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Happy New Year, everyone! By now, many of you have probably made (and broken) some New Year’s resolutions 😂. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to continue to question the way things have always been done in my life and beyond, and so it was with great interest that I began reading this book, Talent Development as a Framework for Gifted Education: Implications for Best Practice and Implementations in Schools. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Ph.D., Rena F. Subotnik, Ph.D., and Frank C. Worrell, Ph.D are the editors, with numerous highly acclaimed contributing authors.
This book examines how we have traditionally approached gifted and talented education, and how it is probably time to shift our thinking. The authors propose shifting our thinking to supporting a talent development model. Coincidentally, Dr. Mark Schwingle, our Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Gifted and Talented Consultant, has been exploring the concept of talent development in his series of “Transforming G/T Teaching and Learning” meetings, and introduced this book to the group in December. I was immediately fascinated, because I have been increasingly sensing the need to change my thinking about gifted education. To give you a little background about the book, editor Olsewski-Kubilius has been designing, studying, and implementing out-of-school programs for gifted students for decades. Subotnik’s foci have been on talent development in specific domains and the role that the development of psychosocial skills plays in talent development. Worrell’s expertise is in the areas of cognitive, psychological, and cultural factors that contribute to talent development. Together these editors and many contributing authors have compiled a compelling case for talent development as the most promising emergent model for gifted education. While many states currently still have laws on their books that refer to high-ability/high-potential learners as gifted and talented students, and services for them as gifted and talented programs, I have been detecting a growing movement away from this terminology. Instead, much more emphasis has been placed on defining our work as talent development, and in my estimation, this makes a lot of sense. First, the words gifted and talented have been fraught with negative connotations; the term talent development is much more acceptable, and, in many cultures, talent development is highly revered. Talent development is supported in sports and in the arts, and very few question the premise that people have inherent talents that need to be developed in those areas. In fact, many countries devote enormous resources to promote talent development and to celebrate its existence. If we could extend the conversation about talent development to our field (and to academic and intellectual talents), perhaps discussions would be more productive and the results more promising for our students. Talent development also has great potential to be much more inclusive than typical gifted programming; traditionally overlooked students could reap the benefits of a talent prospecting and talent development model. Finally, an argument for talent development is that it promises benefits to society and, especially, to individuals. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theater director, and critic once said that “People born with talents they are meant to use will find their greatest happiness in using them.” Talent development is key to self-fulfillment. So, what is talent development? How does it look like traditional gifted programming, and how does it differ from it? How can we question our thinking, shift our thinking, and get others to consider shifting their thinking…to question the way we have always done things, and to move into new possibilities? Here are some of the major points made in this book, which are worth considering on our journey: · Abilities (talents) are domain specific and must be supported. This means specific programming, specific resourcing, and specific mentoring is imperative. We can no longer support generic gifted and talented programs. · Domains of talent have different trajectories; some begin early, some later, some peak earlier, some peak later. This must be understood and supported. Using domain specific research to guide us, programming will be more efficacious. · Opportunities must be offered AND opportunities must be taken. These opportunities must be equitable, and special attention should be paid to students and families who will need help with access, encouragement, and support. · Talent development is the development of important mental skills. · Talent development is also the development of important psychosocial skills; to fully develop talent, attention must be paid to the whole person, both cognitively and affectively. · Talent development requires long-term planning. While we are providing services in the present, we must also “future plan”. What does talent development look for this child as he/she develops? How can we best provide systematic and continuous support along the way? · The true measure of successful talent development is achievement. Some of our students will be high-ability; others will be high-potential, but all will demonstrate the development of their talent through achievement over time. To really understand the paradigm shifts suggested, you need to read the whole book and then sit with your thoughts for a while. How could you move your current thinking and programming to a talent development model? What would need to change? A new year always suggests new possibilities; here is a new model for us to consider. I look forward to continued discussions on this topic in the future, and as always, I welcome your ideas because together we grow. Jackie Drummer, Past President and Current Board Advisor, WATG (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.)
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It is no secret that many gifted kids find school tasks easy. They learn quickly and sail through assignments, homework, and new learning with ease. That is…until they “meet their Waterloo.” Because learning has always been easy, many gifted kids have not learned the skills necessary to tackle difficult work, persevere, work through failure, organize themselves and their material, and cope with frustration when the learning no longer comes easily. Seth Perler, an authority on the topic of executive functioning, calls these skills (and others) executive functioning skills. In its simplest terms, Perler asserts that executive functioning is simply “the ability to get stuff done” (homework, writing a paper or cleaning a bedroom, etc.) In other words, executive functioning is the ability to “execute” complex tasks from inception to completion.
