Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Almost PTSD flashbacks to my schooldays

Dude, I think we've been in the same meetings. I no longer try to conceal my exasperation when in volunteer meetings, since I need to horde my concealment abilities for work meetings. In my workplace suggesting the obvious answer too early leads to its rejection as impossible and then the meeting runs even longer as the risk to my eyeballs from the pen in my hand increases.

My elementary school experiences have been flooding back since DS7 & DD5 started school. While it hasn't been fun for me to relive those years, the memories - and consequences - are extremely motivating. Two degrees later I still don't know how to study/apply myself/learn from mistakes and I do not want my children following that path.

My K and grade 1 teachers pushed for a skip, but the principal refused. I spent elementary school acing the work with zero effort and then reading the books hidden in my desk. My report cards consisently said that I 'failed to work to my potential' - right beside the A's. No one except my parents saw the problem. They moved me to private school, which was somewhat better, but still involved hours staring out the window with no perceptible effect on grades. When I hit university and finally had to put in some effort, it was such a surprise that I gravitated to the fields I could easily do well in, instead of challenging myself, something I deeply regret.

I still think of myself as garden variety smart, in spite of testing results, and I already see DD5's self perception heading that way. We've been at private school from the outset, hoping to head off some of these problems, but it will take at least a skip for her to avoid Phoning It In Disorder.

My report cards consisently said that I 'failed to work to my potential' - right beside the A's.

Oy. Yes, yes, yes.

I've finally said "uncle" to a lot of the school's nonsense this year. I explicitly told my DD that Phoning It In is a Fine Strategy, so long as it results in A's.

I no longer care, because it has been made Abundantly Clear that the school's stated learning objectives have very little to do with: a) reality, b) learning, or c) academic integrity. I'll get all three elsewhere, and I think it is damaging to insist that my child "pretend" that any of those things is happening.

We strongly prefer that our child enter adulthood with her B.S. meter in good working order, if it's all the same to them.

I just noticed iPhone's auto-correct changed "kow" to "cow". That would be a fun image for a meeting. Brings a new meaning to "steering" committee.

Hooray! Autocorrect made its first funny.

I'm going to venture to guess that if she finds herself in a leadership position that making marginal and intractable decisions will also be her greatest challenge. "Do I layoff person A or person B?" is the stuff of nightmares. I admire (and am a bit afraid of) leaders who can make snap decisions with only 60% confidence.

My son was doing a fill in the blank question about the boston tea party (8th grade am history class) and we were laughing because we couldn't figure out something about throwing the tea "in ____________" was it supposed to be "in the harbor" that just felt too obvious "in defiance" "in rebellion". I told him to write down five or six possible answers but that in the harbor was my guess. It felt like a where phrase to me and not a how.

Sometimes the goal is to make a decision, not to make the correct decision.

Just flip a coin and move on.

I copied Dude's post to my frustrated IT husband. He has been consistently recognized as one of the top professionals in his technology in the world for the past 6 years and has a thriving consulting business on the side that keeps him sane but his full-time job is a regular knife in the soul....I keep wondering when he is going to walk out of there permanently. It's difficult always being the brightest person in the room and being treated like you can't possibly know what you are talking about. The benefits package and flex scheduling is what keeps him coming back for more. I'm thankful I got to opt out of that world for the harrowing world of full-time mother to a super intense kid.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-cow-open-trailer-towing-big-cow-004.jpg

Yeah, that's about the speed of it.

The not-good ones would say we are all full of ourselves and not nearly as smart as we think we are... which is pretty much what they say about our kids.