Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy My first advocacy, a bit uneasy

Finally I made my first ever move in advocacy. I started talking with the PTA and parents about forming a math club in DS's school, and possibly taking the kids to math competitions. DS8 is incredible at math, and yet until this year did not get anything even remotely challenging. I talked with some parents, the unamimous response that I got is "great idea! Count us in!". So I approached the PTA to see if they are willing to sponsor it.

This is the first time I've ever taken the initiative to do something like this. It's a bit scary. I don't mind putting in the time, I think I will enjoy doing it. I am, however, a bit worried about the reaction from the school and from other parents. Would the school think that I'm challenging the notion that the school and its teachers are highly qualified and their curriculum sufficient? (I don't know the principal well, we just moved to this area a year ago, but last year's teacher gave me the impression of being quite pompous and would not take anything well that remotely resembles criticism. This year's teacher, though, is a lot better.) Would this move alienate parents whose kids are not so into math? Deep down, I don't give a **** of these, I need to make sure that my DS gets to develop his potential in math. But I want to make sure that this does not create any difficult situation for DS at school (both with teachers and with kids).

I hope it's just me worrying too much.

I think you're just worrying too much.

It's an optional club, and you're not excluding kids who aren't "good enough" at math, right? As long as anyone can join, you're providing more opportunities, not taking anything away from anyone.

I would counsel you to approach it from the stance that it's a fun group for kids who enjoy math, though, NOT that this is in some way to boost the inadequate curriculum. That's your motivation for doing it, sure, but no one needs to know that!

Make it all about the fun and the social, not AT ALL about the curriculum, and I think you'll be fine.

I agree, Kriston, but I remember feeling a similar way "in the beginning...."

I say follow K's advice and everything should be great. If the PTA doesn't support it, that also doesn't kill the idea, BTW.

We just participated in FLL as a neighborhood team. It was really fun.

Good luck!

Yep, it will indeed be a club anyone can join, as long as they are willing to work on challenging math. I'm not providing a place for kids who are afraid of math to somehow overcome the fear (DS's school is pretty good at honing the basics, their "average" achievement level is very high as shown in state tests). I'm going to give kids who like to think math something challenging to think about, doesn't matter what level they are at, what matters is whether they want to do it.

Definitely won't mention anything about classroom inadequacy, will just say that this is a place where kids who like math get to meet kids with similar interests and have fun. But again, deep down I'm bothered by our constant need to stress "fun" to our kids. Too many kids expect learning to be instant fun...

I don't think you have to stress "fun" in that way. (At least, that's not how I meant it.) The social is fun. Getting together with like-minded kids is fun, and is all too rare for GT kids.

OTOH, the math is challenging, and being really challenged is fun in a different way. Not a "life is a party" way, but rather an "It feels good to have to work" way. For GT kids, that IS fun!

As my DS7 says now that he is being challenged and knows how great it is, "Hard is good!"

Kriston, I can't agree more. DS8 used to go to the teacher to ask for more challenging material. It's still beyond me why these teachers would reject such a request. He stopped asking after a while. But what I'm happy about is that with the understanding teacher this year he started asking again, and the teacher is giving him some challenging work.

On the other hand, one of his earlier teachers used to let kids do coloring at the end of a math session, because she wanted the kids to know that "math is fun". I just can't understand how anyone would think math is fun just because they did some coloring at the end of math.

Or that coloring has anything to do with math! What's that about?

Yeah, that's definitely enough to make you fun-averse when it comes to math!

...And then there's my poor son who would think math was boring because coloring is sooo boring for him.

I love when he brings home worksheets from K/1st grade this year and you can see how he did the bare minimum coloring requirements. I also can't believe how much coloring is required in early elementary school.

The one that got me was the M&M worksheet my daughter brought home in Kindergarten. It was sorting M&Ms by color and at the end it said "Eat your M&M's yum yum!" So we have to reward with kids with candy for doing under-challenging Math?! Fun, fun, fun...arrgh!

Good for you playandlearn. It gets easier but I can't say it gets less frustrating. What kind of PTA says yes to a fast-food fundraiser but "not this year" to a read-a-thon? Mine There aren't enough mad faces.

OK, now we know why coloring at math is fun. Because we parents find it amusing years later! Oh well, at least we have a place to reminisce the "coloring is fun" math and the "M&M" math, and laugh together.

My DS has had his share of projects being rated more on decorations than on substance. Kids will get different lessons out of such experience. I can only hope that my kids realize that scores for these projects are important only to an extent.

Dottie, you can come if you want to pay for the travel.