AAP Teachers-share your thoughts...

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

Thanks, AAP teacher. I know you are not my son's current teacher, based on your background, but you sure sound like her (she's wonderful). I appreciate your patience with the gifted learners who might not be the best students!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the great posr AAP teacher.

If you are still on here, can you answer another question?

I agree with your observations about the uneven social development. We have seen the same thing.

However, this year (6th) it seems like socially things are starting to even out with the kids in a noticeable way.

The kids are still scatterbrained, or emotional, or perfectionists, but it doesn't eeem as pronounced as it was in the earlier grades. There seems to be improvementsocially with the class as a whole.

Do you see this same trend in classes over the years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our AAP class is not filled with average kids. They are mostly kids like the teacher is describing.

PP, are you in the AAP class often to see firsthand how average all these AAP kids are at your school?

PP here; I have one child in AAP and another in General Ed and yes, I volunteer in their classrooms often. The students in my DC's AAP class are virtually indistinguishable to those in my other DC's Gen Ed class (only one grade apart), both academically and emotionally/socially. With the exception of perhaps one or two very unusual children, the rest are just regular kids. Many of the parents at our center school are just as baffled as I about the AAP selection process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness
and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

Thank you AAP teacher for such a wonderful post. Hope you stay in this forum and answer some of our questions in the future.

My DC falls under the following category:

Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before.


DC got 99 percentile in NNAT, youngest in the class. Due to the above behavior, I often think my child may not be gifted, doesn't even have focus, has a very short span with respect to focus, refuse to do homework, always forget things, lot of times very absent minded, looks irresponsible etc. Whereas my wife think the other way that DC is very smart, understands things easily, get the concepts in no time, thinks differently, asks very smart questions etc.

But my concern is what would happen if DC is selected for AAP but continue to do the same like refuse to do homework etc. How to handle this?

Should I even not send my DC to AAP even if he is selected?

[Anonymous]

Gifted Teacher: what do you say to the straight A student every year, is in the same building as the Center, but is not in the AAP program. The child asks, "what more do I have to do?".

[Anonymous]

^^ "why can't I be with my friends?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gifted Teacher: what do you say to the straight A student every year, is in the same building as the Center, but is not in the AAP program. The child asks, "what more do I have to do?".

Not the AAP teacher, but did you appeal AAP decision with WISC? If so, what was the WISC score?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gifted Teacher: what do you say to the straight A student every year, is in the same building as the Center, but is not in the AAP program. The child asks, "what more do I have to do?".

Straight As don't necessarily mean that a child needs the AAP classroom. I might ask the teacher if she sees my child exhibiting behaviors that indicate the need for the AAP. If she does not, I would reinforce with my child that different children need different types of classrooms and that she is where she needs to be to get the most out of her classes each day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our AAP class is not filled with average kids. They are mostly kids like the teacher is describing.

PP, are you in the AAP class often to see firsthand how average all these AAP kids are at your school?

PP here; I have one child in AAP and another in General Ed and yes, I volunteer in their classrooms often. The students in my DC's AAP class are virtually indistinguishable to those in my other DC's Gen Ed class (only one grade apart), both academically and emotionally/socially. With the exception of perhaps one or two very unusual children, the rest are just regular kids. Many of the parents at our center school are just as baffled as I about the AAP selection process.

well you didn't see th3eir test scores, and probably don't see their math/written work (Or do you???).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our AAP class is not filled with average kids. They are mostly kids like the teacher is describing.

PP, are you in the AAP class often to see firsthand how average all these AAP kids are at your school?

PP here; I have one child in AAP and another in General Ed and yes, I volunteer in their classrooms often. The students in my DC's AAP class are virtually indistinguishable to those in my other DC's Gen Ed class (only one grade apart), both academically and emotionally/socially. With the exception of perhaps one or two very unusual children, the rest are just regular kids. Many of the parents at our center school are just as baffled as I about the AAP selection process.

Juwt because you think your own AAP child is average and are puzzled as to why your child isn't in the regular classes as that is where she really belongs does not mean that all the other AAP classmates are as average as your AAP child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our AAP class is not filled with average kids. They are mostly kids like the teacher is describing.

PP, are you in the AAP class often to see firsthand how average all these AAP kids are at your school?

PP here; I have one child in AAP and another in General Ed and yes, I volunteer in their classrooms often. The students in my DC's AAP class are virtually indistinguishable to those in my other DC's Gen Ed class (only one grade apart), both academically and emotionally/socially. With the exception of perhaps one or two very unusual children, the rest are just regular kids. Many of the parents at our center school are just as baffled as I about the AAP selection process.

Juwt because you think your own AAP child is average and are puzzled as to why your child isn't in the regular classes as that is where she really belongs does not mean that all the other AAP classmates are as average as your AAP child.

I find this really funny, because I actually do think my child is in the average range and would be just fine in Gen Ed. When DC started AAP, I thought it would be incredibly challenging and hard for him (not a "she," by the way) to keep up. I was so wrong; the curriculum is such that most of the kids in Gen Ed would do just fine. It's certainly not a gifted curriculum, and I imagine those kids who are actually gifted are bored silly. So thanks for making my point for me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness
and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

Thank you AAP teacher for such a wonderful post. Hope you stay in this forum and answer some of our questions in the future.

My DC falls under the following category:

Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before.


DC got 99 percentile in NNAT, youngest in the class. Due to the above behavior, I often think my child may not be gifted, doesn't even have focus, has a very short span with respect to focus, refuse to do homework, always forget things, lot of times very absent minded, looks irresponsible etc. Whereas my wife think the other way that DC is very smart, understands things easily, get the concepts in no time, thinks differently, asks very smart questions etc.

But my concern is what would happen if DC is selected for AAP but continue to do the same like refuse to do homework etc. How to handle this?

Should I even not send my DC to AAP even if he is selected?

I have a child like this whom I just redshirt in middle school to give him time to figure things out. He is lousy at doing homework and studying. He relies on what he hears in class for test taken. He is currently a B, he would be all C's if I didn't keep after him. Yet, he doesn't need academic help, he just doesn't do the little stuff to keep up. He has taught himself how to computer program/code in Java. He loves physics and wish his science ( the only A in his report card) would do more of it in class, so he studies it on his own at home. But his other teachers complain about his organizational skills and lack of focus in class, which makes him not all that likable. We will likely go private in our effort to get him inspired. We also travel a lot and try other ways to expand his experiences so he can have other areas of strength to help him figure himself out. It gets frustrating parenting this kid, as he takes all the efforts away from our other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

Thanks, AAP teacher. I know you are not my son's current teacher, based on your background, but you sure sound like her (she's wonderful). I appreciate your patience with the gifted learners who might not be the best students!

Glad my kids a "smart" kid!

[Anonymous]

There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness
and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

I am sorry but what are they "gifted" with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There is a difference between a smart kid and a gifted learner. Not all gifted learners are star students. In fact, the opposite is often true. Many gifted children have attention issues, don't see the purpose in writing long answers, refuse to do homework, forget their materials, etc. Many of them don't know how to study....they never needed to before. On the other hand, many gifted learner are such perfectionists that they completely melt down when things aren't exactly right. They are highly anxious and worry about every last detail. Gifted kids can be highly motivated, but they can also be completely scattered and inattentive (think absent-minded professor). The key for the teachers and parents of gifted kids is to recognize those differences and help guide their gifted learners learn how to make the most of their giftedness
and learn how to handle the challenges that come with being gifted.

So, if my "smart" kid has these behaviors does that make him "gifted"? Or, just "dumb"?