Nothing new here, just needed to vent, and thought this would be a good place to do it without being thought of as bragging.
I LOVE my son's first grade teacher. She's doing everything she can to challenge him. Problem is, she's restricted by the school's curriculum. There are things she CAN do, and things she CAN'T do. But at least she's trying. My problem is with the school's librarian. If Andrew tries to pick a challenging book, she tells him no, because "that book is too hard for you." It's my opinion that you NEVER tell a child not to try something because it's too hard. Her rationale is, "We're trying to set them up for success." What she really means is that if we make it easy enough, everyone will pass and that will look good for the state board of education. Success is great, but it doesn't mean much to a kid if it's not a challenge. If you have a hard time with something once in a while, and finally conquer it, THAT is the basis for real self-esteem. But not only is my son not encouraged to do that at school - he is not even allowed to. This is not even just a gifted issue - EVERY child needs to be challenged and learn to feel good about themselves when they manage to do something that is difficult. Ugh, and I have another child starting kindergarten next year. I'm starting to think I should quit my job and fight the school board full-time.
