I request the best from my students so they may develop the tools they need for a fulfilled, meaningful life. A lack of expectation for a gifted learner communicates that it is okay for the child to give in to his or her sensitivities and perfectionistic tendencies and not try. This same lack of expectation can be misinterpreted as a demand for blind production of straight-A work. Heck, we don’t even have grades in my programs. As an educator, I’m looking for a student’s best work. A student’s best work plays on their strengths while challenging their areas of growth. When a teacher has a real relationship with their student, they know what that level of work looks like and they know it doesn’t always come in the form of an essay or data table. Most of the time it’s demonstrated during the process of creating that essay or data table. A letter grade doesn’t pay tribute to that level of effort at all.