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WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION FOR TALENTED & GIFTED

Wisconsin Association For Talented & Gifted

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  • Get Involved
    • Membership
    • News
    • Partnerships
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Meet The Board
    • Gifted Listserv
  • Resources
    • Resources
    • Advanced and Accelerated Learning in WI
    • WATG Blogs >
      • News from the Board
      • Noticias de las Mesa Directiva
      • Gifted in Perspective
      • Dotados en Perspectiva
      • Ask the Doctor
      • Gifted @ Home
      • Student Voices
      • Guest Blogs
      • Tools to Use Today
      • From the Bookshelf
      • GT Meanderings
      • Advocacy Blog
      • Justice for All
    • Podcasts
    • Parenting
    • History + Pioneer Profiles
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Past Newsletters
  • Equity
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy Blog
  • Annual Conference
    • 2023 Annual Conference
    • 2023 Keynote Speakers
    • Exhibitors/Sponsors
    • Parent Conference
    • Teen Conference
    • Logo Contest
    • Past Conferences
  • Contact Us

Classic Ways to Stress Yourself Out :)

8/1/2022

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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?
  • Procrastinate? Enjoy the adrenaline rush that can accompany it?
  • Get super excited about projects and “bite off more than you can chew?”
  • Resist asking for help because it could make you look less talented or knowledgeable?
  • Set unrealistic expectations for yourself? Refuse to downsize expectations when needed?
  • Like to organize/direct things (and maybe people) and get frustrated when things don’t conform to your expectations or standards?
  • Try to cram too much activity into a minute, hour, day, week, year? 
  • Enjoy arguing about things just to prove you’re right?
  • Suffer from a mind that is either easily distracted or too narrowly focused?
  • Worry about imposter syndrome (the nagging feeling that people will find out who you really are, and not who you appear to be…e.g., not as smart, not as talented, etc.?) 
  • Demand perfection of yourself and others?
  • Ruminate (constantly asking yourself “if only, what if, etc.”)?
  • “Make mountains out of mole hills”?
  • Fail to delegate (No one does this as well as I do…)?
  • Expect immediate results? 
  • Expect others to always see things your way?
  • Allow yourself to become bored?
  • Try to control the uncontrollable?
  • Have difficulty saying “no” to people and activities?

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

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In Praise of Boredom

7/1/2022

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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:
  • Teach yourself and your kids to stop and wonder. Curiosity is a fine cure for boredom, and there is no cure for curiosity. (Dorothy Parker is credited for this quote).
  • Allow time for reflection, mindfulness, and attention to one’s moods. What does boredom feel like? Sound like? Taste like? Smell like? When does it happen? Why does it happen? What could I do about it? Seriously, teach kids to question, question, question.
  • Back out of children’s play. Allow them to fight their fights, dream their dreams, create their creations, manage their boredom, clean up their own messes, build their own relationships. Do not succumb to their helplessness.
  • Reframe “boredom” as “ME TIME…” - time to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, how I want to do it, and where I want to do it. Schedule it and honor it. Eventually kids will learn not to dread boredom, but look forward to it. (How many of you grownups wish you had time to be bored???)
  • Allow time for grit/persistence to develop. Learning a new skill, such as managing boredom, takes time. It can be uncomfortable and messy, but the end result is worth it. Give kids the time and space to discover this.
  • Listen for the real message – though kids may say they’re bored, they may be something else entirely – for example, hungry, angry, lonely, tired (HALT). So do HALT and encourage your child to figure out what’s really going on.
  • Finally, model being a boredom buster. Parents and caregivers who are curious, willing to embrace boredom, and look for solutions grow children who are watching and learning from them.

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.)





