I ran across a great blog post today. I feel like the false assumption that overachieving and giftedness are more connected is the reason that many of us have had such scarring issues with schools. The quote that rings through my head is, "but everyone here is gifted."
Honestly, I believe everyone is gifted in some area/way, but that does NOT make all people alike, or need the same things. My reaction to that quote above was, "Do you understand that there are different levels of giftedness?" Please understand that we have had some amazing teachers within the schools, but the ones that aren't so wonderful create significant problems.
Some of the innate differences in the neurology of my daughter are what I believe to be the cause of that teacher's approach. He did not believe she was taking it in. He cited only her maturity. Yes, she is less mature than kids 3-4 years older than she is. However, she was taking in more than the teacher realized. Weeks later, she is quoting sentences verbatim to me about biology at a level that is difficult for me to fully grasp. I'm glad we have found better science teachers for her elsewhere.
I think the misunderstanding explored in this blog post is at the heart of the issue, and not just with my family. She offers a good explanation of it, and straightforward enough for a Monday ;).
http://giftedchallenges.blogspot.com/2013/07/gifted-children-and-overachievement.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GiftedChallenges+%28Gifted+Challenges%29
Jen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for citing my blog post! I certainly agree with your points about the barriers to education. The comment "but everyone here is gifted" is a great example of the many misperceptions parents encounter. Good luck with your efforts.