My new screen name

[BobP]

I will be picking a new screen name...the day after St. Paddy's day and narrowed it down to a few options.

[azbackpackr]

[quote="Jeff . On a related note, I wrote a book report on "The Hunt for Red October" in 5th grade. My teacher gave me a "F" because " she thought that no 5th-grader could have read that book, and write a book report on it." I read the book myself, and wrote the report myself. My mom was pumpkined beyond belief because she knew the truth. She went down to Mercury Mine Elementary School to see the teacher, and ended up being the President of the PTA
I keep meaning to re-read "Red Storm Rising" by Larry Bond and "Sword Point" by Harold Coyle.

OK, now you are pushing my buttons. My sons read that sort of book in the 5th grade and even younger. Thankfully their teachers did know they could read at that level. (If you are familiar with a book that is often given to 6th graders, Where the Red Fern Grows--my elder son, the Marine, read that during the summer between 1st and 2nd grade). A friend of mine's daughter entered kindergarten already reading at the 4th grade level--she had taught herself to read with only a little help from mom. The teacher literally did not know what to do with her, and had never seen that level of reading in a kindergartener before.

Why do our gifted kids get so little help, have to be in classes that bore them and slow them down, are FORCED to tutor other kids, when other kids in the class are not doing that (teacher needs help, has a free aide in USING your gifted child--watch out!). Thankfully Amphi District in Tucson was pretty good for my kids, and had an interesting gifted program as well. Gifted kids are very much at risk of getting bored, angry with school, and very disillusioned by the time they are in middle school, and this also puts them more at risk of being attracted to doing drugs, etc. I wish I could have afforded a small private school education for them, but that was not in the cards. Another option is home schooling but I would not have been good at that due to the difficulty I always had at home of keeping discipline with two very rowdy boys. And my daughter would not have wanted home schooling--she loved school.

Ok, off topic. I enjoy that book, too, Hunt for Red October, and the movie was also ok except they cast that lousy actor, Alec Baldwin, in it.

[snakemarks]

I kind of like, "P-jamy"!

[Jeffshadows]

I'm going to change mine to "Rear Admiral Pinckney Prescott III." Anyone who gets that reference without googling it gets a free beer when he or she comes to Tucson! ;)

Lordy. I haven't read any of the Richard Marcinko books in years. I'll take a Monkeyshines, please.

I'll have to make sure you're not putting me on...over beers, of course!

I was a huge fan of the Red Cell books. On a related note, I wrote a book report on "The Hunt for Red October" in 5th grade. My teacher gave me a "F" because " she thought that no 5th-grader could have read that book, and write a book report on it." I read the book myself, and wrote the report myself. My mom was pumpkined beyond belief because she knew the truth. She went down to Mercury Mine Elementary School to see the teacher, and ended up being the President of the PTA
I keep meaning to re-read "Red Storm Rising" by Larry Bond and "Sword Point" by Harold Coyle.

I had a similar problem, by chance! I wrote this satirical piece called the "Hunt for Blue Crayola" back when I was a 6th grader. The poor English teacher was so confused. We got the biggest laugh about of her assuming I was talking about a bunch of guys searching the sea for a giant crayon.

[Jeffshadows]

Liz: I dealt with all of the issues you're describing, personally, and struggle with how I will get my own son through them when the time comes. Flowing Wells so poorly prepared me for even the UA (Despite taking every AP and Honors course they had) that I had to struggle to catch up to kids from CA and Phoenix in areas where I used to excel. I see the same thing now in folks who transfer into the UA Sciences from Pima. Many just give up and get a toilet-paper degree because they are outclassed. It's a problem we need to address, and the state seems to think the way to do it is by cutting education funding back even further.

...Probably because all of them have "Toilet-paper" degrees, if at all...

[BobP]

In response to snakemarks:
Yo dis be P-Jamy

[berkforbes]

I dunno where this belongs, but what exactly is a "flutin kokopelli"? and how did i become one? just curious..

[azbackpackr]

Liz: I dealt with all of the issues you're describing, personally, and struggle with how I will get my own son through them when the time comes. Flowing Wells so poorly prepared me for even the UA (Despite taking every AP and Honors course they had) that I had to struggle to catch up to kids from CA and Phoenix in areas where I used to excel. I see the same thing now in folks who transfer into the UA Sciences from Pima. Many just give up and get a toilet-paper degree because they are outclassed. It's a problem we need to address, and the state seems to think the way to do it is by cutting education funding back even further.

...Probably because all of them have "Toilet-paper" degrees, if at all...

Yeah, you know when my Jeff transferred over there to Flowing Wells, I recollect it was supposed to be an A+ school but I just didn't see it. I think Amphi is a better district, at least it was back then. It could have changed a lot in 10 years, though. Amazingly, in our little no-place high school, Round Valley, where my kids graduated, my daughter took several semesters of chemistry, which she later majored in at NAU. Plus, they offered physics, earth science, biology and astronomy. It was because of several dedicated teachers that this was possible. In general, though, here in the Redneck Alps, you have to consider, garbage in garbage out. We have a real problem with brain drain here. The median IQ is not real high. And kids with brains move away and don't come back to have families here. Typical of small towns.

