I'm bringing this over from the hothouse thread. I think we need a term for this inability to see the intelligence of highly gifted children. Any suggestions? Have you seen this? Did you live it?

How about ignorance

Oh boy, Trinity, you hit my hot button. I was mislabeled ADHD in third grade.
By 10th grade I was tracked for beauty school.
Not kidding.
My mom made them give me an IQ test.
OOOPs
It was too late, I was used to staring out the windows by then, although I scored high enough on my ACT test to get into college, even though I stopped going to school for about a year and had many incompletes and F's senior year.
It can happen and it is very, very bad.
However, it won't happen to any of the kids with parents on this board, that is certain.

Incog

My DS9 was very much in a box at school. Just doing what he needed to, not making waves, staring out the window when bored, etc. His 2nd grade teacher didn't get him at all and didn't recommend him for the GT program although he met the scores (laws in our state have changed since then). She kept him out of the GT program and I haven't quite forgiven her completely. His 3rd grade teacher had him a week and wanted to know why I didn't have him in the GT program!!! She brought him out of his box in her room and happily he has stayed out and is his interesting, creative self at school that he is at home. It is interesting how one teacher can see what another one is completely blind to.

So true! Even my already-GT-IDd kid was invisible to his 1st grade teacher. Sometimes people see only what they want to see.

I like ignorance, or hubris: ala "I know everything there is to know about kids, and you don't because you're not a teacher." Ugh.

Trinity - you are on fire!

incogneto - that is a shocking and sad story. My own elementary school experience was similiar. And it really makes me sad to think there are kids out there now in a situation whose parents don't have the time, energy, or resources to truly know and advocate for their child. They could easily fall through the cracks.

I've come to the conclusion that my GT kid is essentially invisible at our school. Around 40% of kids are designated GT by a NNAT > 92 or by portfolio (ie. borderline NNAT score + hothoused preschooler). So in the school's eyes, they are all the same. Whether they are performing at grade level (which most are), or years ahead of grade level. And it is just ignorance. There is a regular steady population of level 3+ kids through our school, but they aren't really served.

This absolutely happened when dd started K. I had told the teacher at the open house night before school started that dd was reading and I had asked if she had suggestions for books. She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Oh, I can't really think of any in particular".

We were only at this school for the first 3 months of K and then we moved to NV but before we left dd had gotten a progress report from her teacher. She had marked dd "at grade level" or below in every subject INCLUDING reading, of which hardly any of the other kids were doing yet. Two weeks later we were in NV and at our new school. Within a week I was told that they needed to do some testing with dd since she seemed quite advanced. A few weeks later I was told academically she tested out at 2nd grade level with her reading at 2nd grade as well. She was too advanced for any of the K work, but they didnt want to skip her yet due to maturity issues (and the fact that she had only just turned 5) and so all year she did accelerated work.

How did the first teacher not see this at all? My answer: Gifted blindness. Thank goodness we had to move! I can't imagine where dd would be right now if she was still in that school.

Tammiane - that is so annoying! My son's entire report card this fall said "AS EXPECTED" for every subject. You expect 1st graders to be working years above grade level? Ok - impressive. And he scored below that level in MUSIC. He's been taking piano for a year and a half and can nail minuets, etc. I did send an e-mail to the music teacher on that one. It's almost like if they acknowledge they're ahead of grade level, they'll have to do something about it.

May I join the club?

I do not think DD's teacher gets her at all. She is very well meaning, listens to what I say, but I do not think she actually believes for a moment that DD is that gifted. Bright? yes. Gifted? not really... After all she is not reading or doing maths yet.

So incredibly frustrating, isn't it Isa?