For many adults who have spent a lifetime honing their executive functioning skills, it seems that these skills should be relatively easy to master, especially by gifted kids, but as Cole Porter once said, “it ain’t necessarily so…” Things that sound simple to adults can require more executive functioning skills than some kids have. So often when kids fail, adults label this as a “won’t” problem, when it could also be a “can’t” problem. For example, when many children fail to turn in their homework, it is easy to assume that they don’t want to do it, they procrastinate, or they simply didn’t find it worthwhile…a “won’t” problem. What if, instead, this was framed as a “can’t…” problem -- they can’t remember that they even have homework, they didn’t remember to pack the necessary supplies from school, they began the assignment and got distracted, they began the assignment again and ran out of time, they forgot to put it in their backpack, or forgot to put their name on it, or completely forgot to turn it in? All these steps require executive functioning skills – planning, having a system, writing things down, judging how much time something will take to accomplish, finishing a task to completion and checking for detail, etc. And all these skills can be taught. Many experts on executive function have broken it down into various categories, and the ones most often mentioned are:
It is not surprising that the transition to middle school often exacerbates problems with executive functioning skills in students. There is an increasingly heavy demand on executive functions associated with transition to middle school, e.g., more changing of classes, more demands for organizational skills, study skills, and planning. Additionally, different teachers often have differing expectations, and many teachers no longer focus on organizational skills as was more common in elementary school. Some students may hold it together in middle school and begin to experience more difficulty in high school as they try to juggle homework, co-curriculars and extra-curriculars, home responsibilities, jobs, free time, and friendships. Still others meet their greatest challenges when they begin college or enter the military or workforce, and this is often a time when they do not have as much support nearby. So how can we help our kids? How can we discover the skills that our kids “can’t” do and support them as they learn how to master these skills? Though this article does not provide enough space to fully examine all the things that we can do, here are some resources that many parents, counselors, and therapists have shared. Two of them, Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential and Smart but Scattered Teens: The "Executive Skills" Program for Helping Teens Reach Their Potential are most frequently mentioned. There are even books and articles that support adults who struggle with executive functioning skills! Using a search engine will give you many ideas, and be sure to check out the work of Seth Perler, a leading authority on this topic. Here is an article to get you started; it talks about the emotional components affecting executive functioning as well as the obvious difficulties that students may have executing tasks. It also gives ways to support students and families, and when and how to ask for help. Above all, let’s try not to label kids as “won’ts” when it is entirely possible that they are “can’ts” (remember: the messages that we inadvertently send to kids become their inner perceptions) – and then let’s provide the skills and practice that will help them become “cans” and “wills”. The payoff will be great! As always, I welcome your thoughts. Together we grow! Jackie Drummer, WATG Past President and Current Board Advisor (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.) During this last month, I have had the great fortune to be in Guatemala City awaiting the birth of our seventh grandchild. Several times each week, we watch our 2 year old granddaughter (and her Papa) at swimming lessons at the outdoor aquatic center. This center, Waterproof Swim Academy, Academia de Natación, serves thousands of children and adults each week. It has a huge heated pool, and is staffed by many talented instructors.
