Older A qualified for the "gifted" program in elementary school on his first try. We just learnt that little A didn't make it through the second round of testing, while she had performed exceedingly well in the first round. While it is unfair to compare, one cannot help it sometimes.
Older A is a good student...very conscientious, thorough and quite competitive when needed. I particularly appreciate his tenacity to overcome any shortcoming with a determined push - be it a math problem or a new piece on the violin. But I think his thinking is quite "in the box". Which is not such a bad thing in and of itself. I can see him doing well in almost all the tests that come his way as he grows up and securing a decent job, in keeping with expectations. Kind of like me in a way. Quite a textbook case I was, in my opinion.
Little A, however is more a free spirit. She likes to do things her way, is extremely independent and refuses to accept help. While that self-reliance is a good trait, it sometimes gets in the way of her learning. Plus, she only opens up and wants to learn when she is in the "mood". Sigh. While I feel disappointed that she didn't make it through the test, I think of all the times she has surprised me with her completely "out of the box" thinking. She flashes glimpses of her keen intellect with incisive questions and well-articulated thoughts. She doesn't mind sitting and watching a science or space show on TV for a few hours without batting an eyelid. Just when I think she couldn't possibly absorb all that material, she comes back a couple of days later with a question that boggles my mind. I am amazed at the amount of knowledge she has gleaned from the kids shows on PBS!
I truly believe that both kids will turn out fine, in spite of their differing personalities. What it takes is loving guidance and patience from us adults. In the competitive environment we are in these days, it is easy to gloss over the fact that they are still kids and it is their time to discover their strengths and weaknesses on their own and deal with the challenges that come their way in their own unique way. Each kid is "gifted" in different ways and it is up to us to coax it out of them so they discover their talents and grow them as they mature. While we may not have all the answers, we owe it to them to provide them that freedom and opportunities for self-discovery.
Meanwhile, regardless of whether they are "in the box" thinkers or "out of the box" thinkers, their journey of discovery is a joy to watch. Each "aha" moment, each heartfelt "yessss" of accomplishment, is a baby step towards uncovering their hidden potential. The key is to be true to themselves and always keep an open mind. These experiences are little pieces of the complex puzzle that will define who they are.
To hidden potential!
Older A is a good student...very conscientious, thorough and quite competitive when needed. I particularly appreciate his tenacity to overcome any shortcoming with a determined push - be it a math problem or a new piece on the violin. But I think his thinking is quite "in the box". Which is not such a bad thing in and of itself. I can see him doing well in almost all the tests that come his way as he grows up and securing a decent job, in keeping with expectations. Kind of like me in a way. Quite a textbook case I was, in my opinion.
Little A, however is more a free spirit. She likes to do things her way, is extremely independent and refuses to accept help. While that self-reliance is a good trait, it sometimes gets in the way of her learning. Plus, she only opens up and wants to learn when she is in the "mood". Sigh. While I feel disappointed that she didn't make it through the test, I think of all the times she has surprised me with her completely "out of the box" thinking. She flashes glimpses of her keen intellect with incisive questions and well-articulated thoughts. She doesn't mind sitting and watching a science or space show on TV for a few hours without batting an eyelid. Just when I think she couldn't possibly absorb all that material, she comes back a couple of days later with a question that boggles my mind. I am amazed at the amount of knowledge she has gleaned from the kids shows on PBS!
I truly believe that both kids will turn out fine, in spite of their differing personalities. What it takes is loving guidance and patience from us adults. In the competitive environment we are in these days, it is easy to gloss over the fact that they are still kids and it is their time to discover their strengths and weaknesses on their own and deal with the challenges that come their way in their own unique way. Each kid is "gifted" in different ways and it is up to us to coax it out of them so they discover their talents and grow them as they mature. While we may not have all the answers, we owe it to them to provide them that freedom and opportunities for self-discovery.
Meanwhile, regardless of whether they are "in the box" thinkers or "out of the box" thinkers, their journey of discovery is a joy to watch. Each "aha" moment, each heartfelt "yessss" of accomplishment, is a baby step towards uncovering their hidden potential. The key is to be true to themselves and always keep an open mind. These experiences are little pieces of the complex puzzle that will define who they are.
To hidden potential!
No comments:
Post a Comment