In a recent conversation with a retired teacher, I mentioned that first graders in our local elementary school are given a Gifted and Talented assessment exam at the end of the year, and if they score high enough, they get pulled out of class intermittently starting in second grade for an enrichment program.
“All kids should be treated and taught as if they’re gifted and talented,” she sniffed.
True, but anyone who has spent time in a public school classroom also knows full well that kids learn at varying paces. Some first graders might read at a fourth-grade level, while perhaps they have classmates who can barely eke out a book meant for kindergarteners. Teaching them as if they’re equal might be ideal, but inevitably it also means some will get discouraged when they can’t keep up, while others will likely get bored if the material isn’t challenging enough.
Still, there’s something to be said for pushing all kids a bit beyond their comfort zone, no matter where it lies. There comes a time when most kids should be told to “do well” on something, not just “try your best” and “have fun.”
A group of 7 to 12-year-olds in Louisville have a teacher who believes in the importance of letting them know the pressure is on to succeed.
“I tell them that when you’re presenting something to the public, you don’t want it to be okay — you want it to be great,” Diane Downs, leader of the Lousiville Leopard Percussionists, told NPR. “So hopefully they’re going to carry that over into their lives once they grow up, too.”
The Louisville percussionists group is a nonprofit that serves local kids for free or for a small fee by honing their jazz, classical, and pop skills after school and on weekends. Downs said she wants “them to feel like rock stars. I want them to realize, ‘Oh, this is why we work so hard in rehearsal.'”
Sure, there’s plenty of value in just finishing. Any amateur who has run a marathon will tell you that reaching the finish line was glorious, even if they were in last place. But ask the same runner how it feels to have some competition come in after them and they’ll probably say it feels even better. The reality is that when children grow up, having a little fire in their belly is a healthy thing. Competition doesn’t have to be cut-throat, but learning to care about the outcome with the right blend of graciousness and spirit is just as important, if not more so, than simply trying hard and having fun.
While young kids probably need praise heaped on them as a form of encouragement at the beginning of their academic paths, there is a limit to how much is OK. Trophies for all soccer players who participate, not just the winners, might inspire less successful players to try again next season. A certificate of merit for reading a certain number of books, no matter the books, might boost the reading frequency of those most in need of practice.
Ultimately, though, while enjoying yourself and trying hard are fabulous, children should learn that doing well — and doing great, not just OK — feels a whole lot better.
The Louisville Leopard Percussionists certainly learned that their hard work is paying off as the groups of players whose instruments include the marimbas, congas, xylophones, drums, and vibes, recently attracted the attention of famed Led Zeppelin rocker Jimmy Page.
“Too good not to share,” Page wrote in late February on his Facebook page of a viral video of the group playing “Kasmir.”