Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research Teachers' Negative Affect Toward Gifted Kids

They say it isn't culturally dependent, but they don't mention Asian cultures.

They talk about evolutionary psychology and speculate that the problem may be very old. For example in early hominids, high athletic ability may have conferred high status by virtue of being a better hunter. Although high intellect could have been useful when the tribe was faced with a problem needing an original solution, there could also have been suspicion that the smart ones had the ability to manipulate everyone else. I'm not completely convinced, but that's just me.

They also quote a survey of gifted and non-gifted kids. The gifted ones thought they were envied for their abilities, whereas many non-gifted people cited frustration with "social issues" of the gifted. I suspect the truth is a mixture of both, especially when I think about those common accusations of "elitism." Surely, a kid disrupting a class is not being "elitist." Also, if you harbor a malicious envy, you're not going to be terribly likely to admit it, are you? Likewise, it's hard for kids, even gifted ones, to make an objective analysis of their own behavior.

Lots of people don't behave exactly like everyone else all the time, and they aren't branded as elitist. They are just different (think: different cultural or religious backgrounds, different socioeconomic backgrounds, flower people etc.). Smart people are different too, and we are allowed to be who we are!

Again, PM me if you want a copy.

Val

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I'm beginning to think there is a solution for HG/PG. The further into this journey we go, the more individualized education seems to be the only reasonable solution. Technology easily supports this as a realistic and viable option. Each kid is different so the level of how much IE they get is adjusted accordingly.

I don't think there is any body of research that solves the problem yet, so it's each of us on our own to figure it out with our own child. I hope that doesn't sound like a downer, I don't mean it that way.

I wouldn't have gotten this far without internet communication and all of the likeminded thought going on around here. It's taken me a while to get to a place where I can get comfortable with doing some unconventional things concerning my childrens' education. Hey, just cause it's unconventional doesn't mean it's wrong.

Coming back to the topic, I do believe there are more than a few teachers who can't stand super smart kids. Some kids aren't affected, some kids are very much harmed. I don't think there is a broad solution that can rectify it. As a parent I can't change the teacher's attitude, but I can protect my child from a harmful situation if it is occurring. Honestly, the younger the child the more aggressively I would protect them from this situation.

Ditto.

In some Asian cultures, education is considered more valuable than anything, but the actual education that goes on is very rigidly prescribed as compared to the path a Western autodidact would take. Education ( in the Eastern sense ) then becomes a form of social compliance.

So our system is too loosey-goosey, too NOT rigidly prescribed to work with teachers as a system that fosters social compliance, and therefore GT kids are "rebels?" Hmmm...Intriguing.

Certainly the people who have had the greatest negative reaction to our homeschooling in my experience are public school teachers. Most people have not been negative, of course, but of the people who *were* openly negative with me, all were public school teachers at some point in their lives.

I assumed this was because they took our move out of the schools as some sort of personal criticism. But perhaps the lack of social compliance we were demonstrating was part of it, too.

Hmmm...Interesting cultural twist! Very thought provoking!

I think they confuse warfare with hunting. Hunting takes patience, focus, deep thought, and its mostly a solitary activity involving ambush.

I also think they confuse urban cultures with hunter-gatherers. Hunter-gatherers rely on trust and knowledge sharing.

Most sports and even most of today's combative disciplines are highly structured and highly ritualistic activities that involve group activities following a set pattern where compliance is valued over individual discretion. Such group discipline allows teams to win over individuals or a collection of individuals.

David killed Goliath using his mind. But David alone of even 10 davids would have no chance against 100 davids with clubs running mindlessly at them.

Compliance may be very new from an evolutionary perspective. The American Indians were NOT compliant when they first were asked to be, nor were the Scottish, nor are the Finns today. Neanderthals were easily stronger than ANY of our well-trained athletes today and had larger brains and they were very formidable hunters and took down the largest mammals we've seen, but they are not around.

Evolution does not necessarily select for intelligence, only survival. Nor is compliance or intelligence mutually incompatible nor for that matter strength. But maybe because someone WAS weak, it was easier to make them compliant, and because they were smart, they realized they would lose and thus they survived and all this meant they had more kids.

Maybe compliance is a survival trait and the teacher is subconsciouly trying to teach it just like the teacher would not let a kid play with a knife?

Both compliance and non-compliance can be survival traits depending on the circumstances. That is an example of why we need genetic diversity. It keeps our species adaptable.

Oh I hope they did! Admitting there is a problem is the first step!

There are homeschoolers here who do it for purely academic reasons but tell the school it's for religous reasons. I with they would tell school the truth.

No one has mentioned that many (not all) Gifted Kids in school will not be able to hide their OverExcitabilities. In elememtary school age, I image that the teacher resent the extra time that it takes to deal with these OE's. Afterall, we love these kids, and we don't always like dealing with their OEs, right?

When I was growing up in my 'not-terribily-accepting-of-giftedness' family, my nickname was "PIA." I kind of liked it, because it perversely gave me permimssion to be my 'Lisa Simpson' self.


My guess is that the more direct experience you have when your very existance is actually threatened, the more fiercely you will try to teach a kid to comply- including "don't make waves" and "don't offend." Just a thought.

Grinity

Hello. I am new here. From Denmark and have 2 gifted children - both sons. I am very soon going crazy!!!
I have been making a school here in the city we live for theese children - but my sons are too old for that school.
But now I stand before a wall - for the 12 th. time, I think...
I have chosen an ordinary school for my sons because I have got a job far away at the country - and I called them before summer and explained how my sons are. But now I see/I feel at my sons they dont want to go to school - they do not find children like themselves. But here in this little country there are no possibilies - just take what they give you including all the negative feelings of humiliations..
One of my sons have a big wish to go to USA with all the possibilities for educations and work. But I want to know what you do for your gifted children in America???
Do you have schools for them? Do you have to pay for them?
What kind of schools are good? Let me know more of how far you have come in that very good country. Love Hebrony.

Hello! I'm 1/4 Danish--both of my grandfather's parents were born and raised in Denmark--so I really welcome you to the forum!

I'm not sure I'd counsel you to move to the U.S. just for the schools (in the generic sense). There are some really good schools for gifted kids here. But gifted education in general isn't in great shape in the U.S.

There are both free public and costly private schools for gifted (or GT) kids, depending upon where you go. Some public schools that aren't specifically for GT kids do a great job, and some are horrible for GT kids. It just depends on the school, the teachers, and the community.

Rather than talking in generalizations, I'd recommend that you find a specific school here that would work for your child if you're really going to move here. I mean, the state of GT education in the U.S. in general doesn't really matter to you; how one particular school will work for your child does matter! Very much!