Search Database

One of the most confounding issues I’ve dealt with as a teacher of gifted children and an administrator for gifted programs was finding practices that were successful for twice- exceptional (2e) students. Every time my colleagues and I found strategies that worked one day, they would often not work the next day. The category of 2e is so broad in terms of students’ ability and disability combinations that generalizing practices can be extremely difficult.

Recently, I’ve transitioned from my administrative role with the Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota to full-time educational consulting. Many of the schools I work with are high-poverty schools struggling with low student performance. During my observations of general education students in these schools, I have recognized many of the same limitations in learning that I saw in my 2e students. This has led me to believe that, beyond the ability/disability equation, there’s something both groups of students have in common.

The Role of Self-regulation in Learning

My current work with teachers has been focused on the ideas and theories of self-regulated learning. Dale Schunk of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and Barry Zimmerman of the City University of New York, define self-regulation this way:

The process by which learners personally activate and sustain cognition, emotions, and behaviors that are effective toward achieving goals (2012).

Based on my experience, it seems that learners’ skills and abilities do not fully explain student achievement, as in the case of 2e students. My suggestion is that 2e students may not have acquired and perfected the many strategies and techniques needed to perform tasks such as persevere, manage distractions, put effort forward, and persist at rudimentary tasks. Furthermore, like other students who struggle in school, many 2e students have not developed effective tools to work at a task that may seem meaningless. They don’t know how to stay focused on the task at hand or how to do this thing we call “school.”

Schools are a bastion of rules, structures, and order. For some gifted students, especially highly creative students, the rules are punishments for wanting to think or color outside the lines. For creative and gifted students, structures and order are meant to be challenged. Therefore, both non-2e and 2e students can benefit from learning effective tools for self-regulation.

A Four-phased Approach to Developing Self-regulation

Zimmerman and colleagues (1996, 1997) state that the development of self-regulation is a four-phased process, described below.

1. Modeling and Observing
   Students need to see others using self-regulation to manage thinking, feelings, and behaviors. For many gifted children this phase is usually short due to parents and others in their lives using effective strategies. However, in some cases, 2e students may need more time for this phase or additional models of strateDeveloping Self-Regulation of Learning with 2e Students gies for self-regulation. Over the course of this phase, teachers and parents should continue to verbalize what they are doing (behaviors), how they are doing it (thinking), and how they are feeling about it.
   
   
2. Copying and Doing
   In this phase the students are using the strategies exactly the way the models used them. A strategy is a conscious action, meaning: I know when to use a strategy and I’m aware that I’m using it. This phase should be intensely emphasized for 2e students. Whether we are teaching strategies in math, reading, science, or self-regulation, we need to constantly reinforce with 2e students the strategies that we use. We also should be checking in frequently with the students to find out what strategies they are using to solve problems, manage behaviors, stay on task, and so forth.
   
   Our job as teachers in this phase is to state out loud the strategies we use to self-regulate and have our kids copy these strategies. Then, we need to reinforce the strategies and request that students apply them as they have learned to do. Again, it may take longer for 2e students to grasp the strategies, but it’s important not to give up. Equally important is not overwhelming students with too many strategies. Give students time to perfect one or two strategies before moving on to others.
   
   
3. Practicing and Refining
   Once the students have amassed some strategies for self-regulation, we should then provide experiences where they are required to use them. Situations should be academic, affective in nature, and include behavioral management. In other words, we must put students in learning situations that include emotions and take some time to solve.<br?
   For example, when investigating the Pilgrims coming to the “new world,” ask kids to think about the following:
   • How people felt being crowded on the small boat for the eight months it took to cross the Atlantic Ocean
   • How it might feel to share a small space with people you don’t know very well for such a long time
   • How it was to be going from their home to a new uncharted place
   • How the Pilgrims’ experiences might be similar to experiences the students may have had when they felt like they were leaving a secure place and going to an unknown place
   • How students have learned to deal with people who are unlike themselves.

