Maximizing Learning Potential: Lack of Confidence

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Lack of Confidence

If you are reading this and you know Haley, PLEASE help me out! Our biggest challenge right now is getting her to gain confidence in ALL areas. She doesn't believe she is "good" at anything and fails to try.

For instance, softball!! She did AWESOME at the first two games. . .she even hit two doubles! Somewhere along the way to the fourth game (this morning), she got it into her head that she couldn't hit. She struck out four times (out of 4 times up to bat) in today's game.

Another instance: soccer!! She played on a 6 and under team this past spring (even though she was 7, she technically could still play there since her birthday fell after August 1st). So. . . she was the oldest kid out there, but didn't give it her all. The entire season, she poked around out on the field and didn't try her best. However, before the very last game of the season, Coach Greg said he would give the first slice of pizza to the player that scored the most goals. All of a sudden it was a contest she was going to win!!! That girl scored 7 goals (because John scored 6 and she was bound and determined to beat him)!! Obviously, she has the skills to be a great soccer player, just not the confidence!

It's so frustrating because she doesn't think she's any good at math (even though she's almost finished with Algebra I at age 7)!! . . . and cries when she misses problems. I have tried explaining to her dozens of times that I don't WANT her to get all the problems correct. She would have nothing to learn if she knew everything already.

Please give me advice!! I'm willing to try anything.

2 comments:

RachelJune 29, 2009 at 2:46 PM
I have a few thoughts. Give me a call when you get a chance and we can chat.
ReplyDelete
Replies
RebeccaJune 30, 2009 at 8:39 PM
Heather,

From you wise Aunt....YOU'RE PUSHING TOO HARD! Don't make it so important to you. Even though it's hard, just pretend it's no big thing. Act more casual about things. Give it a try, it might work.

JoJo
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Is it a Cheetah?

When we think of cheetahs we are likely to think first of their speed. It's flashy. It is impressive. It's unique. If a cheetah is confined to a 10 X 12 foot cage, though it may pace or fling itself against the bars in restless frustration, it won't run 70 mph.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah has only 20 mph rabbits to chase for food, it won't run 70 mph while hunting.

A school system that defines giftedness (or talent) as behavior, achievement and performance is as compromised in its ability to recognize its highly gifted students and to give them what they need as a zoo would be to recognize and provide for its cheetahs if it looked only for speed.

However, schools are to extraordinarily intelligent children what zoos are to cheetahs. Many schools provide a 10 x 12 foot cage, giving the unusual mind no room to get up to speed. Many highly gifted children sit in the classroom the way big cats sit in their cages, dull-eyed and silent. Some, unable to resist the urge from inside even though they can't exercise it, pace the bars, snarl and lash out at their keepers, or throw themselves against the bars until they do themselves damage.
In some schools brilliant children are asked to do what they were never designed to do while the attributes that are a natural aspect of unusual mental capacity -- intensity, passion, high energy, independence, moral reasoning, curiosity, humor, unusual interests and insistence on truth and accuracy -- are considered problems that need fixing.

Exerpts from Stephanie S. Tolan ©1996

Work Samples

Manatees (unedited)
By Haley
05/14/09

Manatees are very different than other animals. Manatees are aquatic mammals. They are also endangered. Manatees live in warm waters. They are very slow. Manatees are related to elephants. Manatees never hurt any other animal.

Manatees are funny looking creatures. Manatees are a grey- brown color. They are known as sea cows. A baby manatee weighs about 60 pounds. A grown manatee weighs about 1000 pounds. Sharp propellers from motor boats scar the manatees back.

Manatees have to lots of things after they have a baby. A mother manatee always stays near her calf. Manatees always teach there calf which plants are safe to eat. Manatees usally have one baby at a time every three years. The first thing a baby manatee does after it gets born it rises to the surface to breath. Last, a female manatee becomes an adult when it is five.

Manatees were used in lots of different ways. Its skin was burned as fuel. Also its bones where used as medican and jewelry. Its skin was made into shoes. Manatees fed many people.

Manatees are endangered animals. People need to protect them and not hurt them so they don’t dye out!