True or False:
1. Gifted students must be challenged or they will get lazy.
2. Gifted students enjoy teaching/tutoring other students.
According to the GATE Coordinator at Amy’s school at last night’s meeting, the answer to #1 is False. If gifted students are not challenged, they will not get lazy, but they will get bored. The explanation is that a gifted student has an inner drive to learn, so they will continue in their mind and in other ways continue to create and be absorb in some other activities. A parent then asked, if they are bored, don’t they eventually become lazy? The Coordinator’s response was interesting. She said if they get involved with computer games or other such activities as as outlet, becoming stimulated by those games may make them lazy and unmotivated to pursue other activities.
I have seen this to be true of many bright high school students. You know they are smart, but how come they are not putting their brains into enterprising activities? They were not challenged properly, and I see them put their energy into computer games and eventually lost the drive to pursue any real ambition.
The answer to #2 – False. It depends on the personality of the student of course, but generally speaking, gifted students do not enjoy tutoring. I think it is because they catch on quickly, it is hard for them to relate to someone who is stuck on a simple concept.
Here are some characteristics of Gifted Children that was listed: accelerated learning – advanced language, vocabulary, memory, understanding; analytical thinking – sees patterns, connections, trends, other perspectives; curiosity – intense interests, insightful questions, inner drive for learning; creativity – unusual thoughts, original ideas, endless possibilities; sensitivity – defensive, empathy for others, keen sense of justice; sense of humor – understand higher levels of humor; intense and focused – totally absorbed in some activities and thoughts.
Did you find something true about yourself on that list?
I think everyone will find something from that list that is true of himself. Yes, I believe we can all be gifted, if we develop those qualities.