Giftedness, like any other human trait, it can be good or bad; it can help you or hinder you.
The truth about giftedness is this:
- it can keep you from fitting in, at any age
- it means as a child you feel different, as if something is wrong with you
- it means as an adult you feel different, as if something is wrong with you
- you may be labeled overly sensitive
- it means you may do very poorly in school because you’re completely uninterested
- it means you may not be able to hold down a job because you get impatient with co workers
- it means you may not be able to have a healthy relationship because you don’t take your gifted needs into account
- it means the school system is not equipped to truly give you what you need
- it means you may spend your childhood depressed
- it means you may lead a life of dissatisfaction
- it means your parents may not know how to handle you
- it means, it may be hard to be fully yourself, at any age
The truth of giftedness is also this:
- you may learn faster and be months or years ahead of your peers
- you might have unusually keen powers of observation
- you might be highly creative
- you might have a keen sense of justice, fairness, right and wrong
- you may be able to mentally leap to conclusions without knowing how you did so (so unable to “show your work”)
- you might be able to readily grasp underlying concepts
- you might be able to contribute to society in important and profound ways
And the truth of giftedness is that you may have all or none of the above characteristics, or have an entirely different set of characteristics.
Somewhere along the line we got mixed up about what giftedness is, or isn’t.
And somewhere along the line, when it comes to educating our gifted children, the label gifted became something you wanted your child to have because it meant they would get something extra at school. But the bald-faced truth about giftedness is that if a gifted program was truly a program that could actually help a gifted child, then you wouldn’t want your child in that program if they weren’t truly gifted.
Why?
Because giftedness is a special need. Highly gifted children often process things differently in their brain and a program that addressed that need would be discouraging and inappropriate for other children.
Where did we go so far off the path that everything is watered down to the point where no one is getting what they need – and many children are left behind?
Why do children who are profoundly fast learners, never get their needs met in our current educational system (in the U.S.)?
- It’s undemocratic (despite the athletic model)
- We’re afraid that saying some kids are gifted and others are not implies the other kids are “dumb”
- Parents don’t see giftedness as a special need, but as a great label for their child to have
- Educators have to play it safe and keep it focused on the next test
- If you allow gifted children to soar, they are hard to control and our system is about control
- Some teachers are intimidated by kids who are “smarter” and can show them up
- Society is more comfortable with the norm
- Our educational structure has forced most teachers to be technicians rather than artists
