Originally Posted by indigo
ETA: Possibly I've found the answer to the question I asked at the top of this post, seeking a source for your statement regarding reserving praise for truly effort-based accomplishments:
Originally Posted by mindset book, page 179
So what should we say when children complete a task - say, math problems - quickly and perfectly? Should we deny them the praise they have earned? Yes. When this happens, I say, "Whoops. I guess that was too easy. I apologize for wasting your time. Let's do something you can really learn from!"
IMO this may be a great way to open doors to help a child get access to appropriate curriculum and pacing, while also ensuring that a child doing advanced work is receiving grades which reflect the advanced work they are doing. (See old posts on differentiated task demands and redo policies which may in some cases penalize advanced students.)

Hi Indigo - yes that works as a source for me. Also some similar comments I've seen in interviews with her. I'll be honest and say that her position here simply offends me. Why on earth deny a child "praise they have earned" (her words)? It seems cruel to me. Couldn't we at least say "too easy FOR YOU" so the child can feel positive about her abilities?

Let's play it out in a realistic classroom setting: Gifted student is an outlier who often feels disconnected. Class is given a math worksheet. Gifted student completes the worksheet quickly and hands it in. No praise. Instead, "Whoops, I guess that was too easy. . . . Let's do something you can really learn from!" Gifted child returns to desk (maybe with a harder worksheet, but probably not). Five minutes later, Child 2 turns in the worksheet with only a couple errors. Teacher applauds child - "Wow, great effort! I can tell you really studied last night! You see - I told you you could do it!" Child 2 is glowing. Gifted child is now ANGRY and feels even more isolated and defensive. Gifted child makes a smart-ass remark to teacher 10 minutes later and gets sent to the office.

Gifted child is not developing a growth mindset. Gifted child is only learning that her abilities should be suppressed so she can get some praise, too, sometimes. Child 2 is probably developing a growth mindset - but at the expense of the gifted child. "Teacher praised ME, not HER. And she thinks she's so smart ...."

My point is this - having an ability is a good and valuable thing. But in any real world application (other than one on one tutoring), the message to a gifted child is that her ability is NOT good and valuable. ALL the kids HEAR this stuff. They learn from it. And what they are learning is that the gifted child's abilities are not valuable; the gifted child is weird and unworthy of praise.

I don't disagree with Dweck's theory in principal. I constantly try to apply it in my one on one time with DS. I want him to learn that trying hard, to do ever harder things, is not only good - it's where the fun is. Even when you haven't gotten it yet! It's where all the excitement starts.

But, application of Dweck's ideas in a classroom setting is inherently demeaning to gifted children, and degrading to their gifts. It hurts my insides to think how a gifted child ends up feeling in the above scenario. And, I just don't see any way around it other than a purely differentiated curriculum. And we all know that is not feasible.

So anyway, that's what bugs me about her mindset stuff. Honestly, I feel queasy imagining this scenario playing out, day after day. The damage it does to a little kid who just wants to hear nice words from Teacher, just like everybody else.