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Problem-Based Learning - A Great Option for Advanced Learners

6/1/2022

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Most teachers are eager to meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms. They seek to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences every day. However, the reality is that meeting the needs of learners who may span up to five or more grade levels in a single classroom is difficult, if not impossible. Research from institute for Education Policy, Johns Hopkins School of Education, authors Matthew C, Makel, Michael S. Matthews, Scott J. Peters, Karen Rambo-Hernandez, and Jonathan A. Plucker (Data from NWEA and NAEP in CA, FL, WI) gives some insight into this “state of the classroom” with this data, which highlights the importance of recognizing the existence of advanced learners in our schools:

  • 20-40% of elementary and middle school students perform at least one grade level above their current grade in reading
  • 11-30% of elementary and middle school students perform at least one grade level above their current grade in math
  • 8-10% of Grade 4 students perform at the 8th grade level in language arts
  • 2-5% of Grade 4 students perform at the 8th grade level in math

In an even more recent study, NWEA found that in a typical 5th grade classroom, the spread of readiness could be even wider, up to 9 levels, with 32.7%of students at the 3rd grade level, 32.9% at the 4th grade level, 23.9% at the 5th grade level, 1.2% at the 6th grade level, 4.4% at the 7th grade level, 3.1% at the 8th grade level, and 1.8% at the high school level.

Knowing this information, it is no wonder that meeting the needs of all learners is difficult. So what is a teacher to do? Though there are many tools that can be used with advanced learners, one of the most promising is problem-based learning, or PBL. PBL has been around for many, many years in many forms. Over my teaching career, I have seen it labeled problem-based learning, project-based learning, personalized learning, challenge-based learning, genius hour, etc. Each iteration has provided new ideas and insights into how students learn, how to craft the ideal learning situation, and how to help students master skills necessary to be successful - skills such as creative thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, product creation, presentation, research and methodology, giving and receiving feedback, and self-critique. Problem-based learning allows students to identify a real-world problem, and to solve it using information or data that they research. In PBL, the teacher acts more as a “guide on the side” than a “sage on the stage”. Students are actively involved, sometimes alone, or sometimes in collaborative groups, in solving their problem.

In a recent article in Forbes magazine entitled
New, Strong Evidence for Problem-Based Learning,
author Michael T. Nietzel, Professor of Education, shared this study.
Economists
Rosangela Bando, Emma Naslund-Hadley and Paul Gertler conducted ten field experiments in four countries (Argentina, Belize, Paraguay, and Peru) covering more than 17,000 students, and used randomized experimental trials, which are the gold standard in this type of research. Students in preschool, 3rd and 4th grade were randomly assigned to receive either PBL or traditional instructional methods in math and science. Researchers randomly assigned preschool, 3rd, and 4th grade classes to receive either problem-based instruction or traditional instructional methods in these areas, and seven months later compared the standardized test scores of the students in both groups. The results were amazing: “The researchers found that after seven months of receiving problem-based instruction, students improved by .18 standard deviation (SD) in math and .14 standard deviations in science relative to the standard-instruction students. Those gains increased to .39 and .23 SDs, respectively, after four years. Boys benefitted in particular, improving by .22 SD in math (girls improved .15 SD) and .18 SD in science (girls improved .10 SD). Standard deviation is a quantity calculated to indicate the extent of deviation for a group as a whole.


More evidence for the efficacy of PBL was gathered by Gallup Poll in this study, Creativity in Learning. A complete PDF of the results of this poll is available in 16 different languages. It makes for very interesting reading.  Some of the most important findings were these:

  • Though 87% percent of teachers and 77% of parents agree that teaching approaches that inspire creativity (such as PBL) in the learning process have a bigger payoff for students, students spend most of their time on traditional lessons that do little to encourage creativity, even though the growing availability of technology promises new ways of learning.   
  • Sixty-eight percent of teachers indicate that project-based learning offers a good measure of student learning, almost six times the rate (12%) at which they say the same thing about standardized tests.
  • Only 13% of parents say it’s “very important” for their child to do well on standardized tests, but 59% say it’s very important for their children to work on a project with real-world applications, and 51% report it’s very important for their children to come up with their own ideas about how to solve problems.
  • A majority of students would prefer to spend more time on problem-based learning and other methods inspiring creativity, but they report that learning “how to do well on standardized tests” still occurs more often than working on real-world projects, trying out different approaches to problems or discussing topics that have no right or wrong answer.
The research is quite clear that PBL is both effective and desired. It may actually be the best option for advanced learners who often are secretly labeled “those dreaded early finishers” :) 
What if students could show proficiency in their required coursework, and then move on to a PBL topic of their choice? What if teachers were trained to facilitate this kind of learning? What if all students could reap the benefits of PBL? What if PBL (in conjunction with teaching traditional skills) provided a new love of learning in our students? The possibilities are endless, and the potential payoff is great. If you are an educator, please consider incorporating PBL into your toolkit if you haven’t already done so. If you are a parent or caregiver, consider posing PBL activities to your children. For more information on PBL, check out information here and here  and here. Articles and ideas abound on the internet. Good luck on your journey toward exciting learning! As always I welcome your comments and suggestions. Together we grow!

