Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Gifted Identical Twins: Separate or same class?

I don't have twins, but there were identical twins in a class above mine from 5th-12th grade. I don't know if they were gifted, but they were always very good students. They were always in the same classroom (and fwiw, dressed in the same way), and I remember some issues along the lines of "my sister had an A-, I have an A, we need to have the same grade" etc. (this in a school abroad where failing was very common, and grade grubbing was unheard of, except in cases where an F meant repeating a class). Several years after graduation, I heard that they dropped out of medical school because they couldn't get a residency in the same hospital. And they started law school, to then have a similar issue with internship location (med and law school start right after highschool). I don't know if they ever finished anything. I also don't know if these girls had been better off in separate classrooms earlier in their lives - but I suspect so. Just a sample size of one to keep in mind that separating identical twins at any stage can lead to issues. Perhaps there are studies that follow identical twins beyond college?
All that said, clearly here fit with a teacher is a major problem, not necessarily the twin question - and as has been said above, they might threaten to put both in with the worse teacher if you focus too much on the "twins together" aspect.

That was my first thought too. It is the stupid sort of thing schools do. They could go on the theory that twin B is happy because he misses Twin A and Twin A is happy not because the teacher is a better fit bit because Twin A is more mature and Twin B has "social issues". Therefore putting both twins in Twin B's class should be fine.

Thanks folks. Had the meeting. No final word. School administrator was understanding and seems to really want to help. How to help and whether the move is logisitically feasible for them is what we still have to see.

How to help?? Sounds pretty simple to me...

Logistically feasible?? I assume both boys are self-propelled...

Sounds to me like they're attempting to weasel out.

DS had identical twins in his K class and no one could tell them apart. DS never knew which one he was talking to and probably addressed them as the wrong name 50 percent of the time. I can see how that can cause big identity issues in a child.
It sounds like it would be a good idea to put them together in this case--but make them look as different as possible. These twins had their hair and everything the same.

This year they are separated and DS has one of them in his class. Not sure if that was the parents' idea or the school's.

It makes me think you may not be the only one who would much prefer to have their child (or your case children) in the class with the superior teacher!