   Linking the curriculum to feelings and how we manage those feelings is a very effective way to have students practice and refine their self-regulation. As in the earlier phases, this one will require more time for the 2e student to become comfortable and autonomous with the strategies.

   
   </br?

4. Independence and Application
   At this point, students should be putting to use independently the strategies of self-regulation. Students who reach this phase have made the strategies a part of who they are and can apply them without being asked or coached. However, the students still need constant support and encouragement for their use of the strategies.
   
   A recommendation for this phase is to use reflection tools such as a journal, diary, or blog to document students’ personal learning development. We want to keep them focused on goals and what it takes to achieve those goals. “Effort is the key to success” (Dweck, 2006).

Steps for Achieving Greater Self-regulation

After studying much of the research and writings on self-regulation [See the sidebar to this article.] and what it takes to be successful, I’ve created four steps to help 2e students achieve greater levels of self-regulation.

1. Mobilize resources.
   Teach students to do the following:
   • Believe in themselves. Having a strong self-belief is the most powerful tool anyone can possess when building toward success.
   • Use the support of others. Tell students that your role as teacher is not one of authority, but rather of a partner in their learning and success. Also show how fellow classmates can be supportive and useful in areas where an individual child may not be strong. A student who is not the best at math may want to partner up in math class with a student who is strong and willing to give assistance. Knowing the strengths of others — including the adults around them — and accepting their help are wonderful life skills for students.
   • Use available materials. So many times in my classroom, I found that students did not know what materials were required on a daily basis or where to find materials when they needed them. I learned very early to repeat what tools were needed on a daily basis (pencil/pen, paper, text, notebook, etc.). If these were materials students didn’t bring to class, I told them where in the room to find them. This seemingly simple act of coming ready to learn is a huge barrier for unregulated learners.
   • Ask questions. Again, what seems like a simple idea is in fact an overwhelming struggle for many gifted and 2e students. Gifted students are reluctant to ask questions for fear of having their identity as gifted threatened. Asking questions is a powerful tool in learning and should be the expectation in the thinking classroom.
   • Advocate for themselves. Knowing that we need something and knowing how to go about asking for it can benefit all of us throughout life. For 2e learners who need more support, it’s essential that they feel secure in asking for what they need.
2. Remember that motivation is personal.
   We all have certain beliefs that drive us, whether positive or negative. Positive beliefs energize us. They are the things we are passionate about, the rewards that make us feel good, and the goals we set for ourselves. Our negative beliefs are what we fear, things that make us anxious, challenges that seem overwhelming, and our own feelings of limitation. We develop intrinsic motivation when we rely on positive beliefs and overcome negative beliefs.
   
   We must help 2e students identify what is positive about themselves and acknowledge what inhibits them. Our job then is to focus these students on the positive beliefs and set goals that have a meaningful reward when achieved. It’s important for all of us to know and recognize our negative beliefs so that when these beliefs creep in, we can override them. We can tell our students that when they are frustrated by not meeting a goal, they should focus more on what to do better next time, rather than focusing on why they failed to meet the goal.
   
   
3. Live a growth mindset.
   Dr. Carol Dweck (2006) wrote a remarkable book titled Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In this groundbreaking text she identifies two ways people perceive the world: through a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and talents are fixed traits that cannot be changed or enhanced. They measure their success or failure by the amount of intelligence and talent they believe they possess. Therefore, 2e students, who tend to fail more than they succeed, may begin to believe that success is not an option. A person with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believes that most skills and abilities can be learned. It follows, for them, that success or failure is due to how much effort they put forth and what strategies worked or didn’t work to accomplish a goal.
   