Jackie Drummer, Past President, 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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Our Girls and STEM Careers

5/1/2022

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The STEM acronym was introduced in 2001 by scientific administrators, most specifically Judith Ramelay, of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The organization previously used the acronym SMET when referring to the career fields in those disciplines or a curriculum that integrated knowledge and skills from the field of  science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, but the acronym SMET apparently did not have “the sound that was appealing,”  and was therefore changed to STEM.

In searching the Education Week archives, it is apparent that educators were beginning to combine the terms long before 2001. For example, a piece from January 30, 1985 indicated that a policy forum would address “whether recent initiatives to improve education in mathematics, science, engineering and other technology-related subjects are likely to meet the country’s needs.” Other congressional caucus and initiatives followed, and by 2008, STEM had become a common educational term. It was later modified to STEAM, to recognize the contribution of the arts. 

Throughout the years, however, one thing has not changed, and that is the ratio of males to females in STEM/STEAM careers. In 2019, it was noted that
though women represent nearly half of the workforce, they only represent 27% of the STEM workforce. (US Government Census Report). Though this is an increase from 8% in 1970, it still is a woeful representation.


According to US Census Bureau reports, STEM/STEAM careers include these major occupations: “computer related professionals (including computer and information systems managers), mathematicians, engineers (including architectural and engineering managers and sales engineers), life science, physical science and social science  (including natural sciences managers, but excluding occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.) Other STEM/STEAM-related careers include architects (except naval), and health care and technical practitioners (including medical and health services managers).”

Over the last few decades, I have been watching this lack of women in STEM/STEAM careers with great concern, and this concern was magnified by a recent article in
The Journal: Transforming Education Through Technology. In this article, author Kristal Kuykendall reported that “A new study of YouScience aptitude assessments completed by 116,372 female high school juniors and seniors across the nation shows that female students had 10 times more aptitude than interest in careers in architecture and engineering, and nearly four times more aptitude than interest for careers in computers and mathematics.”  This does not portend well for both girls and our nation.  The low level of interest expressed in STEM careers is especially concerning given the projected growth in STEM-related jobs; the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts STEM jobs will grow by at least 8% annually through 2029, as the number of non-STEM jobs grows at less than half that pace.


So, why are women less attracted to STEM/STEAM careers, and what can be done about this? To find out more, I contacted a number of my friends and family (males and females) who are employed in STEM/STEAM careers for their insights and advice, and I thank them for their willingness to engage in discussion. 

First of all, this report, Why Women Leave Engineering, from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee emerged. Nadya Fouad, a UWM distinguished professor of educational psychology, has dedicated her career to exploring how individuals decide on their careers, as well as the broader impact those decisions have. She has been instrumental in studying why certain populations are underrepresented in the workforce, especially in STEM fields. In 2007, she published a study that researched what barriers deterred middle and high school females from pursuing science and math. Among her findings was the importance of instilling confidence in girls early on. So how do we do this? My contacts suggested the following ideas:
  • Be sure that toys, games, and other materials for children in our homes and schools include multiple opportunities to build, create, discover, and experiment. Here are some examples. Encourage children to hypothesize, and to think and act like mathematicians and scientists.
  • Expose girls early on to STEM/STEAM careers and career role models. Many girls do not consider these opportunities because they do not see many women in them. (Conversely, many males report entering STEMSTEAM careers because their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, or family friends were engineers, for example.)
  • Search out opportunities such as STEM/STEAM camps, clubs, and competitions such as Math and Science Olympiads that provide both instruction and confidence-building in girls.
  • Provide STEM/STEAM opportunities early on for diverse learners. This should be done at the elementary, middle, and high school level, and could be sponsored by businesses and entities looking to hire diverse candidates in the future.
  • Provide mentors and career shadowing opportunities early on. 
  • Try to change the system. For example, at most high schools, the highest levels of math and science classes are taught by men. This can and should be changed. Reportedly, the percentage of male professors at MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) is 72%. This can and should be changed. Our girls are noticing these things.
  • Help girls and young women create a mathematical/scientific identity and a sense of belonging. Here is an example of this in entitled A Fun Activity to Promote a Sense of Belonging in High School Math.
  • Encourage flexibility in STEM/STEAM careers so that women can pursue a healthy balance between work and family; many young women state that this feared imbalance is the reason they shy away from STEM/STEAM careers.
In today’s rapidly changing world, diversity in all fields is a necessity. I believe that it is important to get more young women interested in STEM/STEAM careers for their own advancement, as well as for the advancement of the STEM/STEAM field, and for our global competitiveness. Half of our talent pool is, after all, women; give them a chance to lead the way.
As always, I welcome your thoughts. Together we grow.

