Moving Past Perfectionism and Procrastination: Helping Students Overcome these Traits like Superheroes
Lori Comalie-Caplan Gives Parents and Teachers a Clear Path to Defeating These Twin Villains
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Teen superhero, Peter Parker, learns this very important truth in his double life as Spiderman. Flying above the city, fighting evil, and using his “Spidey-Sense” comes with a cost.
Every superhero has a personal battle to fight.
Gifted and talented students, with their super brain powers, often discover perfectionism and procrastination are their personal nemeses. Left to their own devices, these “evil twins” leave a path of anxiety, doubt, and inaction.
Parents and teachers: never fear! We can teach students to fly past these twin challenges like superheroes!
In this 1-hour course, “Moving Past Perfectionism,” Lori Comalie-Caplan shows parents and teachers of G/T students the signs that students are struggling with perfectionism, and provides straightforward interventions for both perfectionism and procrastination.
Through this course, you’ll learn:
- The definition of perfectionism
- A picture of the costs of perfectionism
- A contrast between striving for excellence (healthy) and perfectionism (unhealthy)
- Interventions for perfectionism
- Interventions for procrastination
Lori Comallie-Caplan is a New Mexico Licensed Master Social Worker, a Licensed Educational Diagnostician with a Masters Degree in Psychological Counseling. She is best known for her work with gifted individuals and frequently provides professional development for school districts and mental health professionals in the social emotional needs of the gifted.
Perfectionism is not Pretty
Ms. Comalie-Caplan states, “There is no such thing as a healthy perfectionist.” Perfectionists see their only options as either perfection or failure. There is no in-between.
The personal costs of this kind of thinking are great. Anxiety, fear, and chronic procrastination are just a few of the side-effects of perfectionism. Ms. Comalie-Caplan explains why G/T students are particularly susceptible.
Other costs of perfectionism include:
- Isolation
- Obsessive or compulsive behaviors
- Frustration and anger with self and others
- Depression
The Antidote to Perfectionism!
Teaching students a healthy way to strive for excellence is the antidote to perfectionistic thinking. Ms. Comalie-Caplan shows the striking contrast between the two:
Perfectionism is…
- only about the product
- fear
- control and pressure
Striving for excellence is…
- all about the journey
- healthy risk
- confidence
Parents of gifted students must help their students have a healthy view of their work and set limits. Teachers can help by recognizing the signs that a student is struggling with perfectionism and then communicating with parents. Teamwork between parents and teachers is the key to vanquishing the perfectionism beast!
Procrastination to the Rescue?
Procrastination becomes the coping mechanism for many G/T students struggling with perfectionism.
If a task seems overwhelming or perfection unattainable, it’s easier to push the task off. Parents of gifted students see this unhealthy cycle at home resulting in power struggles, arguments, and meltdowns.
Teachers need to be made aware of these struggles. Parents and teachers of gifted students need a healthy arsenal of strategies to help their students. Ms. Comalie-Caplan discusses many suggestions, including:
- Effective reward and grading systems
- Breaking down tasks and helping students with planning
- Setting realistic goals and expectations
Don’t procrastinate!
Start helping your G/T students with Ms. Comalie-Caplan’s practical strategies in “Moving Past Perfectionism!”
Delivering Quality Training – No Matter Where You Are
Did you know that this course is mobile ready? That means you can complete the course on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any other mobile device!
Photos courtesy of Flickr via JD Hancock, symphony of love, Michael Bentley
