It drives home to me the urgent need for education of teachers about GT kids. It wouldn't take much out of an education class to introduce the idea that kids might have different learning needs. And you have to figure that over the course of a 30-year teaching career, most teachers are going to run across at least one HG+ child (though probably not much more than one) and quite a lot of MG-GT kids. It would be nice if they could at least recognize them if they saw them...
*sigh*
Hi Kriston,
You are soooo right. And unfortunately, too much of what you're saying goes against the grain in US education circles.
Unfortunately, too many school systems accept that idea that a bright kid is doing fine because she's at the top of her class. And because the teachers don't see a lot of very bright kids, they can continue to believe that they don't exist.
Kind of along those lines, I've stopped keeping quiet about what my kids can do. I don't brag or even make a point of bringing up the subject, but I also don't hide what they can do. If the topic comes up, I'm honest. I guess I just think that, just like gifted athletes, bright kids need to be allowed to be themselves everywhere, not just once a week in pullout classes!
Gifted children: like to play hide and seek, love cartoons, can do algebra in second grade. It's all good!
Val