Jackie Drummer, Past President and 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.)



  

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How to Respond When the News is Scary

4/1/2022

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The news has been scary. It is scary for adults as well as children, and it has also been relentless. For some of us, especially gifted children and adults who may be especially sensitive to the problems of the world, these have been some incredibly difficult times.

Polish psychiatrist, psychologist, and physician, Kazimierz Dąbrowski, (best known for his theory of positive disintegration), noticed that some people possess overexcitabilities which predispose them to heightened sensitivities to their world. He defined these overexcitabilities as psychomotor, sensual, emotional, intellectual, and imaginational. While not everyone agrees with Dabrowski’s work, parents/caregivers and educators of gifted children often observe these intensities in the children they know and love.

According to Dabrowski, psychomotor overexcitability manifests itself in a capacity for being active and energetic, a love of movement, a surplus of energy, and an actual need for physical action. Many parents/caregivers of gifted children report this in their children (and it is sometimes mistaken for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).

Sensual overexcitability manifests itself in a heightened ability to experience sensory/ aesthetic pleasure. These are children who may hate labels in their clothing, refuse to eat foods with objectionable textures, or be bothered by stimuli that most people ignore or do not even notice, for example. Additionally, they may display a great need to touch and be touched, and respond with great joy or disgust to sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.

Emotional overexcitability is often recognized by parents of gifted children and others as well because those who have it often display intense emotions and responses to events and experiences in their lives. Comments about people with emotional hypersensitivity often include the word “too…” (e.g., too bossy, too loud, too opinionated, too sensitive).

Children who possess intellectual overexcitabilities may persist in asking probing questions, have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge/novelty, possess keen observational skills and concentration in areas of interest, persevere in asking probing questions, possess a proclivity or reverence for logic or theoretical thinking, or possess a deep precision for understanding and can be intolerant of imprecision or errors. Like R2D2 in Star Wars, they demand INPUT!

Finally, children with imaginational overexcitabilities view the world in a variety of powerful ways. They often have very strong attachments to persons, living things, or places. They may be timid or shy, or conversely, extremely boisterous and outgoing, sometimes explosively so. They may possess strong affective memories. They may live their lives “inside their heads.”They may worry excessively about the pain of the world “Weltschmerz,” or the pain of others, and obsess over their inability to effect change. 

While truly “gifts,” all of these sensitivities can also be liabilities during times when the news is scary, as it is now.

Clearly, many of us have been worried about how to reassure our sensitive children during these times. In late February, I listened to a short podcast prepared by Anya Kamenetz and Cory Turner on National Public Radio entitled,
What to Say to Kids When the News is Scary.
My takeaways included things I already knew, and also caused me to think about some new ideas. Here are the main takeaways (in italics/bold), and my thoughts, following:


