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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle”

Encouraging Achievement Through Challenge, Persistence, and

Responsibility

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

“It should go without saying that a nation’s resources of

intellectual talent are among the most precious it will ever

have.”

Lewis Terman

Genetic Studies of Genius

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

State Goal for Gifted and Talented Students

Students who participate in services designed for gifted students will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or

environment.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

“The purpose of gifted programs is not simply to get in them but to provide challenging curricular options that demand effort and outcome…The new state plan emphasizes to both educators and students that high performance is not only applauded, it is expected.”

A Call for Excellence: Raising the Bar for Gifted Students

Texas Education Agency, 1999

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

TEA GT Student Performance Standards

•Knowledge and Skills

•Innovation and Application

•Analysis and Synthesis

•Ethics/Unanswered Questions

•Multiple Perspectives

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

TEA GT Student Performance Standards

•Methodology and Use of Resources

•Communication

•Relevance and Significance

•Professional Quality

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Mindsets

•Expectation of the “Easy A”

•Unacceptable Failure and Mistakes

•“Buy Now - Pay Later” Syndrome

•Achievers Aren’t Cool

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• Understand that achievers need four qualities: ability, discipline, confidence, and good work habits.

• Teach your child that education is the backbone of his or her life, necessary to build a successful future.

• Provide a nurturing atmosphere where your child is encouraged to maximize his/her potential.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• Emphasize the importance of high personal standards for everything your child does.

• Convince your child that he/she must put in as much time as it takes to produce good work they are proud of. “Be proud of what you have done.”

• Constantly reinforce this message to your children: “You can be anything - if you are disciplined.”

• Realize the uniqueness of your child. Use his/her interests and insights as the foundation for expectations.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• Apply pressure intelligently.• Provide more structure.• Diagnose/analyze problems together.• Supply direction and guidance.• Provide more assistance.• Provide support, love, and encouragement.• Help the child explore his/her feelings toward

poor performance.• Develop more self-responsibility.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• During the early school years, give less independence and more guidance. Your goal should be to establish excellent work habits and high personal standards. Less guidance will be needed later on, and you can push for more academic independence.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• Intertwine pressure with performance. You must keep informed of what is happening in school each day.

• Listen, observe, comment.• Be consistent. Both parents must support each other.

Inconsistency undermines everything.• Supervise work at home to reinforce all school learning.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

• Establish times for homework and studying each day.• Create a homework area that is free of distractions.• Have references at your child’s fingertips.• Flood your home with lively periodicals.• Ask about homework every day.• In the early years, inspect homework.• Establish serious consequences for not completing

homework.• Do not allow TV viewing before homework.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Strategies

•Provide career or college counseling.•Capitalize on interests. •Maintain high, firm expectations.

(Teachers + Students + Parents = Success)•Help students plan.•Demonstrate real world connections.

•Provide opportunities for networking. •Teach stress and time management strategies. •Praise persistence and effort.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Learning From Mistakes and Failures

•Encourage self-evaluation.

•Use non-threatening group self-assessment.

•Don’t steal their struggle!

•Guide different perspectives and answers.

•Encourage step-by-step approach to positive risk-taking.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Learning From Mistakes and Failures

•Discuss worst case scenario and go beyond it.

•Pre-Assess basic skills.

•Teach organization and study skills.

•Use motivational quotes.

•Have students share research of people who have overcome fear and anxiety.

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“Don’t Steal Their Struggle” Encouraging Achievement Through

Challenge, Persistence, Responsibility

Encouraging Responsibility

•Communicate clear expectations to students and parents.

•Teach and model responsible behavior.

•Discourage “parent to the rescue” syndrome.

•Include students in decision making.

•Encourage daily chores at home.

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What Can You Learn From the World of Sports?

1. Show up for practice and the main event.

2. Know where you are heading and know what the goal is.

3. Have several game plans, not just one.

4. Don’t count on the one thing that is the least likely to occur.

5. Work toward small goals to reach larger ones.

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What Can You Learn From the World of Sports?

6. Practice skills before the big performance.

7. Don’t give up because you get a penalty or make a mistake.

8. Figure out what you want to accomplish and then plan backwards.

9. Have a coach and people to cheer you on.

10. Work as a team to get things done.

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What Can You Learn From the World of Sports?

Other Thoughts:

If you don’t show up prepared, you won’t be allowed to participate in the event.

The work ethic is essential. A coach will not play you if there isn’t some measure of confidence that you are going to do your best during the performance. The coach gets that sense from watching you on a daily basis.

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““Providing an appropriate education for the Providing an appropriate education for the gifted and talented student is neither a gifted and talented student is neither a

luxury nor a frill…What better way to meet luxury nor a frill…What better way to meet the challenges of the next century than by the challenges of the next century than by enabling our brightest students to go as far enabling our brightest students to go as far

as possible in their learning?”as possible in their learning?”

Why Give “Gifts” to the Gifted?Why Give “Gifts” to the Gifted?Lita Linzer SchwartzLita Linzer Schwartz

Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

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To Our Gifted ChildrenTo Our Gifted ChildrenDr. George BettsDr. George Betts

To Our Gifted ChildrenTo Our Gifted ChildrenDr. George BettsDr. George Betts

At last,At last,

we are beginning to understand you.we are beginning to understand you.

We realize your beauty,We realize your beauty,

your abilities,your abilities,

your potentials.your potentials.

A lifetime of excitement,A lifetime of excitement,

joy,joy,

involvement,involvement,

creativity,creativity,

and passionand passion

awaits you.awaits you.

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But first we must nurture you…But first we must nurture you…

We must give you the opportunities…We must give you the opportunities…

the opportunities to accept and value highlythe opportunities to accept and value highly

your strengthsyour strengths

and your differences…and your differences…

to accept and value highlyto accept and value highly

the strengths and differences of others.the strengths and differences of others.

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The opportunitiesThe opportunities

to actively pursue your passions,to actively pursue your passions,

your areas of adventureyour areas of adventure

and your dreams...and your dreams...

to help make our worldto help make our world

a better place to live in,a better place to live in,

where as you choose,where as you choose,

you may become the explorers,you may become the explorers,

the inventors,the inventors,

the artists,the artists,

the poets,the poets,

the leaders of tomorrow.the leaders of tomorrow.

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But most importantly,But most importantly,

we must allow and help youwe must allow and help you

to become your true selvesto become your true selves

to withstand the pressuresto withstand the pressures

from the outsidefrom the outside

and listen closely toand listen closely to

your hearts,your hearts,

so that you may so that you may

develop your potential,develop your potential,

so that you may become so that you may become

what you truly what you truly

can be...can be...