Building upon reflection as a tool for enhanced metacognition, the researcher postulated that a positive correlation would exist between application of a reflection instrument and students' level of academic performance and motivation in an urban high school English class. A statistically insignificant correlation was found between either construct; however, qualitative analysis provides implications for teachers on the power of student reflection. Foremost, reflective activities do not appear to detract from academic performance nor have a negative correlation with student motivation. Furthermore, reflective activities in the short term appear to affect students on an affective level rather than a cognitive level.

Underachievement among gifted students is a paradox that frustrates educators because of the significant disparity between students’ potential and their performance. Complicating the issue is the highly individualized nature of the underperformance, which must take into consideration factors of student culture, socio-economic status, motivation, and the environment. Once these factors are considered, both the intellectual and affective needs of the gifted underachiever must be examined and supported in order to try and bridge the gap between known ability and actual performance. This case study examines the factors behind three gifted underachievers in an urban, high school setting. Through interviews and observation, the researcher sheds light on the potential influences of each individual’s level of underachievement and shares insight into how it was addressed in the classroom through the lenses of motivation, culture and context, and the environment. While the approaches and outcomes for each student are different, one theme emerged: students were more effective at instituting change in their lives once they had fully accepted and embraced that they were both gifted and underachieving.

There is a growing demand for equal support of social–emotional learning across the globe. In the United States, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning has shed significant light on the power of affective development for school-aged children, indicating that, without it, students are limited in their ability to reach their full potential. Cavilla’s Taxonomy of Affective Curriculum for Gifted Learners was developed to provide a framework that reduces the disparity in focus between cognitive and social–emotional development for a population that requires affective support in response to the effects of asynchronous development as well as an inherent proclivity for heightened capacity for emotional intelligence and moral development. The taxonomy leads gifted learners, whose identification and supporting services result from their display of academic aptitude within the top 10% of their peers or performing two standard deviations above the mean, or higher, on a personal intelligence test as defined by the National Association for Gifted Children toward their full potential through the eventual development of specific social–emotional abilities, such as harmonious passion, acceptance of ambiguity, willingness to view failure as opportunity for growth, and an increased ability to set and attain meaningful goals.

Identification of gifted students from diverse and underserved communities is traditionally low; however, there are ways to expand identification methods in order to make access to gifted education programs more equitable. Creation and implementation of multi-faceted and multi-dimensional assessments as well as tiered access into gifted education programs would allow students from underserved and diverse populations to apply their problem-solving abilities and propensity for creative thinking to their learning. This approach would allow these students the time needed to enhance and refine their academic vocabulary as well as gain greater exposure to environmental activities that they are lacking at home. However, improved identification and placement into gifted education programs represents only half of the issue. Once identified, gifted students from diverse backgrounds require differentiation of curriculum and infusion of their culture in order to fully meet their needs and enhance their path through education. This article provides insight and reflection into the approach used by a teacher of diverse gifted students in an underserved elementary school in Orlando, Florida.