Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Questioning teacher???

That is really sad CAMom.

This is the best I could find on a quick google, which comes down to "Mars" - although at the end of the day, it's the kind of imprecise question that my DS has no time for at all, and thank goodness he hasn't yet met a teacher who couldn't cope...
http://www.universetoday.com/guide-to-space/earth/what-is-the-most-earth-like-planet/

(Incidentally, my DS-then-5 apparently told his teacher in all seriousness that the Vikings had sent up a satellite. I only heard about this much later!)

As a teacher and as a parent I have to weigh in on the side of teaching children to respectfully stick up for themselves by providing evidence to support their viewpoint/response. I think though that rather than taking an apologetic approach, I would want my kids (or my students) to lead with Something like: "would you consider giving me credit if I can provide a sound reason/example to support my response?" or "may I explain how I reached that answer?". Besides being respectful of what my kids/students know/have learned, it is also an excellent opportunity to prepare them for later work in which they will be expected to defend their thinking with evidence. I have also used the opportunity to talk to my kids about how "knowledge" is a fluid thing, and how it's not uncommon for someone to have learned something at some point and not to have revisited it recently.

That said, we've had our share of examples here too. DD once took issue with using an avocado as a model for the earth because it's not round. The teacher was offended because she wouldn't "let it go". Really, all the teacher needed to do was say, "Good observation--you're right. We're going to use the avocado anyway because even though the shape is wrong, it works well as a model of the earth's layers". More recently, DS came home with a geography paper in which the substitute teacher crossed out "southern ocean" (even though there were five blanks on the worksheet)because "there are only four oceans". I took him straight to the computer to look at the different ways that geographers label oceans and continents. We chose an article that he could bring back to school with an article supporting both the four ocean and the five ocean ways of looking at the world. Sounds like the sub was dismissive, which is unfortunate. Another lost opportunity for an educator to support a child's efforts as a learner. Sad. Really, I just have no patience with adults who are unwilling to learn--especially if they are responsible for fostering curiosity and learning in others.

Well, I was obsessed from space from the age of 3 and was in the astronomy program at Cornell before I decided to become a teacher, and I can tell you your son is definitely right about Venus. It's the same size and mass as Earth, has similar gravity, and has some similar surface features. It's also thought that Venus' atmosphere (which is now toxic and boiling) might have once been similar to Earth's, and that what it looks like now might be the long-term effect of a runaway Greenhouse Effect. Mars, on the other hand, has likely always been what it is now: cold and dead, with low gravity and a thin atmosphere.

As for "barbeque", as others have said, both spellings seem to be acceptable.

Now to the actual point of the thread: being a teacher is not a license to never be questioned, and nor should it be an implication to others that someone is always right. With respect to Grinity, I feel there is no such thing as being "too young" to question a teacher; if someone is wrong, and � this is the important bit � their being wrong is affecting you (as the teacher's mistake negatively affected your son) then of course you don't just lie down and take it! As Taminy says, the thing to teach kids to do is to bring evidence and stick up for themselves � respectfully, with tactful timing and a delicate approach (so much as can be expected for their age), but firmly and unapologetically. Do we want kids growing up thinking it�s okay to use a position of power to refuse to listen to others and presume that you know everything?

Thanks Colinsmum. That is a good site.

That is interesting. Thanks for the post, Zhian.

I'm hoping these incidences are few and far between.

We had another one where a workbook said that the equator doesn't go through Indonesia. I had to look that one up.
But that did not involve a teacher.

He thinks it is funny when I am wrong. He said to me "at least you can admit it" The confirmation does make a difference. And hoping he sees it is ok for him to make mistakes as well. That is a challenge.

Thank you for such an interesting thread. I've enjoyed reading all of the replies!
I suppose that I have erred on the side of having dds question an authority figure when they believe that authority to be wrong b/c there is danger in run away obedience to authority.

I took the opportunity to read Stanley Milgrim's Obedience to Authority with dd11 when she was 8 after running into a similar situation. She had quite a bit of trouble with understanding how people could be blindly obedient when someone was wrong and that book helped her a bit with understanding.

I do think that a desire for justice or someone to see the truth is somewhat inherent in gifted individuals even when it is to their detriment. My dh has had some clashes with supervisors at work due to his inability to let it go when the supervisor is wrong about something. That hasn't always turned out too well, unfortunately.

With all due respect to the previous posters and their opinions regarding what I see -- perhaps unfairly?-- as "letting the teacher have her way," I would like to politely disagree.

I believe it is, at base, ethically wrong to be marked wrong for a right answer -- and ethically wrong not to challenge it. Oh, absolutely there are worse and better ways to do so, and I love the very polite, deferential ways others have suggested here and think they're outstanding. I absolutely would not, though, let it pass unchallenged for the simple reasons that a) he got it right, and b) others deserve to be taught to spell the word the right way.

Speaking only for myself, as a teacher, I have been wrong more times than I can count, and thankfully, students have occasionally called me on it. I usually begin the year by asking people to see me if there's a discrepancy or I made a mistake -- I'm a human, and strive for perfect accuracy though I do, I can never quite get there. Each time someone's corrected me, it's made me a more accurate, careful, better teacher. No, I don't love criticism any more than the next person, but I'd rather be factually right than "right" because I'm the oldest person in the room.

Just my .02.

MAN, is this ever true!
I've learned, myself, that there are a few very valuable phrases I'm glad to put into practice as a teacher and wish other teachers used more often:

1. "I don't know! Let's find out."
2. "I was wrong."
3. "I'm sorry."

Yet again, I wish that you taught locally !