Five things to remember as you are attending interviews and reading report cards.
1. Only 2% of children are gifted.
2. If your child is not achieving at school, don't tell the teacher that it's because they are gifted and bored.
3. Don't plan a career in rocket science because your kid did well in year one and two. They may or may not go well in the future. Similarly, kids who struggle early on won't necessarily end up pushing trolleys at woolworths. Don't get too depressed or too cocky whatever the report says.
4. Parents tend to be a bit delusional about the intelligence of their kids. When Nathan was in year one I was amazed (and depressed) hearing how apparently brilliant all the other kids were at reading and writing. I teach those same kids now (5 years on) and am underwhelmed.
5. C is sound. Sound is okay.
I know I've written this kind of stuff before, but really. Listen up.
When I was in high school (year 8 or 9), I got a C on my mid-year report for one or two of my classes.
ReplyDeleteI was so distraught I hid my report and refused to give it to my parents. I was banned from the TV and computer for a month (a month!!).
After another semester or two, I found the report and showed my mum, and she was like 'meh', it's ok.
It was at that point that I learned that C means 'ok'. Not 'failed'.
I'm working hard on making sure I remember that for my kids (although one of mine IS in the 2% - he skipped kindergarten (we're in NSW) as they were learning the alphabet, and he was reading novels. He then came first in his year 1 class too for pretty much everything). I'm also trying hard not to say the "as long as you did your best" thing as well -- that implies that your kids should put absolutely every ounce of themselves into everything they do, and I don't think that's healthy.
And anyway, your child make make a lousy engineer but a great nursing home worker and be perfectly happy.
ReplyDeleteVaried slightly, this is similar to the advice I would give my students at Moore :D
ReplyDeleteHow are you defining gifted?
ReplyDelete2% gifted? That's a figure that was tossed around in a staffroom discussion. The context - the 2% always seems to include the children of the parent who has come in to talk to you!
ReplyDeleteAhh - so true and made me laugh!
ReplyDelete