  • Limit children’s exposure to breaking news. In today’s world of 24/7 connection, news breaks quickly and sometimes unexpectedly. It is up to us adults to be cognizant that (as my grandmother often said), “little pitchers have big ears.” The kids are listening, and they are acutely attuned to our reactions/responses to the news. So be aware; monitor the exposure that children have to the news.
  • Ask, “what have you heard, and how are you feeling? Even if we limit our children’s exposure to the news, they hear from kids on the playground, on the schoolbus, in their neighborhood, on social media, etc. They often worry in silence, and often magnify problems as well. They do feel powerless and afraid. So talk to them. Listen. Observe. Find the time and space. For the littlest kids, this is often in the quietude of their bedrooms at bedtime; for adolescents, it is often in the (enforced) proximity/safety of a car ride :)
  • Give kids facts and context. Bright children especially have finely-tuned BS (Baloney Sausage) Detectors. They can ask insightful questions, cut through the static, and make us uncomfortable. Our job is to tell the truth, but at an age-appropriate level. Follow their lead; answer their questions, but be careful to respect their level of questioning and understanding.
  • When they ask why something happened, avoid labels like "bad guys." In a recent conversation with my eight year old grandson, he was quick to label a certain nation as all bad. Some probing questions of his assumptions helped him separate bad actors from good and responsible people. Kids do not mean to be judgmental; they are merely attempting to make sense of their world, and it is our job to help them do that respectfully and accurately.
  • Encourage kids to process the story through play and art. Therapists have known forever that play and art allow kids to speak the unspeakable. Through their creative expression, they can work out their hopes, fears, and dreams. Provide the time, the space, and the materials. Use their creations as the on-ramp to discussion, or simply respect the product as the healthy outlet for emotions.
  • Look for the helpers. Fred Rogers often told the story of his mother’s profound way to help children deal with tragedy, and that was to look for the helpers. There are always helpers when tragedy strikes. These people, individually and collectively, give us hope. Children need to feel the power of hope, especially during these difficult times.
  • Finally, take positive action together. So many times all of us feel helpless. This can be especially true for children, who feel that they have little power to effect change. In every crisis, however, there are things, both great and small, that we can do to diminish the suffering in our world. And often, these help us to diminish our worries as well. By being one small part of the solution, we are fighting the problem. Model problem-solving. Take action. 

Though I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor, I hope that these ideas have comforted you, and have given you some tools to help your children and your students cope during these trying times.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts. Together we grow. Take care.

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 be found in our website blogs.)




 

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Enchanted with Encanto

3/1/2022

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In last month’s newsletter, I wrote about the benefits of bibliotherapy and videotherapy when working with gifted children and adolescents; this month I had a chance to put my insights into practice, as I viewed and thoroughly enjoyed Disney’s movie Encanto with members of my family. As I viewed the movie, I thought about the messages for all of us, from the youngest to the oldest. Encanto is a prime example of a movie with deep themes and rich topics, perfect for discussion. Though I won’t retell the movie (you definitely should pop some popcorn and enjoy it with your loved ones), I will offer up some questions for discussion when viewing it. 

Set in the magical casita of the Madrigal family in Colombia, Encanto transports us to a world that is both imaginative and thought-provoking. I believe that it is especially relevant for the gifted population because so much of the movie centers around gifts and talents. Some themes that emerge include perfectionism, stress, honesty, jealousy, envy, fear, disappointment, loss, high expectations, illusions, loneliness, self-belief and self-doubt, responsibility for “gifts,” and the mysteries of possibilities, among others. Some questions for discussion before and after viewing the movie could include these:

  • What are gifts and talents? How are they alike and/or different in various characters? How are they alike and different in people? Is this good or bad?
  • Does everyone have gifts and talents? Why or why not?
  • What happens when we use our talents effectively? What happens when we don’t use our talents, or use them inappropriately? 
  • Can we lose our talents over time? Can you develop a talent over time? If so, how, or when, or why?
  • Is it always good to have talents? Can talents ever be a burden? Are talents worth having?
  • What is good or bad about the expectations that come with gifts and talents? Whose expectations are they? Are those expectations fair?
  • What if (even with all of my gifts and talents) I am never good enough?
  • How does having a vision (and someone who believes in you) help you actualize your talent/s?
  • What if speaking your truth/using your talents makes things worse?
  • Are we truly more than our gifts and talents? How is this possible? If this is true, why is it important?
  • Are we all someone’s miracle? Can you think of an example in your life or in the life of someone else?
  • Is “burning brightly” a gift or a burden? Why or why not?

