Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy help with art teacher

I didn't mean to sound so harsh. My point was that perhaps instead of fighting the art teacher you could work together and help your ds complete the assigned work.

I appears to me she has some valid points. Your son is very lucky to have you and your husband and I am sure with your help he will catch up. However, I think he needs to hear from you that althought is is great he is having a great time making movies and he can continue to do so in his spare time, it is important to also do the assigned work at school.

I may be alone on this opinion, but I do think that kids need to learn to do something the way they are asked just because. Following directions even if it seems ridiculous at times and even if you don't feel like it is still an important skill. It amazes me how many kids have a hard time with this (including my own DS4). Anyhow, I am not suggesting busy work and that kids should stay in classes where they aren't challenged, but I think that sometimes gifted kids have a harder time with just doing things that an authority figure told them to do. I theorize that part of this is because we praise them with their "oustide of the box" thinking when sometimes they are supposed to be in a box. Wow that was a tangent...but just a thought.

So back on topic...maybe if you could ask her if there is anything in particular that she could assign him and he could do at home (that could be used towards a grade). That may work.

What's gonna work?
Team-work

(you know the song...for those of you familiar with wonderpets)

Jen,

Being an artist myself I see where you are coming from, I really do. Art for a lot of people is so secondary and is why we are losing the fight in the public schools. Art is very important in my life and though I don't expect my child to have the passion and skills I do; I do expect that she will appreciate it and that is all I ask. She does show abilities even at the young age of 2 but if that doesn't come to fruition I am fine with it but I will expect her to have the fundamentals. Fundamentals seems to be the problem here for you and the teacher because art is subjective and she sounds like the type of teacher that demands coloring in the lines. You son already shows an appreciation with his digital and part of the problem is he has skipped some of the basic steps to get to the point. He is already in a specialty that he has passion for and his class is like a 2d design class ... lots of basic boring things.

The famous IF I was in your shoes ... how would I tackle the teacher? It really is a hard one for me b/c I am like you ... forcing the basics can stifle the child and risk their love of it all together. I have seen it happen so many times before. Beautiful free form art gives way to discipline and structure and you are left with no whimsy that made that art brilliant to begin with. Some ideas:

1. talk to your son and find out why he doesn't want to do the work...
2. Make a project at home utilizing his love of digital that incorporates the fundamentals she is trying to teach
3. Hold the digital work as a reward for when he works on the assignment and brings home proof of it.
4. Consider the environment you have him in ... if you can't come to an agreement with her and your reasoning is for him to appreciate art ... you might want to consider that you and your DH have the ability to provide him with that and he just might not need to be in that school. (Of course this is going off of two emails and I do not have the big picture by any means.)

Also feel free to PM me at any time ... artist have to stick together!

WOW I see, an art magnet!!! Hmm boy well then I see she has to be kinda strict them. Can you ask her if you DS can Make up the work he missed???

I am having a problem with her punitive attitude about the grade skip. It's done.

I think I'd approach it from the stance of, "Yes, he has missed more than we would like due to illnesses and clearly he can really use some extra help with art. He *is* a third grader and will remain one, so what can we do to get him to where he needs to be? What can we do at home or in class to help you to help him? What would you recommend for any other third grader who was behind?"

Take the skip out of the equation. (Since it doesn't really belong there anyway...)

He doesn't hate making hands on art, actually he loves it! he just doesn't have any skill. And on top of it, he is two years younger then the rest of the kids....

So his stuff looks bad. I look and giggle.... I always smile to him and we talk about what he makes, we are encouraging.

Her expectation is that he will have the skill of a 3rd grader. We have discussed this.

As far as the absences go, she will not give me the work for him to do at home. She is not willing to work with us.

She has told me that she was against the grade skip because she felt it was unwarranted because there is no such thing as gifted. "All children are gifted" her exact words.

However, when we discussed the grade skip I was pushing for a partial grade skip, basically for this very reason..... I was assured this was not an issue.

So really her and I are on the same side, if they had done what they should have in the first place and looked for other alternatives.... maybe put a class of gifted kids together or at least explored on-line classes. Then we wouldn't be here now.

That's a good idea..... I have to be totally calm when i write this

Just wanted to chime in that it sounds like he has real talent, and it's really cool you are trying to let him grow in the direction he needs to... I suppose the only leg the teacher has to stand on is the absences, so she is using these. It's a shame, you have to find out what's up medically, perhaps some note(s) from the doctor to help her get some perspective on the big picture?
And I think make-up work would be the way to go, if she allows it.

Hi Jen,
I dk why schools are not open to partial skips or pull outs for certain subjects. I completely understand. I will be in the same boat in sept when we switch to public. I really dk what to expect. I am hoping my DS6 can be pulled out for math or reading or simply given different work. I dk what will happen. For my DS skipping will not be good. He is w/8 year olds now and is having issues. He knows he will go to a new school in sept and he said he had a dream there will be 8 year olds and they will tease him. I am going to put him w/kids his age. I dk what wil happen w/the academics. Your sons Art teacher is clueless if she thinks all kids are gifted. All kids are special in there own way. But come on all kids are not on the same level academically. If a 12 year old was forced to do 5 year old work that would be horrendous right?
Why are our kids supposed to be forced then to do work they did years ago. That is what gets me everytime. Why is it ok for our kids to just sit there and learn nothing. UGH!! I could go on and on and on LOL!