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Underachievement and the Quest for Dignity. James R. Delisle, Ph.D , President Growing Good Kids, Inc. North Myrtle Beach, SC jim.delisle@yahoo.com. The Reasons We Care. Elizabeth Jalil Jason. Who are your Junkyard Wonders?.
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Underachievement and the Quest for Dignity James R. Delisle, Ph.D, President Growing Good Kids, Inc. North Myrtle Beach, SC jim.delisle@yahoo.com
The Reasons We Care Elizabeth Jalil Jason
I have seen flowers come in stony places; and kindness done by men with ugly faces; and the gold cup won by the worst horse at the races; So I trust, too. --John Masefield
Underachievement is like a . . . • Skin rash: the symptoms may look the same, but the underlying causes may be very different • An onion: no matter how many layers you peel aside, there seem to be more underneath • Labyrinth: there are many paths to go down for success, but many lead to dead ends
Remember: Underachievement is . . . • A behavior, NOT an attitude • A perception, NOT an absolute • Content or situation specific, NOT pervasive • Tied in with a need for dignity, NOT power
Selective Consumer vs. Underachiever Selective consumerUnderachiever *independent, proactive *dependent, reactive *tends to rebel*tends to withdraw *teachers = adversaries *teachers = supporters *requires little structure*needs structure & limits *performance varies by*uniform low performance teacher *school resources are*family intervention often usually sufficient tonecessary resolve issues *may change “overnight “ *improvement is long- term *seldom perfectionistic*often perfectionistic *sees self as*sees self as “dumb” academically able From: Delisle and Galbraith, 2015, “When gifted kids don’t have all the answers”
Promote self-advocacy. Self-advocacy is the process of recognizing and meeting the needs specific to your learning ability without compromising the dignity of yourself or others. --Deb Douglas www.gtcarpediem.com
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE Supportive strategies • 1. eliminate work already mastered • 2. allow independent exploration of topics of personal interest • 3. design a non-authoritarian classroom atmosphere • 4. Provide multiple methods of ‘showing what you know’
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE Intrinsic Strategies • 1. set class rules together • 2. assign specific responsibilities for classroom management and maintenance • 3. listen reflectively to students’ concerns • 4. allow students to set personal goals and ways to reach them
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE Remedial strategies • 1. provide private instruction in areas of weakness • 2. use humor and personal examples to approach areas of academic weakness • 3. familiarize students with learning styles research and its application to their own lives
My First Year As A TeacherEdited by Pearl Rock KaneTeachers CollegeColumbia UniversityPublished by Signet
Is it important to know math well in order to be a great math teacher, to know science deeply in order to be a great science teacher, to have a passion for music in order to be a great orchestra teacher? I absolutely think so! But I have no evidence it’s enough. I think a great teacher constructs durable and trustworthy bridges between herself and her students (often using subject matter as part of the construction material) then issues the irresistible invitation:
“Come see this magic world I love. I care for you so much that I must share it with you.”
The Reasons We Care Elizabeth Jacob Jason
Fall Leaves I see a leaf It is yellow with red and orange mixed in My mind says : The yellow is caused by the oxidation of leftover sugars The red and orange are caused by the emergence of recessive pigments. I see a leaf It is yellow with red and orange mixed in My heart says: The yellow is a bit of leftover sun from summer The red and orange is the leaf spiraling down the lower spectrum as it is going to sleep. I see a leaf. Robert, age 11
