Sternberg (1998, p. 8) maintains that conventional teaching and testing focus on certain abilities like abstract-analytical skills and memory that are required for academic success, ôbut children with other kinds of abilities, such as creative and practicalö skills were left ôin the dark.ö My list of everyday intelligence behaviors included being creative and having common sense, a practical skill. SternbergÆs views demonstrate that these kinds of skills that are responsible for successful everyday interaction are often undermined by conventional teaching and testing approaches.
Sternberg, Torff, and Grigorgenko (1998, p. 667) argue that ôwhen material is taught in a variety of pedagogically sound waysàstudents have more opportunities to learn and understand.ö This means that if some students do not comprehend the material being taught in one manner, they may readily comprehend it when taught in another manner. Therefore, creative learning and skills that are often shortchanged by conventional pedagogical methods must also be exhibited in teachers in their approach to methods of teaching.
My list of behaviors for everyday intelligence show that a variety of skills and behaviors that are important for successful living are often undermined by conventional approaches to teaching and learning. As such, teachers must incorporate the elements of both academic intelligence and everyday intelligence so that they can form a more accurate assessment of each individualÆs skills. Sternberg (2002, p. 383) argues that ôSuch teaching helps students recognize and capitalize on strengths, and at the same time recognize and correct or compensate for weaknesses.ö Until such times as this manner of teacher is common, it is likely that some students will be left behind by approaches that focus only on skills and behaviors required for academic intelligence.
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