[Oz-gifted] Encouraging active participation

[Ellen Hrebeniuk]

At 9:56 PM +0800 1/8/06, Kristy wrote:
>Whenever I talk
>to the teachers just to let them know that the kids are again
>complaining I feel like they are patting me on the head and pushing me
>out of the door. I love their teachers but the impression I get is that
>I am just the parent and what would I know.

Well, to be honest, if they are doing that to you, I can picture them 
doing it to your children as well (with the addition that your 
children are then seen as bumptious know-it-alls... the fact that 
they DO know it all being omitted from the picture!).  From my 
position of complete ignorance, I would suggest some specific 
examples, eg "Ms Smith, yesterday you spent 10 minutes explaining 
quadratic equations, but I already knew how to do them.  I spent that 
time reading the maths text book under the desk, because I really 
like maths.  I don't quite understand standard deviations, though; 
can I have some help with that tomorrow?"

Again, I may be quite wrong here, but my impression is that the 
average teacher loves to teach.  It must be disconcerting to be faced 
with children who don't need to be taught!  Teachers are spending 
their time getting average kids off the ground, but our children just 
need their trim adjusted.  Thats a big difference.

WRT taking readers home:  see whether you think this is a battle 
worth fighting.  What is the reason for the rule?  Perhaps the school 
just doesn't have enough books?  Or perhaps there is no reason, and 
you could say, well, my son is already reading at Year 2 level; can't 
he be rewarded for his efforts?

>Has anyone had any success with this? The kids have all agreed to have a
>meeting with their teachers to talk to them about the work. I will be
>there but will let them do the talking. My eldest's PEAC teacher has
>indicated that she would like to see him take a more active role as well
>as he has a tendency to sit back and let others do the talking.

Maybe if you get this PEAC teacher into the interview as well, it will help.

Good luck!
-- 
Ellen Hrebeniuk
Sydney, Australia

Being a librarian is how you change the world.
Nancy Pearl