In Norway saying stuff like that is sadly extremely politically taboo, so not every teacher will say that.

It's the same in the U.S., for the most part. But they'll say it to you privately.

Academic ability is a small and not especially important portion of what humans can be gifted with.

I agree with you. But gifted has a particular and widely used meaning with respect to children's education and that's the sense of the word that I'm using.