While observing children, adolescents, and adults learning to swim, I was struck by how successfully the Academy’s instructors differentiate. It is both natural and expected. As a retired K-12 and college instructor, I have helped many teachers learn to differentiate with skill, and I found myself watching the Academy’s swim lessons through that lens. First of all, when students begin a series of lessons, they are immediately pre-tested to determine their level of placement in classes. This is not dependent on age, size, grade level, or any other factor, except for readiness. Swimmers are flexibly grouped. As they master fundamental skills in each level, they are quickly moved to the next level of challenge in a different part of the pool. Some children are moved quickly; their learning time is compacted. Others may have difficulty mastering a skill, and then steps are taken to remediate. For example, with the littlest of swimmers, I saw some students quickly move through activities and into more complex ones – from sitting at the edge of the pool, to blowing bubbles, to jumping off of a floating mat into the arms of an adult, to diving for pool rings. It amazed me. No one had to wait for others to master a skill in order to move on to a new skill. I also watched older children learn to jump off of a swimmer’s podium for the first time. Some students were ready and willing – they did not need assistance or huge amounts of encouragement. Others needed an adult waiting in the water for them as they sat on the edge of the podium, shaking. Still others jumped in with the instructor, hand in hand for security, and a tiny group of swimmers simply watched until their courage, curiosity, and skill became synchronized. As students finished their jumps, everyone cheered, and students moved on to other activities. It was clear that each session had a defined set of goals, and many interest and learning opportunities, almost like centers in a classroom. I watched young children learning to dive. Some children made spectacular belly flops, and were given specific steps, tools, and encouragement to help them improve. Others were “on their way” and needed help to get more “lift and arch” into their dives; they jumped over outstretched paddle boards and through hula hoops. For advanced divers, the instructors tiered the assignment even more fully; they gave specific tips and feedback – “keep your elbows closer to your ears,” or “keep your heels touching,” for example. It was fantastic to analyze the work of the instructors, and the progress of the students. Finally I turned my attention to the adolescent swimmers and the adult swimmers. Though most of them were competent swimmers, they too needed coaching and differentiation. At the end of laps, these swimmers often conferred with their coaches. I saw questioning at work; though I was too far away to overhear conversations, it was clear that the questions (and answers) were directed at improving skills. With this excellent, just-in-time feedback, swimmers were motivated to improve their prowess. Differentiation can and should happen wherever learning takes place. Sometimes seeing excellent differentiation in a different context can provide us with tools to try in our own context. I hope this “deep dive” into differentiation went “swimmingly'' for you; I hope I “floated” some ideas that you will think about and try. As always, I welcome your ideas. Together we grow. Jackie Drummer, Past President and Current Board Advisor WATG P.S. Our grandson, Nico, was born on November 4th! (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.) It is no secret that students who are gifted intellectually and/or in various academic areas are served most frequently in our schools. Many have postulated why this is so, and most often the reason given is that these areas are most easily quantified, and this is probably true. In previous newsletter articles, much attention has been paid to the academic and intellectual needs of gifted students, and to the benefits of challenges in these areas for them. Likewise, we have focused on creativity, leadership, and the visual arts in recent publications, but have not focused on the benefits of challenge and support in music education.
Disclaimer: As I began to research this topic, my heart was filled with gratitude for the joys and challenges that music has brought into my life, so I have a special place for music in my heart. As a choral musician with 42 years performing with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Milwaukee Master Singers, various area chamber groups, as a soloist, and as a church musician, music has been a constant source of challenge, inspiration, and comfort in my life. It has “soothed the savage beast,” “opened many of life’s doors,” and given me a glimpse of heaven on earth. It has also frustrated me, taught me patience and perseverance, humbled me, and helped me become a better educator. Music has also afforded me countless hours of “flow,” that space where we are so engrossed that we are oblivious to time and place. If you’d like to know about the concept of “flow,” check out this TED Talk by the indomitable Mihaly Cziksentmihaly, Flow: The Secret to Happiness”. Flow can occur in many different areas of human endeavor, and provides fuel for our passions and perseverance. For many of us, however, flow occurs when we are making music and/or listening to music. So what other challenges and benefits does music provide? In a recent SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted, sengifted.org publication, Gail Post, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist examines this very topic. Her article is entitled, Supporting Musically Talented Children: Challenging Social and Emotional Roadblocks to Success.” The article is mostly devoted to the challenges that advanced music education can bring to gifted and talented