Our featured guest tonight was Jade Ann Rivera (@jadeannrivera), an innovative educator who has worked extensively with neurodiverse children. A gifted woman herself, Jade brings a quiet confidence to the individualized environments she creates for her students. Jade's article The Twice Exceptional Child and Impostor Syndrome is well worth the read.
A1)In broad strokes, Impostor syndrome is the inability to take in one’s achievements as real and deserved #ohiogtchat
— Jade Rivera (@jadeannrivera) March 7, 2016
@HeatherCachat Totally. Have you ever wondered if it's tied up in imaginational OE somehow? #ohiogtchat
— Jade Rivera (@jadeannrivera) March 7, 2016
Many gifted children experience feeling outside the norm, whether it is being able to read before anyone else, or figuring answers faster than others, or feeling the intensity of emotions that other kids don't seem to experience. Because of this, Douglas Eby, M.A./Psychology states, "Many talented and creative people experience impostor or fraud feelings and beliefs about themselves, despite their accomplishments."
From an educator's perspective, we will often see a high degree of perfectionism expressed.
@jeff_shoemaker If you do everything perfect, no one will find out you're a fraud, yk? #ohiogtchat
— Jade Rivera (@jadeannrivera) March 7, 2016
Hence the hand in hand relationship! #ohiogtchat It's a frustrating circular internal conflict! https://t.co/WLw8x0CdLT
— Heather Cachat (@HeatherCachat) March 7, 2016
Watching our feedback is primary. Giving students specific positive feedback worded in a way that shows the work they did was meaningful.
#ohiogtchat A4. be genuine with students. They can tell when you are being fake
— Jeff Shoemaker M.Ed (@jeff_shoemaker) March 7, 2016
A3)The Gutsy Girl: A Modern Manifesto for Bravery, Perseverance, and Breaking the Tyranny of Perfection https://t.co/dYsVhNg6k2 #ohiogtchat
— Jade Rivera (@jadeannrivera) March 7, 2016
Discuss stereotypes and people who have broken the norm. Seeing how someone else was able to do it gives students confidence and shows them that they are not frauds.
A5 I hear my students talking a lot about what careers they want and why careers are male/female jobs. #ohiogtchat
— Jeff Shoemaker M.Ed (@jeff_shoemaker) March 7, 2016
A4) As corny as 'step' articles can be sometimes, this one I like the simplicity. 8 Practical Steps https://t.co/akkT6HHcdH #ohiogtchat
— Heather Cachat (@HeatherCachat) March 7, 2016
Finding ways to counteract this type of behavior in our gifted students will help promote a healthy self image and positive emotional growth.
I hope you have found this article helpful. Please join us for the next #ohiogtchat March 20 when we discuss identity formation in gifted children.
See a complete transcript of this chat at: https://storify.com/mrjshoemaker/mar-6-imposter-syndrome.
Warm regards,
Heather