Creating a Positive Social Environment

A positive classroom environment is fundamental to being able to reach all the unique learners in the classroom. With students that are gifted and talented, it is not only optimal to have a welcoming classroom environment but an academically positive social environment as well. Gifted students are highly engaged and motivated surrounding their areas of talent. Because of this, they can spend inordinate amounts of time perfecting them. However, many gifted students are underachievers and unwilling to engage in their academic talent for fear of social stigma (Anderson & Cross, 2014).

"Gifted students encounter mixed messages in different contexts and often must decide between achievement and social acceptance. In the typical American high school, passion about academics is viewed as socially unacceptable or stigmatizing. High-ability students desire popularity and social acceptance just as other children do. However, most gifted children feel different from their nongifted peers, and some of those who feel different engage in social-coping strategies to manage their identities at school and feel less different. Some of the most common strategies are to hide their abilities or to misidentify (Anderson & Cross, 2014, p.1).

In a study done in Singapore, it was found that support from parents, teachers, and peers influenced students' academic achievement by mediating three behavioral and psychological variables: strategies use, academic engagement, and academic self-efficacy. Specifically, peers’ support was the most frequently cited influencer on students’ academic achievement (Wang & Neirhart, 2015).

In the school setting, most students just want to be seen as normal. When a student is gifted, they could feel that they are considered not normal by their peers. The worst thing that can happen is for a classroom environment to foster the social belief that being gifted is abnormal and weird. This could cause the gifted students to hide their gifts. It is important to find ways for gifted students to connect with their peers while embracing their giftedness. Every student is unique and possesses qualities that make them not fit the mold. A classroom environment that embraces uniqueness and the unique qualities of every student lends itself to a positive social environment for all students.

References

Andersen, L., & Cross, T. L. (2014). Are students with high ability in math more motivated in

math and science than other students? Roeper Review, 36(4), 221. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1617226141?accountid=12085

Wang, C. W., M.Ed, & Neihart, M., PsyD. (2015). How do supports from parents, teachers, and

peers influence academic achievement of twice-exceptional students. Gifted Child Today, 38(3), 148-159. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1177/1076217515583742