students. She speaks of the boredom that can occur, especially during repetitive practice, the necessary match between attention span and practice, the competition from other temptations in modern-day life (phones, online distractions, friendships), and the necessity and difficulty of mastering music theory by students who “just want to make music.” Coupled with boredom, some gifted musicians may also be crippled by anxiety and perfectionism. Musically gifted children often have an internalized understanding of what something should sound like. They may have listened to recordings of famous musicians, or watched older students perform at recitals; they compare themselves to these others, and become paralyzed with their own imperfections. They may worry about performance, freezing under pressure, or being the center of attention. They may need counseling to employ tools to help them visualize, calm down, and deal with stress. If they are making music competitively, they may need tools to help them deal with the ever-increasing levels of competition, the ebb and flow of personal motivation over time, and the inevitable feelings of rejection and loss. Deep involvement in musical activities may also preclude a rich social life. Though band, orchestra, and choral activities foster community, individualized music trajectories usually require hours of solitary practice and lessons. Some students may miss social activities with peers, and may sacrifice one for the other. They may need help to weigh the pros and cons of their decisions. Finally, many young gifted musicians have concerns about entering musical fields as a career. As one climbs the talent ladder, opportunities become more scarce. Parents/caregivers and educators may either encourage or discourage the aspiring musician. Students themselves may have doubts about their ability to compete in the adult arena. However, whether they decide to choose music as a career, or to pursue music as a hobby, they will inevitably benefit from their musical training. Below are some of the many benefits of music education, according to this article, Evidence-Based Benefits of Music Education, along with the key study papers supporting each benefit. Music education:
These benefits greatly enhance success in many areas of life. It is my great hope that all children and adults experience the joys that music can bring, and that some follow their talent, passion, and dreams to high levels of achievement. As always, I welcome your thoughts. Together we grow. Jackie Drummer, Past President WI Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.) Lately much attention is being paid to the idea of a “Great Resignation” – people leaving their jobs in great numbers, and for a wide variety of reasons. The most often cited, according to this article, include retirement, relocation, reconsideration, reshuffling, and reluctance. The first two, retirement and relocation are self-explanatory. Reconsideration includes re-prioritizing balance in one’s life, and reconsidering the role and importance of work in one’s life. Many experts believe that the pandemic exacerbated this phenomenon, especially as people experienced different joys and challenges during the pandemic, forcing them to reconsider their options. Reshuffling refers to moving to different jobs in the same field or sector, or between sectors, and is often precipitated by a desire for better wages and/or working conditions. These are always a factor considered when people resign and move on. Finally, reluctance is offered as a contributing factor to the great resignation. Many people were/are reluctant to return to working in person. They have grown to appreciate the virtual environment, which can afford more autonomy, and less time commuting; they also felt safer at home during the pandemic. Reluctance led to some resignations.
Of these five reasons, the one I’d like to focus on more fully in this article is reconsideration, and its relationship to gifted individuals. I was recently browsing my Twitter feed when this article, Bore-Out: A Challenge for Unchallenged Gifted (Young) Adults caught my eye. Authored by Dr. Ellen Fiedler, Past President of the Michigan Association for Talented and Gifted, and Noks Nauta, an author who writes about topics pertaining to gifted adults and seniors, the article offered some insight into the great resignation from a gifted person’s point of view. Fiedler and Nauta describe “bore-out” (in the workplace) in this way: “When gifted adults enter the workplace, either for the first time or when changing jobs, they are often confronted with material they already know and a pace that’s too slow for them. Boredom can afflict gifted adults at work but also at home, in college classes, and even in social situations. When they trudge through life day after day without sufficient challenges, this can result in gifted adults suffering from bore-out. We also recognize it in gifted seniors. Bore-out is a condition that has only recently begun to be understood and may actually be the flip side of burnout, a well-known result of ongoing pressure and too much going on in their lives all at once.” Though we have all probably read a great deal about burn-out, very little has been studied and written about bore-out, a condition which some believe afflicts many gifted individuals who crave variety, challenge, novelty, difficulty, and stimulation in their daily lives. Many who study Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development understand that we do our best work when we are in “the zone,” the area where the work is not too difficult to cause great stress, and not too easy to allow boredom to occur. (When working with students, I often dubbed this The Goldilocks Zone - not too easy and not too hard - but just right). When we are in the “zone”, we are neither liable to burn-out nor bore-out. Fiedler and Nauto describe burnout