Depending on whom you happen to be talking to, you can feel smart and funny OR feel like an inarticulate noodle noggin!
Apparently the stress associated with interacting with folks who you perceive as 'smarter than you' can dumb down your ability to communicate.
The research cited in the article points to our:
- "need to replace high-stakes, one-shot tests with the kind of unobtrusive and ongoing assessments that give teachers and parents a more accurate sense of children’s true abilities. We should also put in place techniques for reducing anxiety and building self-confidence that take advantage of our social natures. And we should ensure that the social climate at our children’s schools is one of warmth and trust, not competition and exclusion."