I have to say, I have seen it so many times with my own DD's teachers. It seems that they don't understand what gifted means. I have had converstations where they have said "Well, if she is as bright as you say she is... there is more to work on in X grade, such as organization! After all, she forgot her folder on the table last week in the classroom!" SERIOUSLY?! Later on after the "official" standardized test results were in their views changed slightly, but I still feel that most teachers don't "get it". They think gifted=perfect. That gifted means they will always pick the more challenging thing to do. That they will answer every question perfectly in class. It never occurs to them that they child is still a child and still likes to read the "easy" books because they are only 6 or 7 and still like to read about the same topics that any other 6 or 7 year old girl or boy reads about (be it fairies, or spiderman etc.) whether it's too easy or not! I also have seen that in the beginning of the year, the teachers LOOK for ways to prove that the child isn't as "bright" as they have been told and will look for things to point out to foil the theory. Not always, but often. I think it is very hard to break away from teachers notions about what it actually means. I honestly think that they have academic achievement confused with gifted. They think that all gifted kids will be a+ students and have no idea that factors such as underachievement are a huge concern with that particular population. As a parent, I find myself not speaking up about it in the beginning of the year because my previous 2 experiences have been NOT WELL RECEIVED until they saw for themselves. By the end of the year, my DD was at her wits end with the "baby homework" as she called it and started asking the teacher (in a whisper in her ear) to PLEASE GIVE HER HARDER MATH WORK TO DO. It was then that teacher had an AHA! moment and realized that couldn't have been the result of a "pushy parent". In other words, the teachers don't always get it, and it takes some "teaching" from the parents to enlighten them as to what gifted is and is not!