Clearly, the possibilities for exploring Encanto are both limitless and enchanting. In viewing it with my family, I was interested in the takeaways from everyone - from a three -year-old to a septuagenarian. The three year old summed it up perfectly…”we all have dreams in our brain; we just need to let them out.” This was truly perceptive, in my estimation.

In the near future, I hope that you will find time to view Encanto. The animation is fabulous, the music ultimately memorable, and the themes timeless and provocative. Above all, allow yourself time to ponder the meanings in your life, the lives of your family members, and the lives of your students. Allow videotherapy to expand your thinking.

As always, I welcome 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.)



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What Happens When They Grow Up?

2/1/2022

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As a coach and consultant in gifted education, I often find myself speaking with gifted adults about their gifted children and their gifted students. So often during these conversations, there are true moments of epiphany. The adults often burst into tears of disbelief, belief, and relief (and we keep the kleenex handy). As they share stories about children that they know and love, they realize tendencies in themselves that are similar. It is no surprise that gifted children grow up into gifted adults; their passions, intensities, and quirkiness do not just magically disappear. For some, this revelation is surprising and for others it is a confirmation of long-held suspicions.

Therapists such as Paula Prober, author of
Your Rainforest  Mind,
Lynne Azpeitia, gifted adult coach and author of
Gifted, Talented, and Creative Adults,
Dr. Ellen Fieldler, past president of the Michigan Association for Gifted Children, and author of
Bright Adults: Uniqueness and Belonging Across the Lifespan, as well as many, many other authors write about gifted children and  adults, and their joys and challenges. Many of them wonderfully trace the trajectory of giftedness throughout the lifespan. They offer hope and suggestions.


Like gifted children, gifted adults may share many commonalities. They often have a wide range of interests, read widely, and display unending curiosity. They may be independent thinkers and may struggle with deep friendships. Some change jobs often, as their curiosity and talent (and boredom) lead them to explore. They may be intense; they may feel things deeply, and wonder why. They may have been told that they are “too much” - too bossy, too emotional, too questioning, too sensitive, too... They may ask a lot of questions, and not be satisfied with perfunctory answers or shallow thought. They may be perfectionistic, setting high standards for themselves (and sometimes others). They may possess a deep worry for the pain of the world, “weltschmerz,” or rage against the injustices of life, and feel hopeless to effect change. They may love to argue, sometimes for the sheer “sport” of it. They may also possess astonishing senses of humor and delightful insights. They may frustrate, amuse, or annoy others, and are sometimes blissfully unaware of their impact. They may create works of beauty and share them with the world or keep them private.  They may question the meaning of their lives and life in general. Though this series of characteristics is in no way complete, it may provide some of you with an AHA! moment, or two…or three... Perhaps many of these characteristics describe you. What now?

Above all, know that you are not alone. Webinars, articles, conferences (for example, WATG conferences, and SENG
Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted
​conferences offer information and networking opportunities. Following gifted education specialists’ blogs, especially those who deal with social and emotional issues, such as
Dr. Gail Post. or viewing videos and articles by Dr. Dan Peters, or Dr. Matt Zakrewski can be eye-opening, uplifting, and comforting. 


Know also, that being with others who share your own brand of “quirkiness” can be very validating. Many gifted adults share that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and that their family members, spouses, and friends are also “delightfully quirky.” There is a sense of camaraderie and safety with others who understand you. Celebrate it. Bask in it. Share it. Find comfort in it.

Finally, if the challenges of being a gifted adult seem overwhelming, it may be time to seek professional help. Please care for yourself so that you can optimize your potential, and care for others.

As we enter yet another difficult year, let’s help each other maximize our gifts and talents. This is important for both children and adults. Together we can do this.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

Jackie Drummer, Past President and Board Advisor
WATG


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The Gift of Awe

1/1/2022

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As we enter the new year, gifts have been exchanged and unwrapped. We’ve celebrated and enjoyed the holidays and are now settling in for the rest of a long Wisconsin winter. For some of us, this season brings a welcome time of quietude. For others, it is a difficult time of year. The festivities are over, the days are short, the nights are long, and our weather and the pandemic limit socializing. It is easy to become moody and introspective. Yet there are so many things to be thankful for, and one of the greatest of them is the gift of awe, a gift that can be enjoyed all year long.
 