   Teachers can help kids develop a growth mindset by doing these things:
   • Provide accurate, descriptive, and constructive feedback that focuses the learner on specifics for improvement.
   • Praise effort, not ability. Say things like, “I’m impressed at the level of effort you put forth to achieve your goal.” Or, “Even though you didn’t achieve your goal, I can see you worked your Developing Self-regulation of Learning, continued hardest at it.” Or, “What might you change about the way you approached this task to ensure that you make your goal next time?”
   • Provide challenges and supports. So often the curriculum we provide to gifted students is underchallenging. As a result, they miss opportunities to develop the skills needed to achieve at high levels. Some 2e students are able to pass through lower-level curriculum without much struggle; but when they encounter more challenge, especially in middle school, the other exceptionality becomes apparent. When they reach this point, it’s important to scaffold the challenges with supports and encouragement.
4. Create a classroom of structure.
   Twice-exceptional students should be made aware that the structures in the classroom are intentional for their success. To develop structure, follow the rule of the “3Cs”:
   
   Be consistent. Tell students often that success, intellectual risk-taking, and collaboration are the expectations in the classroom. Discipline, praise, and support your students equally. Any lapses in distribution of management will confuse students or unintentionally show favoritism.
   
   Be concise. Keep rules and directions brief and limited to no more than three. Discuss and frequently review the rules and directions of a productive classroom. Share with students both rewards for following the rules and meaningful consequences for not following them. Remember that consequences don’t always have to be punishment. They can be the delay of gratification such as waiting longer for choice time, a time during the day when students can select what they would like to do.
   
   Be concrete. Classroom guidelines, policies, and procedures should be posted around the room and reviewed on a routine basis. Post schedules where students can easily access them. If there will be changes to the schedule, make sure students are prepared. Unplanned events can be difficult for 2e students.

Conclusion

Self-regulation is a critical factor in learning and life success. Students who are twice exceptional may need more time and more consistency in developing these strategies. Keep working at it with your students and remain positive and affirming in your feedback. Remember, these children don’t choose to be 2e.

Resources

To learn more about self-regulation, see these resources:

• Cash, R.M. (2011). Advancing differentiation: Thinking and learning for the 21st century. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
• Colvin, G. (2008). Talent is overrated: What really separates world-class performers from everybody else. NY: Portfolio Publishing.
• Cox, A. J. (2007). No mind left behind: Understanding and fostering executive control —The eight essential brain skills every child needs to thrive. NY: Perigee Books.
• Heacox, D., & Cash, R.M. (2014). Differentiation for gifted learners: Going beyond the basics. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
• Sternberg, R.J. (1997). Successful intelligence: How practical and creative intelligence determine success in life. NY: Plume Books.
• Sternberg, R.J. (2003). Wisdom, intelligence and creativity synthesized. NY: Cambridge University Press.
• Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.
• Zimmerman, B.J. (2000). Investigating self-regulation and motivation: Historical background, methodological developments, and future prospects. American Educational Research Journal, 45, 166-183.

Portions of this article originally appeared in “Cash in on Learning: What It Takes to Be Successful: Self-Regulation,” by Richard Cash, Ed.D., at https://freespiritpublishingblog.com/, © 2013. Used with permission of Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN; www.freespirit.com. All rights reserved.

Dr. Richard M. Cash has worked in the field of gifted education for over 25 years. He has taught at the elementary, middle-school, and university levels, and has served as Director of Gifted Programs for the Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota. His areas of expertise are educational programming, rigorous and challenging curriculum development, differentiated instruction, 21st century skills, and brain-compatible classrooms. In addition, he authored the book Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century (Free Spirit Publishing, 2011), and co-authored Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics (Free Spirit Publishing, 2013) with Dr. Diane Heacox, an expert in differentiation and gifted education. He is currently a private consultant to school districts around the U.S. and world. He may be reached at http://nrich.consulting/.

References

Dweck, C.S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. NY: Ballantine Books.

Schunk, D.H., & Zimmerman, B.J. (Eds) (2012). Motivation and self-regulated learning: theory, research and application. New York: Routledge.

Zimmerman, B.J., Bonner, S., & Kovach, R. (1996). Developing self-regulated learners: Beyond achievement to self-efficacy. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Zimmerman, B.J., & Kitsantas, A. (1997). Developmental phases in self-regulation: Shifting from process to outcome goals. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 29-36.

Permission Statement

This article first appeared in the March, 2014, issue of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter and is used here with permission.

This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.