Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Dr Laura blogging on homeschooling

I won't try

I'm glad things are working out so well for you guys.
Well, good night all, DH just came home and we are tivo-ing lost and we need to go watch it!

That's where I'm headed, too! Off to get "Lost!"

DS had tons of interaction all through grade school. In K and 1st, there were no desks, kids sat in groups at tables and worked together on projects and were encouraged to talk with each other as they worked. If they weren't talking enough, one of my jobs as a volunteer was to go to the quiet table and stimulate them into talking.

DS's 4th and 5th grade teachers were great managers of classroom discussion and really the classroom felt more like an ongoing conversation between the teacher and the kids than just managing kids behaviour. When I volunteered in 4th grade, I led a book discussion group and we really did discuss. All the kids spoke, had ideas, and riffed off each other. They weren't brilliant or anything, but they certainly were not stifled spirits!

What Kriston and Neato are describing sound absolutely nothing like our school. But then, remember, our isn't a very good school. Nobody moves to be in our district. The parents don't care what kind of college their kids go to or even if they go to college. I think this gives the school a lot more flexibility!

Hi Kriston,

I actually had help from my dd on this one as parents are not in the classroom a lot.

She told me they have plenty of interaction with one another. They always have group projects and are allowed to do "research" as a group. They also read to each other and with each other everyday.

Her room 2 teacher allows them to go outside the classroom and do their silent reading on benches right outside their classroom when it is a nice day.

They don't have individual tables but rather work on group tables. They have a lot of interaction specially in science and art. Their drama and music classes also offer great opportunities for interaction. There are still times when they need to sit quietly and listen to the teacher, but I don't think it is the majority of their day.

Kriston - my K and 1 experiences are similar to what you saw. We had class sizes of 24 and 26. I get the feeling the past couple months DS doesn't even bother raising his hand any more because he gets so little chance to participate. There is little to no group work except for special events (like the do have 4th grade buddies they meet up with once a month or so). It definitely seems like the focus is behavior management. I think it might be a whole different ball game with 5-10 less kids in the class. Interaction is definitely limited to recess, lunch. And misbehavior in class!

I even observed music class one day and it was incredibly quiet and non-interactive. Our school is very popular. They got enough applications for 7 kindergarten classes next year, but only have room for 3 classes.

And bianc - how much do we need to DOK?

I was also going to say, I think our school is similar to Dottie's in terms of intellectual peers. 40% of kids are probably in that above 120 range. DS loves school socially. He is a popular kid.

It has taken me a long time to get over this denial about where DS stands. Everyone talks about how advanced curriculum is at our school and to me it doesn't seem advanced at all and we could use a whole lot more. Obviously, many GT kids are being served well here.

CFK - WOW on the PE! I want to move to your school. In our district, kids get PE twice/week for about 25min I think.

I also have been told how advanced our curriculum is and how it isn't developmentally appropriate and w/ my son, I just don't see it. He needs more and faster. I just learn to keep my mouth shut.

Ok. So I will give you guys one (or a few) more reason(s) to DOK and then I promise to be quiet for the rest of the school year (10 more days!!)

Room one has become even smaller (only 15 children per classroom) with two teachers.

We are getting five new teachers. Our new coordinator of Educational Technology for the lower school comes with a Masters in Technology in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Although this is the teacher who I am most impressed by, all the others come with equally impressive credentials.

The new center for communications will be completed next month. It will have 2 additional classrooms, a great library (with a special place for authors to come and read to the small children) and a conference room to be used for distance education (it will have state of the art computers)

The science rooms (both lower and upper school) will be upgraded with more modern equipment/new furniture.

The computer labs will have new computers.

The new electronic white boards will be installed. Then next year the school will go to one-on-one laptop program.

All in all, I wish i could be six again and go back to school

Sorry guys, I don't mean to brag, it is just that our headmaster just hosted a "headmaster's coffee" to update us on all the things going on next year.

blanc850a
I don't think you should brag. Your kid goes to a very expensive school, which is 'elite' but look at your trouble in accelerating her. There are 'rooms' not grades with which you must deal. Kids aren't accelerated through grades, not sure why you spelled it out that way. And the huge moneyed factor. I don't think this is what the typical gifted child deals with in schools. All in all I think you should tone it down and not make others jealous of a school that I don't think is that great for gifted kids.
You can be six again, and I can be banned from this site, but whatever, you are wrong for gloating about something that is expensive and for rich people and some granted scholarships by the by.

I also support Bianca's post. Someone in Queens wrote me about her efforts. She initiated middle school gifted programs in her district, upped the curriculum for G&T with accelerated math, worked with the prinicipals to enhance gifted curriculum.

If you want to push the advocacy, it can be done. And hearing Bianca's experience provides us with ideas. I am not so ambitious to initiate gifted programs but would like to support anyone who does.

It is good to hear what is available and the things that can be done.

Ren