their tests and been accepted into the gifted and talented program; when we spend so much time preparing for the tests, it’s easy to forget why we’re preparing in the first place.

On Mrs. Zimmerman’s website, she talks about her mission and how she helps gifted students realize their full potential. She says,

“Every student (and human) has the right to learn something new every day. Furthermore, a gifted student has as much a right to learn new things on his/her own level as any other student. As a teacher, it is my ethical obligation to ensure that every student is learning every single day.” Continue reading →