LEAP Failure
Our school system has a program for elementary grades called L.E.A.P. - what us dinosaurs used to call the Gifted and Talented program. If you get accepted you are pulled out of class for an hour each week to work with the LEAP teacher.
In Kindergarten and 1st grade there are multiple opportunities through the year - the LEAP teacher poses a question and then based on the student's level of interest and their response they may or may not be selected.
For 2nd and 3rd grade it is different. They evaluate students based on standardized testing scores from the prior year, as well as their prior year teacher evaluation which includes four standards: leadership, creativity, learning & motivation. Colin was included in LEAP for one session in Kindergarten, in the 2nd session in 1st grade, and was selected for LAL (language arts) but not math in 2nd grade.
This year he was not selected for LAL or Math. He was disappointed but seemed to get over it. Then there was a new opportunity: LEAP Strings. The students had to write an essay describing why they wanted to be in the program, and telling something about themselves. Colin spoke with Grandma Lulu about her background in strings, and she told him about the various instruments she played, and even offered that Colin could have her (child-size) violin and viola. At first he didn't want to even submit an application, but after talking I discovered that he was just afraid he wouldn't be selected.
We had a long chat and I offered comparisons he could relate to... if I don't ever step up to bat in baseball I can't ever get a hit or a homerun, can I? I might strike out, but at least I'll have a chance. He turned a corner and was actually excited about this, and decided that he wanted to try to play the viola "because it has the deeper tone".
Now, I could have edited and polished his essay, but I wanted this to be his. To be genuine from a 3rd grader. So we typed it up, but otherwise the essay was truly his.
Yesterday Colin came out of school with his head hung low. "Mommy," he almost whispered, "I didn't get elected for LEAP Strings. The stupid math nerds got in, but I didn't. I'm a failure!"
And yes, my heart broke into pieces. I started thinking about what I did wrong. I should have helped him edit better. I could have polished his response more. And anyway what was the criteria for selection??? The bottom line, as with most things dealing with the arts, is that it was probably entirely subjective. Maybe he picked the "math nerd" kids because he felt the would be more focused. Maybe Colin's essay wasn't good enough. Maybe-maybe-maybe...
We can certainly try and get him lessons elsewhere, but that doesn't change how Colin feels right now. And you can see it... he definitely just phoned it in with his homework last night. He reading assignment required a drawing - what he submitted was similar to the drawings he did in preschool. And honestly I wasn't going to push it at that moment. He was already dejected, so I let it go.
The question now is how do we move forward? We're considering tutoring (Kumon? Mathnasium? Something else?) but more importantly we need to figure out a way to help Colin understand that homework and school are not about just doing the bare minimum. This isn't a deposition where you're expected to give the shortest, most basic answer possible. And frankly right now we don't know how to get there. Ah... the joys of parenting.
In Kindergarten and 1st grade there are multiple opportunities through the year - the LEAP teacher poses a question and then based on the student's level of interest and their response they may or may not be selected.
For 2nd and 3rd grade it is different. They evaluate students based on standardized testing scores from the prior year, as well as their prior year teacher evaluation which includes four standards: leadership, creativity, learning & motivation. Colin was included in LEAP for one session in Kindergarten, in the 2nd session in 1st grade, and was selected for LAL (language arts) but not math in 2nd grade.
This year he was not selected for LAL or Math. He was disappointed but seemed to get over it. Then there was a new opportunity: LEAP Strings. The students had to write an essay describing why they wanted to be in the program, and telling something about themselves. Colin spoke with Grandma Lulu about her background in strings, and she told him about the various instruments she played, and even offered that Colin could have her (child-size) violin and viola. At first he didn't want to even submit an application, but after talking I discovered that he was just afraid he wouldn't be selected.
We had a long chat and I offered comparisons he could relate to... if I don't ever step up to bat in baseball I can't ever get a hit or a homerun, can I? I might strike out, but at least I'll have a chance. He turned a corner and was actually excited about this, and decided that he wanted to try to play the viola "because it has the deeper tone".
Now, I could have edited and polished his essay, but I wanted this to be his. To be genuine from a 3rd grader. So we typed it up, but otherwise the essay was truly his.
Yesterday Colin came out of school with his head hung low. "Mommy," he almost whispered, "I didn't get elected for LEAP Strings. The stupid math nerds got in, but I didn't. I'm a failure!"
And yes, my heart broke into pieces. I started thinking about what I did wrong. I should have helped him edit better. I could have polished his response more. And anyway what was the criteria for selection??? The bottom line, as with most things dealing with the arts, is that it was probably entirely subjective. Maybe he picked the "math nerd" kids because he felt the would be more focused. Maybe Colin's essay wasn't good enough. Maybe-maybe-maybe...
We can certainly try and get him lessons elsewhere, but that doesn't change how Colin feels right now. And you can see it... he definitely just phoned it in with his homework last night. He reading assignment required a drawing - what he submitted was similar to the drawings he did in preschool. And honestly I wasn't going to push it at that moment. He was already dejected, so I let it go.
The question now is how do we move forward? We're considering tutoring (Kumon? Mathnasium? Something else?) but more importantly we need to figure out a way to help Colin understand that homework and school are not about just doing the bare minimum. This isn't a deposition where you're expected to give the shortest, most basic answer possible. And frankly right now we don't know how to get there. Ah... the joys of parenting.
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