Emphasizing academics alongside social and emotional awareness in the gifted classroom

A False Dichotomy

Do you remember The Nutty Professor?

Not the 1996 Eddie Murphy version, I mean the original 1963 Jerry Lewis classic. It’s pretty funny to watch a master of comedy at work in his prime, but more importantly I think the movie paints a really interesting caricature of the stereotypical gifted versus non-gifted student.

In case you missed it, the movie is about a nerdy chemistry professor (with no social/emotional development) who concocts a potion that turns him into the suave Buddy Love (who has no intellectual development).

You see this stereotype time and time again in books, on TV, and at the movies. Characters can either possess intelligence OR social/emotional skills, but not both.

I think this is a false dichotomy.

It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Our students can excel both intellectually and socially!

Jennifer Miller echoed these sentiments on the Huffington Post Blog in April. Ms. Miller is author and illustrator of the blog, Confident Parents, Confident Kids and serves as an expert contributor to NBC Universal’s Parent Toolkit.

In her article “The Power of Parenting with Social and Emotional Learning”, Ms. Miller says:

“Fortunately we don’t have to make the choice between teaching social and emotional skills and academic performance. In fact, one relies upon the other, just as the head needs the heart. Essential life skills serve as a foundation for academic achievement whether we define it as grade point averages, results from high stakes tests or other measures of performance. And many schools are not only making that connection but also implementing research based curricula that teach social and emotional learning alongside academic content.” (emphasis added)

Ms. Miller hits the nail right on the head. As gifted teachers, you do not have to choose between teaching social/emotional development and academic achievement for your students.

In this 1-hour course “Integrating Social & Emotional Awareness into Your Classroom”, respected teacher and trainer, Ian Byrd compares gifted students to superheroes rather than The Nutty Professor.

The core message is the same though; gifted students aren’t just robots with an upgraded processor, they are complex individuals who need more than just head knowledge.

Mr. Byrd grew up as a gifted student in Garden Grove, California and then returned there as a teacher in a G/T classroom. He has a degree in Computer Science, but gifted education is his passion. Today, he’s become a resource for other teachers through his blog, www.byrdseed.com and as an emerging speaker and trainer across the United States.

I wrote about Mr. Byrd’s course in a blog post last year (click here to read the original post). But when I saw Ms. Miller’s article on the Huffington Post, I decided the topic was important enough to warrant a second look.

Where does the Nutty Professor Stereotype come from?

Mr. Byrd emphasizes that, “gifted students exhibit wide discrepancies in their development.”

While intelligence increases at a rapid rate, other areas like fine motor skills and emotional coping can develop at a much slower rate. That’s how so many gifted students have ended up in the “nerdy” stereotype.

In generations past, educators were not prepared to properly integrate social and emotional awareness in the classroom. So, we ended up with some really smart people who lacked a strong social skill set.

Use a student’s  strength to help them understand their weakness

Mr. Byrd embodies the type of gifted student we aspire to graduate from our G/T programs. Having walked through the process personally, he encourages teachers to use a gifted student’s (intellectual) strength to help them understand their (social/emotional) weaknesses.

“Explain that intense feelings are normal for gifted children. Help them to use their intellect to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance.”

Lesley Kay Sword, Director of Gifted and creative Service Australia

In this course, Mr. Byrd also explores:

• Sensitivities
• Overexcitabilities
• The importance of a mentor
• Imposter syndrome

I’m grateful for all the G/T students who are breaking through The Nutty Professor stereotype. I am also grateful for the teachers in G/T classrooms around the country who’ve made integrating social and emotional awareness into their curriculum a priority.

As Ms. Miller states, the how is less important than just the fact that you’re doing it:

“Though there may be a widely diverse range of ways to teach these life skills at home and at school and in between, the important step is to get started in any way…”

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