Tag Archives: Emotions

Whispers of Melancholy at the Window

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Two weeks ago I broke my big toe and badly bruised my other foot. I wasn’t doing anything remarkable. I simply missed the bottom step while carrying down some ‘donations’ from our clean up. The pain was incredible and I earned myself a trip to hospital and three days of lying on the couch with my feet up.

A few weeks earlier, I had tripped while crossing the road and skinned my knee. A warning sign that I was overdoing it. This time the message was more insistent.

The ‘thought’ of time to catch up on some reading and some shows on Netflix was appealing. I did something I rarely do – I cancelled my University classes and gave my body permission to rest.

It was hard, really hard.

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Supporting Sensitive Individuals

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Since returning from the Off the Charts Gifted Education Symposium in Auckland, Mother Comforting Teenage Daughter Sitting On Sofa At HomeNew Zealand, I have been acutely aware of the difficulties faced by sensitive gifted children in the classroom.

Take these three examples…

1.     When I asked to speak to staff about the innate qualities of gifted individuals,  I was referred to the curriculum coordinator to ensure we differentiate curriculum for our top achievers.

2.     Hearing the concerns of the mother of a sensitive eight-year boy who doesn’t want to go to school because of emotional bullying he encounters daily.

3.     Applying for a select entry acceleration program for my daughter, when I am uncomfortable with the test focused selection process for these schools.

All of these situations clearly highlight the lack of awareness of the complexity of giftedness, especially for creative and emotionally gifted young people.

Let’s unpack three issues highlighted in these examples.

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