Gifted Education

I had an interesting conversation with some of the neighbors while at Hannah's (Mitch and Doreen's dog) birthday celebration this weekend. Now, I had just inhaled two bowls of what was quite possibly the best chili Mitch has ever made which, as you might know, means the best chili I've ever had. I had been asked how my new job was going, if I liked it, etc., and after answering "well" and "yes," respectively and rather enthusiastically, I began explaining why my experience was also quite fascinating to me.

The school I work it could not be more different from the schools I have attended in the past. It is a small, very small, private school in the north west suburbs of Chicago. That in and of itself would be enough to make it starkly different than my educational experience. It also happens to be a school for "gifted" children. Now, there are all kinds of implications with the word "gifted," some good, some bad (actually when I first told Dave that I would be working at a school for gifted kids, he asked if it was Professor Xavier's school- think X-Men), but I feel I've been able to keep an open mind about the whole idea.

Initially, thoughts like "these kids are going to be smarter than me," crossed my mind. The teachers that I met before school began repeated over and over how "different" the kids were, and that I was sure to have the same feeling. I have to say, however, that had I not been set up to look for the signs of "giftedness" (I have a problem with the use of this word in this context, but I'll save that for later) I probably would have thought nothing of all the quirkiness walking around the halls. I have to admit though, I may have noticed a rather high incidence of nerdy/geeky/awkward-ness even if I wasn't told about it outright. When the kids skip recess for chess class, or when the Diablo and Devilsticks are the games of choice on the playground instead of kickball and football, one begins to wonder. Not to say that it's wrong or strange by any means, it's just not what I have observed elsewhere and certainly would lead me to believe there is something different about this school.

Now I have been developing my own impression of the overall (meaning this includes academic, social, behavioral, emotional, financial, etc.) cost/benefit breakdown of the idea of "gifted" schooling since I had my interview and I have to admit I have changed my mind a few times. This is where the conversation went over the course of my second bowl of chili. I was asked what I thought of the whole thing, was it worth paying for? Was it worth missing out on all the social growth one could gain by learning how to navigate in a diverse social setting like a public school? Did I think it was all about the parents? I knew that the parties asking the questions already had an opinion on the matter, and I also had a pretty good idea what that opinion was. So I began my answer with the skepticism that I felt before I began working here (some of which has not been lost). First of all, and I was not the one to say this, but I think it's worth noting; every parent thinks or wants to think that their kid is gifted. Why wouldn't you? Having a child is the crowning achievement in many people's lives. Therefore, when we start separating the "gifted" from those who then get labeled by default as "not gifted," we cultivate feelings of anger, disappointment, and jealousy for the parents and in some cases, the kids themselves. There is also the argument that because these kids are told they are "gifted" (which in so many movies, comics, stories, etc. is how super heroes are described) they get a swollen head and, without the jocks and bullies of public (or not gifted) schools around to cut them down every once in a while they can not handle criticism later in life. There is also the general question of whether homogeny is really good for students of any kind (more or less because of all the questions raised in the previous statements).

I have to say, I can not disagree with any of those arguments, nor can I say that I don't worry about some of the kids at my school for those reasons or other similar ones. However, I have warmed up to the idea that "gifted" ("gifted" does not necessarily mean "homogenous") schools can be beneficial on several levels. One thing I want to say right away is that, though the students here tend toward the nerdy/geeky side of the social spectrum, this is still a school and the same social structure does develop itself here as any other. There are still cliques, social hierarchy, inclusions and exclusions, fights (though they are usually rather pathetic), disagreements, and diversity of all kinds throughout the school (and just like every other group of kids, they cannot agree upon the rules of Four Square if their lives depended on it). Just because the kids here have been "separated" into a single group does not make them all completely the same by any means. This being the case, I believe that they are, in fact, getting the social education they need to navigate life beyond the walls of this school. They may still be in for a bit of a shock when they move on the another school. Perhaps they were a big shot here and will be right at the bottom of the pecking order at their next school, but does that not happen everywhere? In fact, spending some time at the top is not really a bad thing for the nerds and geeks of the world, it is certainly an opportunity that is not afforded to them in most other schools. The way I see it, these kids are being prepared sufficiently to handle the next step in their lives both academically and socially. Is there more that could be done? Yes. Are they missing out on some social interactions that might prepare them for the world? Yes, but so are kids in most schools (they are just missing out on different things). I guess I can not say I do or do not support "gifted" academic schools like the one where I work. They are what they are, and they do what they do. Are they worth the price of tuition when other schools are free? Again, it depends very much on the child's disposition (more so than his or her "gifted-ness," I believe), how much the price of tuition affects the family's financial situation and what the alternatives are in the area in which they live.

On the lighter side of things I want to say that I have really enjoyed getting to know the students and the faculty here. There are some fantastic people here that I am proud to call my colleagues/mentors/friends all of whom do excellent work for the children they teach.