Can you guess the age of the student who wrote this journal entry?

School is so difficult for a kid like me. I wish I were a grown-up NOW! (Because grown-ups are allowed to drive cars, which I like.) But, I’m lost in thought. How am I going to afford a car and a house? How am I? How am I? How am I? How am I going to get money? How am I going to get a job? It looks hopeless. Help me, help me, HELP ME! How am I going to pay my financial tax? AHA. Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ll let my mom and dad help me. The end.

Noah wrote this journal entry on his

first day of first grade.

An Overview of the Emotional Social

Needsof the

Gifted Childby Kim Adams, Lora Cannagieter, and

Dolleen Wiltgen

What are the social emotional needs of gifted

students?

Essential Question:

When a gifted children’s needs are NOT met, you will see them…

Resist doing work, or work in a sloppy, careless manner. Get frustrated with the pace of the class and what he perceives as

inactivity or lack of noticeable progress. Rebel against routine and predictability. Ask embarrassing questions; demands good reasons for why things

are done a certain way. Resist taking direction or orders. Daydream. Monopolize class discussions. Become bossy with his peers and teachers. Become intolerant of imperfection in himself and in others. Become super-sensitive to any form of criticism; cry easily. Refuse to conform. Resist cooperative learning. Act out or disturb others. Become the “class clown.” Become impatient when not called on to recite or respond; blurt out

answers without raising hand.

Don’t try to fix the child when you see these

behaviors.

Instead consider learning about how to meet the

child’ssocial emotional needs.

The Gifted Child Have Two Major Social Emotional Types of Influences

From Within•Highly perceptive•Highly involved• Perfectionistic•Super-Sensitive

From Without• Family •Peers•School •Society in

general

Bryan Wiltgen,the first grade“God Father”

“You’d better treat people

nice…or else!”

Social Emotional Strengths of Gifted Children

•Super-sensitive to environment- Dabrowski’s Theory: Overexcitability

(OE) is a marker of giftedness

•Natural leadership abilities

•Share their wealth of knowledge

•Higher level of thinking

•Passionate Interests

Social Emotional Challenges of Gifted Children

•Exhibits asynchronous development.

•Operates on higher levels of thinking than his age peers.

•Comes up with “better ways” for doing things.

•Is curious about many things .

•Is never satisfied with his/her success.

•Often perceived as having behavior, motivation, or attitude problems.

•Is very intense.

•Has a very high energy level

•Believes worth as a human being depends on being perfect.

•May suffer from “Imposter Syndrome”

•Gifted students have an advanced sense of justice, morality, and fairness.

Bryan Wiltgen’s

Intense Sense

of Justice

•Many gifted creative thinkers don’t do well in school. They get poor grades, refuse or forget to hand in work on time, and constantly argue for things to be done differently

•Gifted creative thinkers say what they think without regard for consequences.

•Gifted creative thinkers daydream often.

Social Emotional Challenges of the “Creatively” Gifted Children

Sudden changes in personality or behavior Severe depression that lasts a week or longer Concealed or direct suicide threats Talking about suicide, either jokingly or seriously Giving away prized possessions Self-imposed isolation from family and peers avoiding

all social occasions and invitations Self-imposed perfection as the ultimate standard, to

the point that only tasks enjoyed are the ones completed perfectly

A perception of failure that differs from others’ perceptions of failure

Symptoms of Gifted Students with SERIOUS Problems

External pressures to always be #1 and a life orientation that identifies one as “future leader” or a “mover and shaker of the next generation”

The frustration that comes when one’s intellectual talents outpace one’s social or physical development

The ability to understand adult situations and world events while feeling power-less to effect positive change

Narcissism (total preoccupation with self and with fantasy)

Unusual fascination with violence, or preoccupation with death and death-related themes

Indications of alcohol or other drug abuse, or an eating disorder

Any other rigidly compulsive behaviors—even excessive studying and running marathons (ask yourself, “Have I ever seen this kid relax?”)

Ways to Support the Gifted Students Emotional Social Development

•Use Questionnaires•Use Journaling

•Use Bibliotherapy•Schedule Weekly

Conferences•Use Growth Contracts

•Peer Alliances•Refer Students to

Counseling

What can I do as a teacher to help meet the social emotional needs of my gifted students?

Four Components to Consider Content – Continuous learning based on

pre-assessment Process – Methods to make sense of

content Product – Demonstration of

understanding Assessment – Documentation of mastery

Content• Provide a challenging

atmosphere . . . Differences are valued

• Focus on UNDERSTANDING more than information

• Provide flexible time limits• Change content focus to future

problems and challenges

Process• Provide open-ended questions•Allow them to gather information

for the sake of inquiry• Be open to their suggestions,

learning styles and interests.• Flexible grouping

• Minimal concrete experiences• Creative problem solving –

brainstorming• Avoid “Always do your best”

• Let them be curiousProduct

• Allow them to develop real-life products for audiences

• Let them become risk-takers – don’t always expect for their work

to be perfect.

Assessment• Allow students to demonstrate

mastery prior to being taught• Develop their own rubrics and other methods for assessment• Use “Goal Setting Log”

• Don’t punish for not reaching a specific goal

Don’t try to fix the child when you see these behaviors, instead consider fixing the curriculum!

More often than not, differentiation and compacting

can make a noticeably positive difference in gifted students’ behavior.

Work Cited Delisle, J. & Galbraith, J. When gifted kids

don’t have all the answers: How to meet their social and emotional needs. Free Spirit Publishing. (2002)

Winebrenner, S. Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom. Free Spirit Publishing. (2001)

Neihart, Maureen, Sally M. Reis, and Nancy M. Robinson. The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What do We Know?. Washington: Prufrock Press, Inc., 2002.