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Oh, gimme a break! You two previous posters are misrepresenting what I have been saying. There's more to a team than the stars. The kids that show up and work hard should get some recognition, which is what I said previously. I also said I thought it appropriate for kids under 10 or so.
My kids did competitive gymnastics through high school. Both of them excelled. We did not "pay" them for placing high. In high school, the coach gave everyone a letter who went to every practice and every meet. She found a way to let every girl compete, at least on JV. Her methods work; the team consistently does well statewide.
You wrote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
Well, I think kids should get a reward for "just showing up".
I don't think i misrepresented anything you said. In fact, I quoted you just to be sure that I did not.
There certainly is more to a team than just the stars. But just showing up is not the same as being an average performer. Most average performers do more than just showing up.
Since you guys don't seem to get what I'm saying, I'll repeat myself.
Sorry, Katiana, some people will only see black-and-white and only hear what they want to hear - save yourself the keystrokes. I get what you are saying and agree with your point.
I don't think we hear what we want to hear. We hear (read) what is there in black and white. Just because we disagree it doesn't mean we don't understand what you mean. We just think it's wrong.
Reading this thread is so frustrating. I have a child that is in 5th grade in a G/T cluster. He was bored to tears in 2nd grade. The teacher had him helping other kids in his classroom. While this was nice it did not help my son get his academic needs met.
When he started the G/T program in 3rd grade he blossomed. He actually started being challenged and was with kids that understood him. He wasn't held to his grade level curriculum and was allowed to reach the highest level he is capable of. Why would we not want every child to perform at their highest ability?
I certainly don't feel that bragging rights has anything to do with G/T. As a matter of fact I feel there is such prejudice against G/T programs that I don't mention it. G/T kids are made to feel embarrassed to talk about being in a G/T program yet kids that excel at sports are celebrated. No wonder our country has been dumbed down so much! Being bright is actually snubbed!
The downside to being in a magnet is that the school it is in has been less than supportive of the program. There is resentment against the program and the kids from the principal to the parents. The other parents feel like our kids somehow take away from what their kids get. It couldn't be further from the truth. Their classrooms are capped at 16 kids but the G/T class can have as many as 26. I guess it's supposed to be easier to teach them because they're all alike? How ludicrous! Within the program they need differentiate; just like all other students.
So if you want to experience resentment, get to take your kid out of the neighborhood school and away from his friends, and fight a battle everyday, sign up for the magnet. Seriously though even with the challenges it has been so worth it. My son says it has been worth it to him. That is our bottom line.
Is my child a genius? No. Does he have special educational needs that weren't addressed in his neighborhood classroom? Yes! Does this make him "better than" other kids? Of course not; it just makes his needs different.
Sorry to ramble on so but I wish parents didn't see parenting as a competition and could just appreciate that ALL kids deserve an education that suits their needs. NCLB mandates that lower achieving children have their needs met. The gifted are the ones left behind in many classrooms.
Peace!
Reading this thread is so frustrating. I have a child that is in 5th grade in a G/T cluster. He was bored to tears in 2nd grade. The teacher had him helping other kids in his classroom. While this was nice it did not help my son get his academic needs met.
When he started the G/T program in 3rd grade he blossomed. He actually started being challenged and was with kids that understood him. He wasn't held to his grade level curriculum and was allowed to reach the highest level he is capable of. Why would we not want every child to perform at their highest ability?
I certainly don't feel that bragging rights has anything to do with G/T. As a matter of fact I feel there is such prejudice against G/T programs that I don't mention it. G/T kids are made to feel embarrassed to talk about being in a G/T program yet kids that excel at sports are celebrated. No wonder our country has been dumbed down so much! Being bright is actually snubbed!
The downside to being in a magnet is that the school it is in has been less than supportive of the program. There is resentment against the program and the kids from the principal to the parents. The other parents feel like our kids somehow take away from what their kids get. It couldn't be further from the truth. Their classrooms are capped at 16 kids but the G/T class can have as many as 26. I guess it's supposed to be easier to teach them because they're all alike? How ludicrous! Within the program they need differentiate; just like all other students.
So if you want to experience resentment, get to take your kid out of the neighborhood school and away from his friends, and fight a battle everyday, sign up for the magnet. Seriously though even with the challenges it has been so worth it. My son says it has been worth it to him. That is our bottom line.
Is my child a genius? No. Does he have special educational needs that weren't addressed in his neighborhood classroom? Yes! Does this make him "better than" other kids? Of course not; it just makes his needs different.
Sorry to ramble on so but I wish parents didn't see parenting as a competition and could just appreciate that ALL kids deserve an education that suits their needs. NCLB mandates that lower achieving children have their needs met. The gifted are the ones left behind in many classrooms.
Peace!
Oh Lex, I so hear what your saying when it comes to the other parents that are NOT in the G/T program. Not from the magnet but from OTHER SCHOOLS! Dealing w/ them at my youngest childs school has been very eye opening, frustrating and funny. Their preconceived notions are sooooo out of whack it is not even funny. Whenever you mention you have the "other child" and they ask where they go to school you almost just whisper it. Yet because of their crappy attitudes I've almost turned into being the "bragging parent". As they brag to NO END about sports, cheer, dance, etc. So of course I love to say that my darling daughter is in such a program. But the parents at the magnet are NOT this way. They are WAY MORE down to earth, easy to get along with, accepting, OPEN MINDED to ALL kids needs.
If one doesn't think that parents that don't have a child in a G/T program are not the ones CREATING the tension......... just read this thread. It is VERY obvious that many don't have a clue as to what goes on in a G/T magnet nor how to properly deal w/ G/T kids. Just look at the resentment towards those of us that DO have kids in these programs being plastered all over this thread. Your an adult. We are talking about CHILDREN and them getting their needs meet in their education no matter WHAT part of the spectrum they fall into. If someone personally does not like the G/T programs then fine, don't put your kids in it. That is your right. However, if some of us do have children that are on that level and we are HAPPY with the decisions we have made in putting our kids in these programs and the kids are LEARNING, EXCELLING and THRIVING - then THAT is the most important part about the entire scenario. As an ADULT stop showing resentment towards ALL children that you come into contact w/ and their parents that ARE in these programs. All your doing is reinforcing our decisions to put our children in these programs.
I'm so glad that the magnets we have are NOT a small part of another school. The principal, staff, teachers, programs EVERYTHING is geared to the G/T kids as that is what makes up the school. They are not made to feel like the oddball out as they would in the other programs I hear about such as your sons.
How about we agree to disagree on participation ribbons/trophies?
Was our discussion somehow out of bounds? While I understand that these boards are moderated I am not exactly sure what we said that would make you step in and end the discussion. Nobody was nasty. Nobody was threatened. Moderator does not mean total control freak.
Sorry for jumping in Momma Bear, but neither of you was going to change the other's mind and the thread was about the gifted program, not about whether kids should be rewarded for just being on a team. Next time, please DM me if you have a problem with mod actions.
Back to the discussion, I find it quite interesting to hear about the different gifted programs around the country. I think that truly gifted kids do need a boost, just as kids that have learning disabilities need whatever it takes to educate them. I think it's probably hard to deliver to all children without someone feeling slighted.
As a participant in this discussion, I agree with toobusytoday. I would not have responded today had I not felt that perhaps I was not communicating my side well, thought I'd give it one more try. But obviously, I am not going to change my mind on this issue.
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