Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Meeting with G&T teacher

I have some concerns with how the G&T teacher is instructing my dd7. The teacher has never taught G&T before and has no G&T training. Dd is happier this year and not complaining about school... her love of learning is also returning.

However, we are into our 4th month of school and they just finished the 2nd math unit. The teacher has the students do a pre-test on the units and then a post-test. Dd scored worse on her post-test than she did on her pre-test. Some of the stuff was clearly wrong. Then there were things such as a clock where she had to put the time 7:20 and her short hand wasn't exactly on the 7 but it was clear what dd meant and the teacher didn't mark it wrong. But then on the post test (with the very same question) dd filled in the clock the exact same way with the hour hand just not quite on the 7 and the teacher marked it wrong.

Another problem has to do with Everyday Math and there was a story problem where the student has to put in the two parts and then the whole (and not just answer the question). Dd just answered the question, didn't fill out the box where it says part-part-whole (an example would be Part= 16 Part 14 Whole 30. And dd just put 30 as the answer. She also didn't write the number sentence... model or whatever they call it.

Some stuff she clearly missed but they weren't things that she missed on the pre-test.

My concerns are:

1). The teacher will have her math group working on Unit 3 but when they work independently in their math workbooks they are working ahead and can be on Unit 8.

2). When asked dd says she only worked once with her teacher in the math group for instruction. So it seems dd, her group, and perhaps others are spending more time working independently on their math workbooks then being instructed.

I used to volunteer once a week in class and would have many kids raise their hand and ask for help with problems in their workbooks while working independently. I would ask them if they were taught whatever concept it was they needed help with by their teacher yet and the answer was always no. It's as if they are just stuck with their noses in math workbooks and not being instructed.

The teacher went from having many volunteers in her class for math and reading to none. We got an email a week ago saying that she didn't want volunteers anymore. So now I have no idea how things are going in the class.


I emailed the teacher and she would like to meet with us. She says she's concerned that dd will rush through math. She also says that when dd is at the math group with the teacher that she will says she knows things and the teacher says she doesn't think she knows them.

There are quite a few unhappy parents to the point where they have a meeting scheduled with the principal and the specialist in charge of the G&T curriculum and NOT with the teacher. Personally I feel uncomfortable with this type of meeting. They are complaining that they don't think their kids are learning, they also complain that the teacher is constantly changing the routines/structure to the day or how math block is done.... literally from week to week and the kids need stability.

I figured I should first meet with the teacher but I don't even know how to fix the problem. I feel like dd isn't getting enough instruction and is basically grade skipped in math but left to just do the workbook on her own (along with all the other kids).

Any ideas on how to fix this situation?