Creative Think: Flex Your Risk Muscle

In Roger von Oech’s post today, Creative Think: Flex Your Risk Muscle he tosses out a topic that I have been thinking about a lot lately.  “Bull’s-eye every time? If so, you’re standing too close to the target. If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative. Everyone has a “risk muscle.” You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don’t, it atrophies and you’re no longer able to take chances.” 

When we went in for a conference with my second-grade son’s teacher, she showed us his reading report for the quarter.  He had scored all points possible on almost every test.  She then said that she would rather see a few more 60s and 70s, because then she would know he was challenging himself with the kinds of books he was reading.  At that point, I became an even bigger fan of a teacher I already liked. 

I have said many times this year that I think GPA is the enemy of the gifted student.  They don’t risk taking the “hard” classes because it might lower their class rank, which in turn would hurt their scholarship chances.  I’m sure this isn’t the case everywhere, but I’m also sure it is fairly common in many schools.  It is the same reason that I am tempted to choose easier music for my choir, even though they won’t learn as much from it–it will sound better for a performance with less work for all involved.  The trouble is…this is cheating everyone. 

At a couple of different gifted workshops, presenters have mentioned the following adage: Steal their struggle and you steal their self-esteem. Our students will experience greater pride in their work if they know they have done work, instead of having a good performance handed to them on the “easy platter”.

I hope as I learn more about working with gifted students (and music students) that I don’t let my “risk muscles” atrophy, or allow my students’ to either.  Thanks, Roger for another great Whack!