and bore-out as opposite ends of the stimulation spectrum, and postulate that many gifted young adults bore-out of unchallenging jobs and situations. They describe the symptoms of bore-out in this way: “Rather than pressure and stress from overstimulation, bore-out is related to understimulation. Two Swiss consultants, Rothlin and Werder (2008), were the first to publish a book, Bore-Out!: Overcoming Workplace Demotivation, about this condition. Ironically, the symptoms of bore-out surprisingly resemble those of burnout—exhaustion and a depressive mood—and so are often not recognized as coming from ongoing boredom.” Could it be that some gifted adults chose to join the great resignation as a result of bore-out, especially during a pandemic which limited other opportunities for creative outlets and self-fulfillment? In her book, The Gifted Adult, Mary-Elaine Jacobsen (2000) talked to gifted adults about managing themselves on three specific dimensions related to giftedness: a need for intensity, complexity, and drive. These are characteristics which are highly associated with gifted adults. The word boredom also entered her research, as adults shared their need for satisfying their extreme curiosity and burning desire for information, their high energy levels, and their need for intensity, complexity, and drive in their lives and their work. Lacking it, many moved on. Reading all of these articles got me thinking about the great resignation in a whole different way. Maybe reconsideration was a major factor, especially for gifted adults. Maybe many people were/are resigning from their jobs because of bore-out, and are reconsidering different ways to meet their unique needs. Maybe we educators and parents/caregivers need to help our young people learn to advocate for themselves and for their intellectual and social emotional needs, beginning as children and extending into adulthood. Probably the time to begin is NOW. Reconsidering how we help our young people may help them avoid a future personal resignation. As always, I look forward to your thoughts. Together we grow. Jackie Drummer, Past President and Current Board Advisor WI Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.) Wisconsin’s state statutes, ss118.35 and ss121.02(t) mandate that gifted students be identified in the areas of intellectual, specific academic, creativity, the visual and performing arts, and leadership. Though many districts do a good job of identifying students in the intellectual and academic areas, and often provide “stretch” opportunities (e.g., contests, art shows, various ensembles, solo and ensemble competitions, theater productions) in the visual and performing arts, students are often vastly underidentified and served in the areas of creativity and leadership.
Keeping this in mind, one of our goals at this year’s SOAR camp, a traditional summer camp for gifted youth, was to program for leadership. Using provocative questioning, and then taking a leadership inventory, discussing the components of leadership, putting leadership skills into practice, and then reflecting on progress, our campers were able to grow in their leadership prowess. Guided by research on leadership development, we used the Roets Rating Scale for Leadership as a starting point for our group discussions. Students analyzed their current leadership skills using the inventory, which provided insight into the many components of leadership. These included:
We then moved on to an activity which required precision in communication, a highly important quality of effective leadership. Working in pairs, campers designed something with Legos behind a screen. Then they communicated how to build an exact replica to their partner (who had the exact same Legos). In the first iteration, partners were NOT allowed to ask clarifying questions. The results were quite interesting :) For the second round, the person receiving instructions WAS allowed to ask clarifying questions. Our goal was to show how important it was to be precise, to give exact directions, and to receive feedback and questioning graciously. In this iteration, the results were dramatically better. Finally, campers asked if they could design their own rules for the third iteration. Most chose to do the entire challenge non-verbally! The willingness to challenge themselves was astounding, and the techniques that they used were both hilarious and inventive. After debriefing this activity, we challenged campers to use their newly found and newly polished leadership skills; activities at camp, such as the low ropes course, games and initiatives, canoeing, group work, and team-building would require this. Our hope was that they would transfer their learning immediately, and they did. Finally, we challenged our campers to take all that they had learned home with them, and into their schools and communities. We emphasized that leadership skill takes practice; leaders must be patient, flexible, and willing to grow. Our hope was that these lessons in leadership provided a foundation for future leadership endeavors for our campers; we wish them much success on their journey! Jackie Drummer, Past President and Current Board Advisor Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can be found in our website blogs.) In my monthly Gifted in Perspective column, I usually write about children. Most of my articles are about teaching or parenting gifted children based on my approximately five hundred years of experience :) However, this month I have chosen to write about common ways that gifted adults often stress themselves out. I believe it is important to see these stressors in ourselves because we unknowingly are modeling constantly for our children and/or our students; they are watching us for cues about what stresses us and how we handle the stress. I am imagining that at least some of these stressors will resonate with you.
Do you?
