So, this is related to the post on arrogance v confidence, but slightly different.
Tonight I met with DS8's gifted teacher and she said that she had noticed, and that DS's 4th grade teacher had noticed, that DS takes a "this is easy, I know how to do this" approach to work and digs in without waiting to hear directions and subsequently does too much of his work a bit carelessly. I have talked to my DS about the need to listen carefully to instructions and to read directions carefully, as well as to write neatly and make sure he works carefully so as not to make silly mistakes. I don't think the issue is that he's bragging or being arrogant, just that he's just so sure what work he's given is easy that he just plows right in and doesn't do his best work.
My question, though, is how concerned to I need to be about his teachers' comments? DS8 is grade accelerated and subject accelerated further, primarily because we have always wanted him to be challenged, but he still generally isn't. Would it sound snotty for me to say, yes, I wish he would do this differently, but it's likely a result of him finding so much of his work lacks true challenge? It's not like he's not learning anything new, and socially school is a good fit (although outside of school his best friends are still one grade higher up), but more that he's learned that he doesn't have to pay a whole lot of attention in school to do well.
So, what do I say to this criticism? He can be careless and doesn't always listen, but he's never had to in order to do well.
