High achievers hold themselves to lofty standards. They expect to succeed at everything they do and work exceedingly hard to do so. That is one reason they are so good. When high achievers have their shortcomings pointed out by someone else, they emotionally deflate. They are used to expecting tremendous things of themselves and they hate to let others down. High achievers put so much of themselves into what they do that any criticism, no matter how minor, can become a personal affront. Furthermore, if our assessment of their work does nothing but point out minor flaws in their achievements, they may take fewer risks the next time around.If you ask high achievers about their own performance, they will be much more critical than you would ever dream of being.
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No matter how much we push them, they are much harder on themselves. They don’t want to settle for less than their best. They don’t want to be told that a first draft is “fine,” even though it might be far better than another student’s third revision. On the other hand, they don’t want to be ignored. Great teachers understand how to give these students the kind of attention that keeps them moving forward under their own steam.
