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I spent about 13 years as a teacher’s assistant in the school system. My favorite way to work was on term contracts which meant I would do 6 months to a year filling in for one person and then move to another school. It also meant I didn’t spend all my time in one grade level, one district or one size school.
I also started while in high school teaching and giving art classes or being lead artist on outside projects with other students such as painting murals in bars. Needless to say, I have met a variety of students over the years. When I took my training, I thought I would be learning management strategies and such however I hate to say it, but most of my time was learning different labels for the children I would be dealing with. What ADHD means or ADD or ODD and so on. I thought it was appalling and did my one independent report and power point presentation on the “labeling theory” which I knew from experience does exist big time. The education system has no problem separating children and giving them labels that are loaded with negative connotations such as the ones above. Lol, I always preferred to see a child simply as “busy or more eclectic in their approach to life” as opposed to the regular labels. As far as I am concerned, labels can be a good thing, or a bad thing, however in the end, they are all about how they make you feel. If they become an excuse (as they often did with children), instead of a means of communication to help access needs, or as in the case of many who let their child get labelled, they get free assistive tech and a TA. I have always believed, and always shall believe the best approach when dealing with any challenging child for whatever reason, is to play to their strengths. Simple as that. Yes, he may be a pain in the classroom because he can’t keep still, however that same child on his own, given a lump of clay and how to use it, will tell you to be quiet because he is concentrating and come up with the most amazing creation. I have been told the word “Gifted” ticks’ people off. Well, personally the other labels tick me off so, why not call it like it is? Yes, all children ARE gifted in some way. In some cultures, those ways are catered to, while in our present school system, we still want the “rounded education” for our children. Lol, how is that working out?!?!?Graduating high school with no ability to write a full sentence or even know what punctuation is? Can’t add without a calculator and so on. Yup, working out just fine! NOT! There are gifted kids out there and yes, there are parents who are concerned. Who come in and say, “my Johnny is bored” or “my Susie needs more to do”, and so on? Do the teachers have time for these children? Of course not! They meet the required dreaded outcomes so the time goes to the children who are at the bottom of the class struggling and these other children have two or perhaps three choices. Sometimes the parents can afford to put them in an alternative school such as a Shambala school however this isn’t often the case. The alternative is they go into French immersion because everyone knows it is more challenging even though the child may hate French or have no aptitude for languages at all. The last is the saddest. They stay in the public school system. The odd child finds teachers who recognize their gifts and support the child on his or her own. They get extra attention in a school that has extra-curricular activities that give them the support and stimulation they need. The rest, slip through the cracks, sometimes not bothering to do anything because they are so far ahead of the learning curve that they lose their need to do anything. They are not recognized, encouraged or supported so they give up and give in. Their egos get damaged also and not in a good way. Frankly I would rather see a child with a superiority complex (which can be corrected) than a child that feels lost and useless and invisible. I remember once hearing a man who deals with gifted children. He said something I never forgot because it made sense. He said, “gifted children don’t see themselves as being able to do something someone else cannot do, instead they wonder why others are not doing what they do.” Often these children don’t have huge egos. They simply don’t understand why others are not where they are. In time, I think they come to develop a twisted sense of superiority because they don’t have peers their equal to challenge them. It is far easier to bring an ego in check than it is to suddenly develop a child’s self-esteem or correct a twisted ego. I have met high school kids who are the biggest pains you have ever met; attitude up the yin yang however under it all, I also recognize talents that have never been explored or recognized or praised. Talents that could have made all the difference in the world for that young man or woman. What’s next for them? Give me the word gifted any day over the word delinquent! Why should the brightest and best children this world has to offer be pushed down because somehow it has been decided recognizing the truth of a child’s abilities, when they are superior in some ways, is just not acceptable or fair? How is that helping anyone or doing anything to support that rare few who also need support? So yes, I use the word gifted. I am not judging or saying anyone’s child isn’t gifted because as I said, everyone has their strengths as well as their weaknesses, however, if we can throw words around like ADD and ADHD, OCD, ODD, and so on, then what is wrong with using also the word GIFTED? Anyone find a different label; I would be more than happy to use it. I can’t help feel we need our gifted children right now and I don’t really care if it offends someone’s sense of fairness or Victorian values. A child will meet a challenge, if they are given the opportunity to be challenged. I am sure of this, especially if it starts early when they are still hungry to grow. This is why I have gifted or ages 8 and up on my books. I have met gifted children who COULD read my more complex sentences by age five. Their comprehension may be weak however that's ok, that is what the pictures are for!
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I know, I know, why are the sentences so complex for an illustrated picture book? Why on earth would I have sentences that are like this when they could be short and sweet?
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June 2024
AuthorArtist, Buddhist, Educator, Traveller, Cabinet Maker, kayaker, etc and now writer! |
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