Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion I'm getting "beat up" over gifted stuff

I'm glad you are feeling better. Sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall over and over at school. It's okay if someone doesn't get it, but if they have to get all hostile about it?!?!?!

Well, if it happens again, I want you to search this phrase on this site: Whitney Houston.

Then click on my post, the third one down and then click on the link.

A holiday present.....

Lorel,

I went and read your review and, like so many others, I thought it was terrific. It's a great service you provide, reviewing all those books. I only noticed recently that the reviews I appreciate so much belong to someone I "know" in another context. I certainly hope you'll keep it up. I definitely don't think you should let the snarky comment get you down. And anyhow, for what it's worth, I thought the person who wrote the comment genuinely enjoyed your review but just missed in an attempt to be a little bit playful. I do agree, though, that the funny distance these formats allow - even for those who sign their real name - does sometimes let people run off the rails a bit. (I know from personal experience.) If that is what happened in this case, I hope it's helpful to know that a bunch of people have your back.

BB

So I click "this post was helpful" button! I agree, her post was snarky. Sometimes it's better to live by the old adage "if you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all."

I for one found the review extremely helpful and thank you for taking the time to write it!

The snarky comment is now being hidden thanks to the group selecting 'no' it was not useful. You can of course select to read what she wrote but I believe the laugh is on her. Your review was wonderful and much appreciated. Don't let people like that get to you b/c she is so not worth it.

Once again, I really appreciate the kind words. I actually used a slightly shorter version on my site, and Rachel Gathercole (the author) has it featured on her site. I didn't know her before I read the book, but it really made an impression on me and we exchanged a few emails after I posted my review.

Perhaps that other person was trying to be playful, but it seemed rude and condescending to me.

Neato-

hahahahahahha! I rarely swear, but when I do, my husband laughs at me. He says it's like hearing Mary Poppins curse. Thanks for the chuckle!

Mary Poppins! LOL! Well, welcome to the dark side......truck driver speak!

Lorel, when I want to make my DH laugh until he cries, I curse--I mean REALLY curse, like enough to make a sailor blush. It totally makes his day. Mary Poppinses of the world, unite!

And for the record, when DH wants to make me laugh, he curses without curse words, like something a grandmother would say. It sounds so funny to hear "Oh for pity's sake" or some such thing coming out of his mouth, in just the most disgusted tone, that I laugh myself silly.

Comedy is very much about reversing expectations! LOL!

Kriston, that's funny. My mil says 'oh fluff' when she's mad or frustrated.

I really try to avoid gossip, and this is probably going to be a gossipy type comment but I'm going to say it anyway! Did anyone read the book review by the guy who only gave that book 1 star? When you click on his info and read all his reviews, he's a bit scary. He's picked on several homeschool oriented books and written identical or near identical reviews, obviously never reading any of the books. At the top of his 5 star reviews is a double headed hammer, he carries it where weapons aren't allowed, shudder. This guy is a teacher! His 13 year old daughter also used his log in to review a few books. It appears she never learned the use of commas, or periods, just question marks? Inappropriately placed, of course? OK, I probably went over the line picking on his 13 year old daughter, but for goodness sake, he's a high school teacher and defending public schools!

I have to admit, I saw that review, OHG, but as soon as I saw that it was "one of those," I ignored it. It's not a reasoned argument against homeschooling, it's a rant. By someone who has no idea what he's talking about. There are lots and lots of people out there who go that route, sadly.

And in my experience, all too often, those sorts of comments come from teachers. Nowhere nearly all teachers--thank goodness!--and I don't mean to say nasty things about teachers in general, since I value teaching highly. (Former teacher myself, in fact!) But the truth is, I think some teachers tend to feel threatened by the growing homeschooling movement. The "friend" who attacked me for homeschooling--and who asked me "What's wrong with being bored for a couple of years until the GT program kicks in?" --was a former teacher. Most of the anti-HSing rants I've read have come from teachers propagating all the old myths about anti-social HSed kids (and schools full of nothing but well-adjusted children, which is equally mythical!) and claiming that their training makes them indispensible, even when that training has nothing to do with teaching a single child at home. <eye roll>

OTOH, when I was trying to decide if I should HS DS7 or not, I REALLY appreciated unbiased, honest appraisals of the cons of HSing, just as much as the pros...but it's hard to find them!

Most people writing about their experiences with HSing were trying to sell others on homeschooling, so everything was glowing. You'd think HSed kids walked on water! But the fact is, any educational solution is going to have cons as well as pros, good days and bad. You need to know about both if you are to make a wise, reasoned decision about what's best for your child. It's one of the reasons I try very hard to be as honest about my experience--bad as well as good!--as I can be.

Mostly I just detest agendas of any sort, especially when it comes to education. I think the truth should always out, for the sake of the kids! If you have to hard-sell me, I'm probably not interested, regardless of what you're selling!

So in a nutshell, that guy is not unusual. But if you read enough of those, you just about stop noticing.

Sorry to go off on a tangent a bit. But it's one of my rantable issues...I hate the hard-sell!