Learning Important Life Lessons

This week, the students had a chance to try the same problem a second time.   We usually do not have time to do this, but I wanted the students to recognize that they learn from their experiences and have the ability to improve with practice.  You would think they would know this and, in most situations, they do but most gifted children are not used to struggling or failing at a task.  When they face a new and very challenging problem they can't master on the first or second try, they want to quit.  They appear to only want to do tasks or activities where they are successful.  In reality, they are doubting their ability to overcome the obstacles.  They are afraid they can't or won't be successful.  They just haven't had enough experience with struggling, feeling frustrated and failing. This is where I see our children as "developmentally delayed." They are learning (hopefully) a crucial lesson other children learn between the ages of 3-5 years old.

For bright children, learning to be a "risk taker" and learning perseverance takes more than just practice.  They also need encouragement and support as they build their confidence and recognize they can find success on a task at which they once failed.  For most students, they need an opportunity to build success with increasingly more complicated challenges.  In the child's eyes, the more important the task- the more difficult it will be for him or her to accept the learning curve necessary for mastery.

 
In the computer lab, the boys and girls were introduced to using Microsoft Word.  This week, they learned to open a new document, save it in their SAGE- shared drive file, and to format their text for size, style, color, bold, Italics and underlining.  They also learned to justify their text left, right and center.  

After lunch, the students had their first Spanish lesson with Senora Gates.  Each child had an opportunity to select a Spanish name.  Today they practiced greetings and how to introduce themselves.  We will have a 30 minute Spanish lesson each week.

This week, as a part of our Affective Studies unit, we read The Popcorn Dragon, by Jane Thayer.  
Dexter was ordinarily a well-behaved young dragon.  You could hardly blame him for showing off when he suddenly found that he could make clouds of smoke. The temptation is irresistible, but Dexter's bragging quickly becomes a problem.  First he watches his own reflection in the river in order to admire the smoke. Then he puffs it in the faces of his friends: the zebra, the giraffe, and the elephant. He even blows smoke rings around his own tail to prove how clever he is.

Soon Dexter has no friends left. He is a very lonely dragon indeed, until quite by accident he discovers a way his talent can be used to win back his playmates.


We had a great class discussion about bragging and how it is perceived by others.  Then a few students acted out a situation where they were bragging in front of their peers.  We discussed why we might want to share our accomplishments and the difference between bragging and showing our pride.  The students wrote about their feels and observations as the group witnessing our actors bragging.



We learned

Pride” comes with an extra responsibility-

You need to think about the feelings of others.

When you accomplish something and you want to tell others about it, consider “why” you want to share it, -especially with people beyond your immediate family.

•Is it to get others to pay more attention to you?

•Or do you honestly just want to share the news?

•Is the person you are telling someone you are sure will share your pride?

The students then made a list of the people that care about them and would be interested in celebrating their accomplishments with them.  This is another important lesson that can be difficult for young children to learn, but with support and practice, they will get there.

Have a great week!