But isn’t it somewhat disturbing to be labeled like that? What if you’re the kid whose mom lists your labels after your name? Sure, labels can be challenging. You might be determined enough to break the bondage of your diagnosis. Being known as “shy” as a child, for example, made me want to do everything possible to shed that stigma. (Note to self: why is shyness a stigma--good topic for another day!) But labels can also cripple. Being known as “shy” was limiting to me. Sure, I was shy—but there was a lot more to me than my shyness.
Why do people want to label their kids by one facet of their composition? The whole “gifted” thing rubs me the wrong way. I find it painful to read a post on a homeschooling loop that says something like, “My child has been tested as gifted. Is it possible to get him into the talented-and-gifted program at our local public school but still homeschool him?” And then someone will write back, totally serious: “Yes! Your child is considered special needs, so you have a right to have an IEP for him.” Why in the world would you want your gifted child in the TAG program at your local school? Why not just create your own TAG program? Isn’t that what homeschooling is all about? I must be missing something. And why do we need to test our kids to find out if they are “gifted”? Isn’t that diagnosis really for the parent? I know that my 13-year-old doesn’t need to know if he is officially gifted. He has a big enough head already. (Kidding, Jesse!)
When I hear labels, I see chains. Small boxes. Identifying marks on the forehead. Label parties (“Hi, I’m Joe, and I’m gifted!” “Nice to meet you! I’m Jane, and I’m ODD/OCD!”). No thanks! We’ll take the smorsgasbord.
Comments
Thursday, June 8, 2006 - oh dear
Posted by eclecticityTia
it's happened again. Synchronicity, I mean. Here you are talking about labels and such the day after I recieved an envelope containing every single test and report card I had growing up. Most of them were hand written until high school and I spent a long time looking over them, reliving labels. I was "gifted" at three and enrolled in K, had "exeptional" and "top ranked" reading and comprehension/analyzing scores. Alongside, "lazy" and "disorganized" and "distracted". "Tia could be great if only she'd apply herself......"
Thursday, June 8, 2006 - Don't you wonder if ...
Posted by arajbrown
as much as parents don't want to be alone in a struggle, they also find some pride and satisfaction in being the parent of "the gifted one" ... so often, I have found that gifted kids who were academically gifted, but lacking in some other area of development ... and parents wanted to use 'giftedness' to explain away some character weakness.
This brings me back to the question I often pose to myself as I wade through my "what are my goals" for this time ... am I doing school at home or am I home-educating my child. I can't resist a posting on my blog to follow in the next few days!
Just for the record, I believe all children are exceptional/gifted in one are or another! Some are just more valued by our society!
Friday, June 9, 2006 - Tia Has Been Waiting ...
Posted by Dad2Three
... for an excuse to tell everyone how gifted she is.
- Dad2Three (who is kidding, of course)
Friday, June 9, 2006 - my biggest reason for Homeschooling....
Posted by jenmcintyre
was to avoid all the labeling. I personally hated it in school. I was so afraid of what it would do to my first born to be labeled. (And I knew she would be.) She still bristles if you tell her she is pretty.
