Kindness, Curiosity, and the Gifted Student

By Dr. Heather J. Pinedo-Burns

One of my favorite ways to begin the day at Acera is outside, greeting students and families as they arrive. Nearly every morning, I notice a small but powerful moment: students holding the door for one another. It’s a simple gesture, yet it carries enormous meaning. Holding the door says, You matter. I see you. I’m willing to pause my own momentum to make your day a little easier. It is, at its heart, an act of kindness.

At Acera, we anchor our community in three simple norms: be kind to others, be kind to yourself, and be kind to our space and community. These norms guide how we show up each day and how we learn alongside one another.

I’ve been thinking a lot about kindness lately—what it looks like, how it’s practiced, and how we help young people grow into kind, thoughtful humans alongside being curious, capable learners.

Kindness takes many forms. There is kindness toward ourselves—making space for our own needs (such as water, food, movement) and offering ourselves understanding and compassion when we make mistakes. This is especially important for gifted learners, who are often deeply reflective and can be remarkably hard on themselves. Practicing self-kindness helps students build resilience and develop a healthy relationship with challenge and growth.

There is also kindness toward others—listening with care, practicing empathy, and engaging in perspective-taking. These moments may be quiet or fleeting, but they shape how students experience belonging and connection within our community.

And there is kindness toward our shared space and community—taking responsibility for our environment, noticing how our actions affect others, and contributing in ways that support collective well-being. This form of kindness teaches students that they are part of something larger than themselves.

At Acera, kindness is not separate from the rigorous, creative, and challenging work our students do every day. In fact, it is what makes that work possible. A kind community is one where students feel safe taking intellectual risks, sharing unconventional ideas, making mistakes, and growing into their best selves.

Encouraging Kindness at Home

While broad reminders to “be kind” are well-intentioned, they can feel abstract to children. Kindness becomes more meaningful when it is visible, specific, and practiced.

Here are a few ways families can nurture kindness through everyday conversations:

• Start with self-kindness. Help children notice how they speak to themselves after a setback. Ask, “What would you say to a friend who made that mistake?” This helps normalize imperfection and builds resilience.
• Name kindness when you see it. Instead of general praise, try noticing specific actions: “I appreciated how you checked in with your sibling before taking the last cookie,” or “That was thoughtful—you anticipated what Grandma might need.” This reinforces that kindness is something we do, not just something we feel.
• Practice repair, not perfection. We all fall short. What matters most is what comes next. Modeling how to acknowledge a mistake, apologize sincerely, and make amends teaches children that kindness is about staying connected, even when things feel hard.
• Wonder aloud together. Questions like “How could we approach this with more kindness?” or “What do you think that felt like for them?” help shift children from reactive responses to reflective thinking.
• Frame kindness as courage. For gifted students who value competence and mastery, it can be powerful to name kindness as an act of strength: it takes courage to include someone who’s been left out, to admit when you’re wrong, or to help when no one is watching.

At Acera, kindness is woven into our daily interactions, our learning, and our community life. When we notice it, name it, and talk about it—both at school and at home—we help our students understand that kindness is not incidental. It is essential.