Incidentally, I am working my butt off doing an online degree from NAU which is not science but is very heavy on writing skills. If I couldn't read or write as well as I do, there is no way... It is not easy, believe me. This past week I had to write and turn in 7, count em, 7 papers, and read a couple hundred pages of sociology journals and books in order to write the papers.

I just got back from the very first exercise I have had in 2 weeks, a 2.5 mile fast walk on the river trail. It felt good to get out in the warm sun!

[PaleoRob]

Why do our gifted kids get so little help, have to be in classes that bore them and slow them down, are FORCED to tutor other kids, when other kids in the class are not doing that (teacher needs help, has a free aide in USING your gifted child--watch out!).

Chiming in as an educator, I gotta say that the big thing (according to education research) is peer-tutoring, which is having advanced students help out with lower students. Some parents don't like it because they think it brings their higher kid down. Okay, I don't see that in the grades, but everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I do notice improvement in the lower students grades and behavior though. In addition it is a good life skill - honestly, how many times have we had to deal with someone who we thought was annoying, stupid, or not pulling their weight? If we can't teach kids to do that early they will never get that skill. I would also love to teach an honors 6th grade science class but we just don't have the money for advanced classes. If you want more services for advanced kids, go to school board meetings, protest, write letters, VOTE! That's what I do. Not that I've had much success so far...

[BobP]

In response to berkforbes:
Its based on number of posts...then when Joe decides you get a special one...like organicopelli. based on your spinach garden

[Jeffshadows]

Why do our gifted kids get so little help, have to be in classes that bore them and slow them down, are FORCED to tutor other kids, when other kids in the class are not doing that (teacher needs help, has a free aide in USING your gifted child--watch out!).

Chiming in as an educator, I gotta say that the big thing (according to education research) is peer-tutoring, which is having advanced students help out with lower students. Some parents don't like it because they think it brings their higher kid down. Okay, I don't see that in the grades, but everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I do notice improvement in the lower students grades and behavior though. In addition it is a good life skill - honestly, how many times have we had to deal with someone who we thought was annoying, stupid, or not pulling their weight? If we can't teach kids to do that early they will never get that skill. I would also love to teach an honors 6th grade science class but we just don't have the money for advanced classes. If you want more services for advanced kids, go to school board meetings, protest, write letters, VOTE! That's what I do. Not that I've had much success so far...

You're not wrong on any of your points; and they still do that at the university level. Seniors are expected to mentor underclassmen, etc.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I dunno where this belongs, but what exactly is a "flutin kokopelli"? and how did i become one? just curious..

Battlefield promotion. Did you play tuba or something in High School? Remember - anything you say can and will be used against you. Never ever comment on any thread that mentions skin.

[BobP]

[azbackpackr]

Why do our gifted kids get so little help, have to be in classes that bore them and slow them down, are FORCED to tutor other kids, when other kids in the class are not doing that (teacher needs help, has a free aide in USING your gifted child--watch out!).

Chiming in as an educator, I gotta say that the big thing (according to education research) is peer-tutoring, which is having advanced students help out with lower students. Some parents don't like it because they think it brings their higher kid down. Okay, I don't see that in the grades, but everyone is entitled to their beliefs. I do notice improvement in the lower students grades and behavior though. In addition it is a good life skill - honestly, how many times have we had to deal with someone who we thought was annoying, stupid, or not pulling their weight? If we can't teach kids to do that early they will never get that skill. I would also love to teach an honors 6th grade science class but we just don't have the money for advanced classes. If you want more services for advanced kids, go to school board meetings, protest, write letters, VOTE! That's what I do. Not that I've had much success so far...

It's like bicycle forums--two or three unrelated conversations going on in the same thread!

Anyway, I see what you are saying. My boys did complain about it--the peer tutoring--constantly, though--they really did not like it. I think some kids do enjoy it more than others. Of course, yes, they will have to be tutoring coworkers in adult life. And in fact both boys did end up in leadership roles which involve teaching younger people, although they are not actually school teachers.

I can see that being the classroom teacher would be frustrating, too, since you have so many variables to deal with. When you are the teacher you see the bigger picture, but when you are the parent, you just want your kid to be learning at the highest level he or she is capable of. You may not care too much about the other kids in the class. This may seem narrow-minded but it is a fact of parenting. There is definitely a single-mindedness aspect of parenting. (Another reason it is good for parents to get out and volunteer a lot, help other kids. I sure enjoyed doing that.)

[berkforbes]

lets hope joe doesnt upgrade (def not an upgarde) me to a skin flutin kokopelli lmao and no i am about as musically inclined as a rock..

i could live with the organicopelli or maybe even goatapelli..

i guess ill have to research my posts and find out where i went wrong..