Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments And this is how I knew they didn't get it...

what circular reasoning. That, and an ad hominem. That is very sad. Hang in there--you will find people who understand (like this forum).

i've got a pack of (not so) hilarious stories, but my favourite one is from a university paper. the sole comment was: "too many short cuts. though the argument is sound and elegantly expressed, at this level the expectation is for students to define terms, rather than employ them. C-"

wheee

Ohhhh. Yes. BTDT.

Sigh.

DeeDee

Teacher: "last Monday, DS didn't know these 10 things. This Monday, he know them all. But yesterday we noticed he didn't know these 5 things. Today he seems to know it. This keeps happening. We just don't think he's as smart as you think."

Translation: we thought PG kids are telepathic and know everything!

In the middle of a contentious meeting, the principal stood up, said, "We can solve all of this if we just communicate better," and left the room.

The ironic thing is, she was right. If anyone on the other side of the table would have just LISTENED...

The final for my college speech class was a persuasive speech. I went last. After being treated to a variety of hopelessly dull subjects (one topic was "Why you should join the Navy"... the class was offered on board a navy ship), I presented, "Why you should help me take over the world." I went through a series of prepared arguments on how I would transform the world into a better place, then shifted into how the audience members would personally benefit by getting in on the ground floor. This included some ad-libbing, calling on individual classmates, asking them what they wanted most in the world, and telling them how, as World Emperor, I would fulfill their wishes beyond their wildest dreams.

The stated purpose of the class in the syllabus was to teach confidence and effectiveness in public speaking, and based on the reaction, I exceeded expectations. The audience loved it.

Well, all but one member.

The professor gave me a C, because, "You didn't take the assignment seriously enough." And because it was the final, that dropped my grade to a B.

ah yes, the lone commandment of school strikes again: know your true audience.

apparently, it all boils down to a game of one-on-one with the teacher. but you know, i still wish my 5 year old hadn't already learned that particular trick - it's just so incredibly depressing and damaging.

oh man, if ONLY they'd really gone for it and made you World Emperor - it all could have been fixed by the time DD came along!

DH pulled an incredible stunt (well, it's legendary, actually, at his high school alma mater) in HS biology.

It involved ramen noodles a lot of saran wrap, and a fetal pig for dissection, let's just say.

He got a three-day suspension and a stern lecture from the biology teacher who felt the need to impress upon him (and his parents) the fact that "school is for LEARNING, not for amusing yourself."

He also earned a B in the class for the stunt. He still has a shocking lack of contrition over it, I must say, claiming that it was the most interesting thing that ever happened in that particular classroom. LOL.

My MIL also tells the story about my DH's third grade teacher gently preparing her for the reality that "a child like {DH} may, with patience and time, be able to... do simple consumer math. Probably will need some assistance balancing a checkbook for a while, but can eventually learn those skills."

(My DH has a PhD in physical chemistry, by the way-- at least half of his graduate work was in advanced mathematics and theoretical physics.) In other words, he was bored and uncooperative and the teacher didn't even notice.

My own high school math teacher:

"{DD} would have a B in the class if her attendance grades were passing."

When my mother (recall, also a teacher) pressed for an explanation of the low subjective grading marks...

"Well, I just... don't LIKE {dd} very much. I suspect that the feeling is mutual, however."

(Really?? I was fifteen. years. old, and this guy had control over my grade-- and, because of my STEM interests, my future... I didn't come to class because he obviously loathed me and made it his mission to make me an object of shame and ridicule... and then he dinged me for not showing up... and yet I was still handily passing his stupid class.... This is the one time that my mother was actually dumbfounded and didn't blame ME for a school problem of some kind, so it was kind of worth it, even if he was the only one teaching advanced trig or calculus at my high school... )

My favorite gem is this one spoken to my sister in law by the counselor of the Catholic HS, "Farm girls don't go to college."

Thankfully she didn't listen and secured her doctorate in Journalism in the shortest time ever recorded at that state university.