I'm sure most of you are familiar with the research that shows that telling children that they are smart or gifted can end up backfiring on them and that praising them for hard work is more motivating. The reasoning behind this is that if a child thinks that their success is due to being smart then they will fear trying again and possibly failing because then they won't be smart anymore. It makes sense and I believe it.
The problem is that I think educators are using this as a mantra and it is almost overused. My son's teachers are always telling him that he does well because he is such a hard worker. The funny thing is that my son really isn't a hard worker. I personally think that it appears he has worked hard because he makes 100s.
I've noticed that the teachers and counselor at this fairly progressive school are reluctant to say that a child is gifted. His current teacher did tell me that he is a 'bright' boy, but there was an odd tone to her voice when she said this like she didn't want to have to say it.
And my son is starting to see though the line. I told him that he is doing well in school because he is working hard and puts in a lot of effort. He told me that makes little sense because he sees students who work much harder, but still make poor grades. So much for being PC!
Last edited by connieculkins; 05/02/10 09:41 PM.
