Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Refusing to do an assignment

Hi all

dd7 is always diligent about doing all her homework and I have not run into any problems with her doing her work, she is in 2nd grade. This week she was suppose to memorize a poem (about 20 lines long) something that would have taken 20-30 minutes for her to do, 45 min for her to say it well and with expression. She flat out refused to do it. Then I found out the reason why. The teacher was going to pick someone from the class to go to a speech meet. She didn't want to be picked. I told her do the assignment and I'll let the teacher know that she doesn't want to do the speech meet if picked. She still wouldn't do it saying if you are picked you have to go. Has anybody run into stuff like this?

A little bit of info on dd, she is not a shy child and she's been on a stage many times for programs at school and for a dance production team she's a part of. If anything she's competitive, so it surprised me that she didn't want to try to do this or a least just learn the peom.

Maybe I'm trying to read more into this than it is, but it just seemed like odd behavior for her.

thanks for any input

I think I'd try to find out more about why she doesn't want to do it. It may have nothing to do with performance, but rather someone else that's going, or fear of the unfamiliar/unknown, or some misunderstanding about what such an event entails. Or maybe it's the solo performance - has she only done group events in the past?

Maybe she doesn't want to be singled out for something academic. I could see how, if she was already labeled the smart girl in the class, that she might not want to contribute to that perception. Does that sound like her situation?

Thank you for your responses. I know this is such a minor thing it just bothered me because it's so unlike her.

She wants to be picked to do the spelling bee this year, so I don't think it's unfamiliar/unknown. I'm almost wondering if it's because she wanted to let one of her friends in class win, because that child really wanted it, and it wasn't as important to dd.

Thanks again