Discovering Your Giftedness
A Step-By-Step Guide
Circumstances
The next box on the Giftedness Story Summary is labeled "Circumstances." Look carefully at your story. What were the circumstances or conditions you were in in this story?
The circumstances are about the environment you were in. For example:
• Was there stress and pressure? Or were things calm and quiet?
• Were there a lot of people involved, or just you?
• Were you working toward a goal?
• Were things flexible and unstructured?
• Was there a deadline?
• Was there an audience watching you?
• Were you being recognized, or were you more behind-the-scenes?
• Were you outdoors, or perhaps in a lab?
In short, where did your story take place? What were the conditions that were affecting how you did your activity?
Examples:
• “I read through all the instructions and then laid out all the parts.” (instructions)
• “I could make it up however I wanted to.” (It was a creative environment.)
• “I set myself a goal. I trained for it, and I succeeded.” (goal)
• “I was a year behind everyone else. Even so, I ended up with the highest grade.” (This person was operating with a handicap or disadvantage.)
• “Well, she had challenged my ability to do it, so I knew I had to prove myself.” (This person was working against a challenge or test.)
Click here for additional examples of circumstances >>
Using the notes that your partner wrote down on your Giftedness Story Form, along with your own written summary (if you wrote one), work with your partner to identify the circumstances you were in in your story and list them in the box labeled "Circumstances."
Example:
