Not only is vague praise less useful than a specific compliment, but combined with easy tasks, it can even be damaging to students’ belief in their abilities.
All AboutSocial & Emotional Needs
Self Control Is A Limited Resource
The wise teacher knows how hard to push her class and when to ease up, because self control is a limited resource for everyone.
The Real Causes of Procrastination
Joanne Foster led an interesting session about the true causes of students’ procrastination. It’s more complex than simple laziness.
Why Gifted Kids May Not Be Great Tutors
It’s so easy to assume gifted kids will be the academic leaders in a classroom. Beacons of light for the other kids to follow. Dina Brulles and Susan Winebrenner explain the problem…
Gifted Students and Anxiety
The obvious benefit of gifted students’ increased sensitivity is that they learn faster, since they pick up on so much more. But this sensitivity also has a dark side: turning our kids into anxious worriers.
Good At Too Many Things?
Multipotentiality is a fancy way of saying “good at many things.” It’s a defining trait of gifted kids, and you’ve probably seen it in action: a student writes beautifully, has mastered a musical instrument, excels in math, and still gets picked near the top in PE. Yet, this trait is one of the Eight Great Gripes of gifted kids.
Like Everyone Else?
Fitting in only gets you so far.
What Can We Learn From Gifted Adults?
What better way to learn about gifted students’ needs than by talking to gifted adults? Here’s a tour of some of the resources I found online.
Build Relationships With Small Talk
Intelligence may get students through school with high marks, but out there in the wild, a high-performing brain can only get one so far. We need to explicitly help our students learn to relate to those around them by teaching them about “small talk.”
Asynchrony and X-Men
Not only are they dealing with the usual trials of growing up, they are often doing it with an increased awareness of their faults, a frustration with being unable to do everything well, and a world that often doesn’t know what to do with them. Worse, they often lack the emotional tools to accompany their increased awareness.