These are just a few of the ways that stress creeps (sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly) into our lives. In my work as a SENG Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted trainer and facilitator, I have often noticed that parents and caregivers often admit to the same stressors that they worry about in their children. Knowing that our kids are watching us, what do we do about stress? First of all, I believe it is important to practice metacognition. It is important to think about our thinking, to analyze it and give it a name. In the case of stress and stressors, we could ask ourselves, “What does stress feel like? What does it look like? What does it sound like?” Over time we can begin to identify stress at its inception. Then we can proceed to the second step - finding ways to avoid, ameliorate, or reframe stress and stressors. In this article, 42 Ways to Make Your Life Easier, author Frank Sonnenberg offers some simple, yet difficult suggestions. Practicing them over time will help change behaviors. Finally, once we have tamed some of our stressors, we need to reflect on the process. We need to analyze what worked (or didn’t work), when it worked (or didn’t work), why it worked (or didn’t work), and how it worked. And, as parents and educators, we should share what we’ve learned with the children in our care. It is important that they see our struggles and our willingness and diligence to confront those struggles; this gives them the courage and tools to confront their own struggles. In the past few months, my husband and I have chosen to sell our home and move to a new location. The days and weeks have been fraught with stress and stressors, so writing this article has been a form of therapy for me. I hope that it has helped you too. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Together we grow. Jackie Drummer, Past President and Current Board Advisor WI Association for Talented and Gifted As the summer season begins, many families have registered their children for activities. Soccer, tennis, baseball, band, theater, running, music lessons, dance lessons, and many other activities are in full swing. Many parents and caregivers are beginning their days with hands in “the steering wheel position” as they ferry children to various supervised camps, clubs, and activities. For these children, their days are full of adult-directed activities. There is very little down time, very little child-driven activity, and very little time for creative boredom to set in. Is this a good thing, I wonder?
As I reflected on my childhood, many, many decades ago, I remembered my short acquaintance with the dreaded “b” word - bored. At our house, if one uttered the unmentionable word, mom had a list of jobs at the ready. She did not tolerate a lack of creativity or self-directed activity, and, in fact, rewarded these with hard, mom-chosen work. So we kids never uttered “the word,” and, truthfully, we were never bored. What a gift mom gave us! I fondly remember afternoons writing play scripts, negotiating with the neighborhood divas and divos for starring roles, spending hours creating costumes and crafting sets, designing playbills, and marketing. Weeks of activity were the prelude to a 20-minute production for the entire neighborhood. I remember baseball games with sketchy, ever-changing rules, and lots of kid-negotiations, complete with anger, tears, and reconciliations. I remember a week’s afternoons planning a pioneer wagon train, complete with rations, peanut butter and jelly sandwich vittles, pretend campfires, horses, and wagon-wheel disasters. I remember creating our own “girls only” language, arguing about which words were nouns, verbs, pronouns, and adverbs, and then taunting the neighborhood boys with our secret communication. Above all, though, I cannot ever remember being bored! And now I wonder - what is the relationship between boredom and creativity, and do kids these days get to experience both? If they do, great! And if they don’t, what are the consequences? As I was pondering these questions, I began reading on the topic of boredom, and especially boredom in children. Most articles asserted that boredom can actually help kids develop skills, creativity, and self-esteem. Though kids might need some help coming up with things to do with unstructured time (at least initially), they soon learn. This is the cue for parents/caregivers to bow out and let the kids run with their imaginations and ideas. In this article, The Benefits of Boredom, author Gia Miller quotes Jodi Musoff, an educational specialist at the Child Mind Institute, “Boredom also helps children develop planning strategies, problem-solving skills, flexibility and organizational skills – key abilities that children whose lives are usually highly structured may lack. It’s not the boredom itself that helps children acquire these skills — it’s what they do with the boredom. Typically, kids don’t plan their days, but when they work on a project to fill their time, they have to create a plan, organize their materials, and solve problems. Developing these skills helps children better manage a variety of academic tasks, such as planning for long term assignments, and flexibility when working on group projects and social skills. Additionally, boredom fosters creativity, self-esteem, and original thinking.” So how do we encourage kids to manage their own boredom? This article in MetroParent entitled, Boredom is Okay! Here Are 13 Ways for Your Kids to Embrace It offers some great tips. Some of my favorites (along with my “spin”) include:
As this glorious summer unfolds, I hope that all of us, young and old, find many things that pique our curiosity, fulfill our interests, and help us grow. I also hope that boredom is the catalyst, and I’d love to hear about your “brushes with boredom.” This should definitely NOT be boring :) Send your thoughts to us at watg@watg.org and we’ll share and respond. Go forth and embrace boredom! Jackie Drummer, Past President WI Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Martha Aracely Lopez of Milwaukee Public Schools for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. The translation can also be found in our website blogs.) |
Gifted in PerspectiveA column designed to link the gifted perspective to other perspectives, and to make you think.
Jackie Drummer
Past WATG President,
SENG Certified Trainer
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