Bad Day: The "He's Young..." Conversation - 07/22/11 06:44 PM
Am I the only one getting this reaction from teachers that aren't used to working with HG or PG kids?
Today's conversation for our gifted class teacher (she is not trained in gifted ed. just teaching this summer class) went like this...
"I just didn't want you to be surprised... We had good days and bad days.... He was distracted in class.... He is very young... It's one thing if you don't pay attention because you don't want to and another if you are just too young to do it...He is very polite.... He loves to help in class.... He keeps wanting to take everything apart--like the stapler.... I think he is just young."
What I saw is that the curriculum was way too simple for him. It needed to include more science vocabulary, more hands on activities, and more complex thinking.
In my head I was thinking, this woman doesn't understand that he is distracted b/c her class was boring. He was interested in the subject and says he enjoyed the class but the differences between this class and the first one he took are astounding as far as complexity of content.
I listened to her and said very little. It was a one time class and today was the last day. I was afraid anything I could say would sound elitest. He is 4.5 but has been a yr ahead in preschool since we began the year he turned 3 so I know this is not a maturity issue for him. I feel so frustrated when teachers want to label him as "young" for their class rather than consider that they might not be stimulating him with any new information.
Am I the only one hearing this? What have you done with teachers like this? Is there any way you can explain in a helpful way that won't get them on the defensive? I need to learn how to do this. We have a long way to go.
Today's conversation for our gifted class teacher (she is not trained in gifted ed. just teaching this summer class) went like this...
"I just didn't want you to be surprised... We had good days and bad days.... He was distracted in class.... He is very young... It's one thing if you don't pay attention because you don't want to and another if you are just too young to do it...He is very polite.... He loves to help in class.... He keeps wanting to take everything apart--like the stapler.... I think he is just young."
What I saw is that the curriculum was way too simple for him. It needed to include more science vocabulary, more hands on activities, and more complex thinking.
In my head I was thinking, this woman doesn't understand that he is distracted b/c her class was boring. He was interested in the subject and says he enjoyed the class but the differences between this class and the first one he took are astounding as far as complexity of content.
I listened to her and said very little. It was a one time class and today was the last day. I was afraid anything I could say would sound elitest. He is 4.5 but has been a yr ahead in preschool since we began the year he turned 3 so I know this is not a maturity issue for him. I feel so frustrated when teachers want to label him as "young" for their class rather than consider that they might not be stimulating him with any new information.
Am I the only one hearing this? What have you done with teachers like this? Is there any way you can explain in a helpful way that won't get them on the defensive? I need to learn how to do this. We have a long way to go.