Gifted Students
How do you know if a child is gifted? A gifted child is one who gives evidence of high achievement capability such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or in specific academic fields. They think differently than other students and often think “outside the box.” Not all of them are gifted in all areas but rather some are in just one area. Often, they will demonstrate the following traits:
They learn information quickly and do their work very fast. However, their work is often sloppy and they become disruptive in class if not called upon.
They think independently and are self-motivated, but they tend to challenge authority and do not handle criticism well.
Prefer to work alone versus working in groups.
Gifted children, especially those who are not given space to thrive, often deal with various types of depression.
One type of depression comes from the desire to live up to standards that are set too high. These standards may be imposed by well-meaning adults or by the children themselves.
Another type of depression comes from struggling to feel accepted as a human by others, instead feeling that they are treated like a computer or only valued because of their achievements.
A third type of depression comes from worrying about the state of the world or the basic problem of human existence.
Gifted children may naturally gravitate to older students or adults for their social interactions. This is because they struggle to communicate with students their age, but don’t realize it. They need to be encouraged and guided in interacting with their peers.
Gifted children can struggle with perfectionism, sometimes setting standards for themselves that are impossible to attain. They need to be explicitly taught how to set attainable short and long-term goals for themselves.
Sources
Gifted Children by Judith Yoder: Gifted Children - The Dock for Learning
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
