Absent-minded Professor Syndrome: I call this phenomenon "hyperfocus," and yes, it's very common in gifted people (at least by my own observation). And it turns out to be an incredibly useful skill, because how many times do we find ourselves needing to think clearly in a world full of distractions?
It also turns out to be useful to embarrass people. I'm an average pool player at best, but one day some practical joker I'd never met decided to grab my cue stick as I was lining up a shot. That maneuver put me in hyperfocus mode, and I proceeded to run the table.
So yeah, don't let the teacher convince you that a strength is a weakness.
As for time management skills... what early elementary-aged kid has that?
I'd also suggest that both the slanty-letters thing AND the difficulty-switching-gears thing are related to perfectionism, because maybe the reason she's having trouble switching assignments is because she wasn't happy with the previous one yet?
