Gifted and Talented Programs

[MamaLema]

I guess my perception of most G/T programs is that the kids in the program are usually pretty geeky (sorry, that is just an impression).

Um, no that's not the case. I look at it this way. There are kids who are stuggling in school so they go to programs to help them. This is the same thing. It's a program filling a different need for other kids.

For one hour a week, I wouldn't do it. In DS' school, it's one full day a week.

 

[simba928]

I have been in gifted (we call it Challenge) since 3rd grade. I am now in 10th grade. Elementary school was definitly, 100% worth it. I loved the teacher. I loved the activites she did. She was one of those teachers, though, that went way above and beyond. We had these things called Big New Words that we did at the beginning of class, which we had once a week for about 2 hours each week. They were vocabulary words, but they were SAT words. She would say the word and we would guess how to spell it. Then she she would give us the correct spelling and the definition. Anybody that spelled it right the first time got a sticker. At the end of the year, she had a huge pool party at a local community pool where she worked as a life guard in the summers. Anybody that had a certain number of stickers could go. But, the last day of Challenge, she would spend the whole class doing Big New Words if she needed to to make sure that everyone could go to the party. We did so many things in her class. It was a blast. Also, she would plan things like field trips that have to do with certain careers. For example, she would take a bunch of people to a veterinarians office. The vet would talk to them about the job and then they would "operate" on little stuffed animals.

Middle School was OK. It was very different, though. We had it once or twice a week for 1 period (about 45 minutes). We did a lot of things, too. We wrote a book for a first grader starring them. We also invented toys and stuff. We did a lot of things with careers and stuff. The teacher would find out what you wanted to do and she would plan trips. For example, people that were interested in journalism or weather went to a local television news set and watched a taping of the noon news and talked to the weather guy and stuff. People interested in animals went on a behind the scenes tour of the zoo.

High School is pointless. It is basically an excuse to skip school and nobody takes it seriously. We don't have class. At the beginning of the year, you fill out a survey. Based on that survey, the teacher will plan things people are interested in. If she finds something you might be interested in, she will hunt you down in class, talk to you for about 5 minutes, hand you a permission slip, tell you its due tomorrow, and leave. That is basically the only contact you have with her unless you go on field trips. Last year she wanted to make us read certain books every 9-weeks and then we would have a meeting to discuss each book. Everyone went to the first meeting, but only a few read the book. For the second book, a few people went to the meeting, but only 1 person actually read the book. I think she just gave up after that. LOL. I really don't get the point of it.

 

[mantysk8coach]

I was a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) kid. I hardly remember it. I have no idea how or why I got chosen for it. If I remember correctly, we were pulled out of class for an hour a week and got to go do different things. I really don't remember what we even did.

I was only in it in grade school. I didn't go on to take AP classes, or have college scholarships come rolling in.

I really can say that it did nothing for me at all, I went because that's what I was told to do, but I can't say that I got a thing out of it. Kids who didn't understand what it was and why I got to leave class every week asked questions all the time about where I was going, and why, etc. I never really knew how to answer.

Just gave them one more thing to pick on me about. Elementary school was not a good experience for me for the most part.

 

[ozarkmom]

My son was in gt from 3rd through 7th grade. He's in the 8th now and had to drop it to take another class he was interested in. He really enjoyed the program in elementary school. He did science projects (he likes science) he learned new ways to think and look at things. He learned chess, he visited plays and the ballet (he'd have never agreed to these on his own) he went to the Heifer project twice. He also was in quiz bowl up until this year. Now as far as geeky he's not. My ds has been an athlete since he started t ball at 4 yrs. old. He also plays football and played basketball until last year. He is popular and apparently at least here being smart is not a bad thing anymore. I remember the gt teacher telling me that she had kids coming to her wanting to be tested. My ds was rather shy and even though his teachers always commented on his intelligence they would remark that he didn't really want to speak up in class etc. He's really come out of that as a matter of fact he has taught himself to play the guitar and is putting a band together. I really feel that it was good for him. Of course every school's program is different.

 

[Puffy2]

Of course you want them to do the program - it's their ticket to better classes, teachers, resources for the future (right or wrong, it will give them an advantage over the other students).

Heck, there are even parents out there now who spend big bucks to tutor their preschoolers so that they will test high enough to be put in the "gifted" program. And why do they do it? Because they know that the so called average (and above average) (and below average) students ultimately get the shaft. So, it it were me, I would play the game and put them in the program. Congrats.

 

[buddy&wooz]

I've seen the best and worst of pull out G/T programs, all in our same schools! My oldest and middle sons have done it. For my oldest, he was bored, the teacher would just give them extra assignments on topics he wasn't at all interested in. A real waste IMO. But for his younger brother, it's been great. New teacher for the past 4 years has been wonderful, really trying to find topics that the kids can dig into. Plus part of it is personalities, my middle son is more self-driven than his older brother.

But that said, there are only 4 kids out of 120 in his class (7th grade) who are in G/T. Many more qualify, but I guess their families didn't find it worth missing regular classwork for.

So, in a nutshell - it depends, but give it a try!

 

[beckmrk04]

I was in a G/T program in gradeschool- I hated it; of course, I went to a tiny school and out of the 7 (yes, seven) kids in my class, I was the only one who qualified. So, of course, I was relentlessly shamed for being smart.

That said- my G/T program was a waste of time, but I bet others would be really great. And I relished being smart- so the other kids pulling in D's making fun of me didn't really bother me too much- because now that I'm 25, I know where I am and where they are- and let's just say I'd rather be in my shoes any day.

We moved schools, and I went on to do AP classes/Honors classes in high school- and I really must say that I feel that because of that I was much more prepared for college than some of my friends or even my sis, who was in regular classes.

Maybe that's just how our school worked, but if you ask around, I would definitely give the G/T a try. My experience was more due to the fact that I was the only one in my grade in it and the program was incredibly lame (I'm still not sure how buliding a tower out of dry spaghetti noodles and duck tape helped further my education, but whatever- it didn't hurt me either! )

 

[paigevz]

My son is in G/T. He definitely isn't geeky.........plays football, wears all the "in" things, knows all the buzz words, says he's in the "cool kids" clique at school..............

At his last school, I didn't think it did much for him, because he was with teachers who advanced him in the classroom. It did give him the label so they'd know he needed the advancement, but they were great teachers and would've figured it out.

At this school, though, the 2 hours weekly he's pulled out for it, and 2 hours weekly for "talent pool" which all G/T kids go to, and some kids who are not identified but do well for that subject, are the only times I think he's actually challenged. They give homework too, which is the only homework he actually needs to do at home, and I rather enjoy him doing SOMETHING for homework, as before he was retested at this school (they wouldn't accept the other school's testing), he was doing nothing at home.

So I guess I would've said it was no big deal if you'd asked a year ago, but after seeing him for a few months without it..........yes, I think it's worth it.