When we pay attention to academics, but not to our students' social emotional needs, we're missing half of the picture.
While gifted students look perfect on paper, their teachers know that in the classroom they are not all the academic angels and stellar scholars that people assume they are. Successful teachers of the gifted require a special understanding of their students' social and emotional needs.
We praise kids for being "smart", but what do we actually mean by it? What are we actually praising? It's a surprisingly tricky word to figure out.
Why the distinction between “high-achiever” and “gifted” was important to me personally and professionally.
As a kid, I got all the way to the top of Cub Scouts, but I never became a Boy Scout. I quit before I made the jump. Here’s why.
I got to work with several groups of students (of many ages) and I tried out this task: building a tournament to decide who was the most resilient historical figure or fictional character? Kids came up with some amazing ideas.
This quick clip of Steve Kerr coaching Steph Curry gives us insights into how we can mentor our most advanced students.
Three images I’m using to do a better job explaining giftedness to parents of gifted kids.
As a parent, it’s easy to be concerned about a blah teacher. But you have more power and influence than any one teacher. Be aware of your praise. Be aware of your actions.
Before you implement an educational theory like Mindset, Grit, or Multiple Intelligences, make sure to read the original work, understand the limitations, and know the most common misunderstandings.
My friend Brian introduced me to Torrance’s Manifesto for Children – and I wish I had seen it decades ago!
For people who do not suffer from perfectionist tendencies, it can be hard to understand the crippling feeling a student feels when their work doesn’t match their expectations. Ira Glass, who you know from This American Life, has a fantastic quote that gets to the heart of this problem.
Any time we complain that a kid always or never does something, we should consider this same question: has anyone ever taught them how?
The Dunning-Kruger Effect states that those with low-ability in an area tend to over-estimate their skills, while those with high-ability tend to under-estimate their skill. This has serious implications on classrooms and the way we communicate proficiency.
Netflix’s delightful documentary about famous chefs brought to mind three patterns about success.
Kohlberg’s levels of moral development are a fantastic tool for helping our gifted kids understand their advanced awareness of moral issues. But it also challenges us, as adults, to step up and push our own moral development higher.
After reading my post about promoting interests instead of passions, reader Nicole sent a link to this article about speaking to the elderly about finding a life purpose: Basically, the oldest Americans (most of whom also struggled with the question) tell you to relax. They say that you are likely to have a number of […]
We’re very aware of our own messy processes, but end up comparing that with other people’s beautiful, final products. It’s a sure path to impostor syndrome, thinking you’re the only one who struggles to create.
Understanding our body’s feelings is important, especially for gifted students whose powerful minds often overthink problems, which in turn leads to perseveration and nervousness.
“Passion” is kind of a ridiculous expectation when you think about it.
The idea of a 21st century may sound futuristic, but we’re already more than 20% through the century! 21st century careers are already happening all around us. You just need to know where to look!
What happens when a student never gets called over to work with the teacher?
The “smart” label we give kids often really means “things are easy for you.” What are the ramifications of this dangerous praise?
It’s a weird trap: because a child is “so smart”, everyone thinks any gaps in their skills are a result of laziness or defiance. But sometimes the brightest kid needs small group instruction for a skill the rest of the class already gets.
Our brightest kids can go through school without ever receiving meaningful feedback. This can set up a fear of feedback and a fixed mindset. Here are some ways you can chat with kids about their work…
I love videos of robots messing up tasks. This one in particular struck a chord, because we get to see the robot learn from his mistakes. Let’s have students write him some advice…
Continuing our series on long-term success, we look at the art of wondering. Often our gifted kids wonder deeper and longer than others. But do they wonder about math?
In this second part of a series on Long-Term Success, we look at how to handle gifted students’ weaknesses by creating a culture that’s focused on strengths.