Awe is defined as a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. Other words that describe this phenomenon are wonder, wonderment, amazement, astonishment, admiration, reverence, or veneration. Our youngest children best exemplify the joy that comes from experiencing awe. To see the world through a child’s eyes is to become young again. And yet, somewhere along the way, many of us lose our sense of awe and wonder.
 
Have you ever gotten goosebumps listening to spectacular pieces of music? Have you ever felt tears running down your cheeks while appreciating a sunrise or sunset? Have you ever smelled bread baking, or soup simmering, or caught a whiff of lavender, and found yourself flooded with awesome memories? Have you ever been awed by the beauty and precision of thought or language in someone’s writing or speech? Have you ever tasted that first swallow of ice-cold water when you’re parched? All these experiences fill us with astonishment and can leave us with a loss for words. This is AWE!
 
While thinking about awe (after being wonderfully awed by some splendid winter sunrises, sunsets, and celestial night skies), I serendipitously came across this article,
Awe Might Be Our Most Undervalued Emotion: Here's How to Help Children Find It
In this article, author Deborah Farmer Kris cites the research of Psychologist Dacher Keltner, the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Keltner has spent years studying the beneficial effects of awe on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. He states that, “Awe makes us curious rather than judgmental. It makes us collaborative. It makes us humble, sharing, and altruistic. It quiets the ego so that you’re not thinking about yourself as much.” 

 
These past two years have been extremely difficult for all of us. Many psychologists, psychiatrists, and educators have sounded the alarm about mental health issues in all of us, and particularly in children and adolescents. So, what are some things we can do? Promoting awe might be a very important key.
 
Though we might not be able to conjure up awe at will, it may find us -- if we are open to experience, and if we set aside time and place to allow it to work its magic. Keltner explains it like this, “How do you find awe? You slow things down. You allow for mystery and open questions rather than test-driven answers. You allow people to engage in the humanities of dance and visual art and music.”
 
Awe may foster other benefits as well. In another study of more than 400 high school adolescents, researchers found that “the more awe that students felt, the more curiosity they expressed and the better they performed at school.”  It seems possible then that awe, curiosity, and openness to experience promote performance. These seem to be gifts that keep on giving!
 
In yet another study,
​
Big Smile, Small Self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults
​
healthy older adults took weekly 15-minute outdoor walks for 8 weeks. Known as “awe walks,” this activity was intended to provide both exercise and a deliberate focus on awe. The findings… ”Compared with participants who took control walks, those who took awe walks experienced greater awe during their walks and exhibited an increasingly “small self” in their photographs (taken during their walks) over time. They reported greater joy and prosocial positive emotions during their walks and displayed increasing smile intensity over the study.” Again, awe provides a gift that keeps on giving.


If you are interested in this transcendent experience of awe, here is another article that may interest you: The Science of Awe from the John Templeton Foundation. Truly awe is emerging as one of the most profound human brain experiences, and since many gifted individuals report that they often experience heightened levels of emotional sensitivity, the research on awe is especially thought-provoking.
 
Though much of the research on awe and wonder centers on the natural world, Keltner also makes the case for experiencing a sense of awe and wonder at the goodness of others. He cites the words of Fred Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me: ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Awe is finding goodness emerging in scary situations; it is that astonishment at the kindness and helpfulness and courage of people facing horrific events. Keltner says, “It’s kindness and courage. We have this capacity to be moved by other people.”  Indeed, we do, and we need to share this awe with others.
 
This research gave me much to think about; I hope it does the same for you. As a parting thought, may I suggest that you pair your awe with a sense of gratitude?  Find time every day to count your blessings and your moments of awe; savor them and allow them to enrich your life.
 
Happy New Year!
 
Jackie Drummer, Past President and 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 be found in our website blogs.)






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    Gifted in Perspective

    A column designed to link the gifted perspective to other perspectives, and to make you think.
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    Jackie Drummer Past WATG President, SENG Certified Trainer

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