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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
by Turtle Shell
"Look at this, this brilliant kid
Made a masterwork, our genius did."
A perfect grade, brings pride galore.
You hunger now, you want some more.
An endless mission, bring home the A's
To hear you're smart, the greatest praise.
"But wait, what's this, did you get a B?
Sit down, let's talk, I want you to see
A B isn't terrible, this imperfect letter
I think we both know though, that you can do better."
So that's how it is, those words that now weighed
Only dullards could be content, with an imperfect grade.
Do or do not, there is no "try"
Become risk-averse, become failure-shy!
The easiest path, is the only one to take
Be careful, do it right, never risk a mistake!
A mistake's an indictment, a proof of stupidity
But you NEED to be smart, an ego's cupidity.
Studies have shown, that when praising a child
Praising mere talent, only leaves them beguiled.
Being proud of what they are, but not how they act
Encourages stagnation, is motivationally cracked.
"You're so smart" sounds nice, but it's such a dangerous phrase
One message to avoid, among the hundred ways to praise.
"Look at this, this brilliant kid
Made a masterwork, our genius did."
A perfect grade, brings pride galore.
You hunger now, you want some more.
An endless mission, bring home the A's
To hear you're smart, the greatest praise.
"But wait, what's this, did you get a B?
Sit down, let's talk, I want you to see
A B isn't terrible, this imperfect letter
I think we both know though, that you can do better."
So that's how it is, those words that now weighed
Only dullards could be content, with an imperfect grade.
Do or do not, there is no "try"
Become risk-averse, become failure-shy!
The easiest path, is the only one to take
Be careful, do it right, never risk a mistake!
A mistake's an indictment, a proof of stupidity
But you NEED to be smart, an ego's cupidity.
Studies have shown, that when praising a child
Praising mere talent, only leaves them beguiled.
Being proud of what they are, but not how they act
Encourages stagnation, is motivationally cracked.
"You're so smart" sounds nice, but it's such a dangerous phrase
One message to avoid, among the hundred ways to praise.
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2 comments:
Needing to be brief and not wanting to over-complicate the message, I intentionally left out the other half of the study I mentioned. Don't compliment kids for their intelligence, DO compliment kids for working hard. Reward what's important, what they can intentionally do more of, not the things that they can't change. That's what praise is, a reward. It motivates. Try to be conscious of what behavior you're motivating.
For more on this topic, see:
http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/
or gooogle "don't tell kids they're smart"
*goooooooooooogle
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