Holly,
I�m sorry that you are so distressed right now. My son is slightly more motivated in school, but I see how fragile that is. Meaningless and subjective work drains energy and drive!
I discuss the fact that his current situation is a means to an end. For us this means getting into a high school that has high criteria for admittance. He is currently going into sixth also. Actually, I am hopeful that sixth grade will be better than previous grades. It seems that the work is actually more meaningful and the teachers are very bright.
My advice is to validate what he already understands. A majority of what is required at school has very little to do with education and quite a bit to do with learning to shut up and color. The goal is to hang in there until he gets to a level where the learning is important. He has to play the game to advance to the next level.
I believe that giftedness in combination with idealism is a liability for our nation�s smartest children. Maybe if he knows you understand, he will find renewed drive.
