AuthorPam McDonald has been involved in Gifted Education since 1988. Her Masters Degree in Gifted Education is from The University of St. Thomas where she focused on early childhood gifted learners. She has been a classroom teacher, GT teacher, GT District Coordinator, Workshop and Conference Presenter, as well as a SENG Facilitator. She is also the parent of four gifted daughters and eleven grandchildren. ArchivesCategories |
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Many gifted children strive to be perfect.... in their school work, in their relationships, and in their life as a whole. Most of us have heard that being a perfectionist is a bad thing, especially as it relates to gifted kids and their abilities to be successful in life. I recently read an article by James Bishop in NAGC that pushed my thinking on this. Perfectionism, the striving for achievement or production that is without flaw or error is only a psychological disorder when it is pathological. That means when the seeking of "perfect" involves significant impairments in personal and interpersonal functioning. A person can seek to be perfect which remaining quite successful and healthy.
One would certainly want their doctor to aim for perfection in the operating or exam room. My husband, as a dispatcher for a major airline, strives for perfection in al the flights he interacts with daily. As a frequent passenger on this major airline, I would expect nothing less when it came to my safety in traveling. Healthy perfection seekers set high standards for themselves but understand the reality in the work they are doing. A third grade student may strive for 100% on all math tests, but understands that 100% may not be attainable in all concepts that one learns in math. Striving for excellence is a habit just as accepting one's errors along the way. Parents can best support perfectionistic students by modeling mistakes as teaching tools on the road to excellence. Aiming for perfection is always a good thing.
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