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Lesson Plans


Re: gifted kids problems--long post

From: San D Hasselman (kprs)
Date: Sun May 21 2000 - 06:32:27 PDT

  • Next message: Rdunkelart: "spring flowers Woody"

    Your problem reminds me of a 8th grade orientation story. I teach gifted kids
    and on orientation evening parents meet the teachers and learn about the
    program. Gifted kids can choose to be in a separate program or go through the
    art program (8 classes). One parent came up with his kid and said "Rich, here,
    doesn't need to take the 8 classes because he is the best art student you will
    ever had, he can skip right into the advanced art course next year". I said "how
    nice, do you mind if I ask Rich a few questions?" Dad of course said, "go ahead,
    he'll answer them all". So I looked Rich (who is now a freelance illustrationist,
    graduate from Pratt) and said "which colors advance and which colors recede?"
    When he couldn't answer that, I asked "generally speaking, and using the human
    'head' as a measuring tool, how many heads tall is the human body?" Again, blank
    stare. Then I stared right at his old man and said...."all of my freshmen can
    answer those questions, and that is JUST the beginning." Needless to say, gifted
    Rich took all 8 art courses, and we had a good experience. Except he refused to
    take any advice when creating his portfolio, so I looked at him on his way to his
    interview and said "Rich, they will laugh at you at Cooper Union", and guess
    what, they did...he came back with his tail between his legs, reworked his
    portfolio using my recommendations, and got into Pratt no problem.(portfolio
    problem--he insisted on putting in work from his imagination--colleges want
    observational work) (Rich's air of superiority was a gift his father bestowed on
    him) Rich was also in my gifted class. Failure is a lesson that gifted students
    don't have experience in, generally being smarter than their peers, parents and
    grandparents.. I try to teach them to fail and survive! And they do, and we
    laugh, and we work. Mind you, my program is NOT based on failure--I thought I
    would add that because I can just see the emails NOW ;-)

    Only 17 more days...I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,

    San D 

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