Take the bad with the good

I really love teaching a pullout program for gifted kids. I think it's the best of both worlds. It gives them time away from the regular classroom but they still have that structure, that time with everybody. And in my room, they have time with their intellectual peers so that they can let their hair down and not worry about what everyone thinks. Or not be surprised and hurt by others reactions to them. A safe spot if that's what they need.

But then.....this being in another room means that what I do with the kids is a mystery to other children and that makes it more enticing. What I do would NOT be good for all kids but little kids don't get that. I spent time this week talking to classes of 3rd graders about just what "gifted" means. I'm sorry to say that some kids still, after all the PR time our school system has put in over the years, think it is for the smart kids. The problem with that definition is, so what does that make the rest of them?

I did my song and dance, my poll of how many are good at reading and math and science and sports and art and music, of how most people are step-by-step thinkers and some people think in leaps, of how smart is as smart does, talk talk talk to try to explain something a lot of adults don't get. I'm hoping that I helped some of them. The downside of my job is that by helping the kids who "think differently" (our words), I make others feel left out.

And now on a lighter note and because too many words with no pictures gets dull, here is my favorite 3rd grader, my granddaughter Samantha....
And my three other favorites....her big brothers Ian, Mitchell and Nick. What a great way to end this post!