Was it easier to be the dumbest in a class of smart kids or the smartest in a class of average kids?
I typically teach three sections of gifted students and two sections of regular students with mainstreamed special education students mixed in. It is very easy for the "dumb" (I put that in quotes, because it usually really means unmotivated or underachieving) student in a class of smart kids to fail by doing nothing and going unnoticed. But it's also really hard to be the smartest kid in the average class because they lack challenge and get bored.
Last year, I had two students in my worst class who were the only As, and I had had them in my 7th grade class the year before, so I knew them well. So I told them they had "earned their way out" of that class and made the counselor put them in the GATE class, just to give them a better environment. Student A thrived in the new situation...her good friend was in the GATE class, she was thrilled by the challenges that the curriculum offered, and she was happy that she didn't have to deal with some of the "bad kids" in the previous class. She thanked me nearly every day for the rest of the year. Student B, however, ended up barely passing in the GATE class. She was shy and intimidated by students who were academically well ahead of her. She lacked the confidence to contribute at the level she could have, had she applied herself. I still maintain that it was in her best interest to move her, but she would have thought it "easier" to be a big fish in a little pond.
I really enjoyed this section! I've bought pizza for small groups of students and have eaten with them (always a mixed group or female only - never just boys, in a very public place), so I didn't have any problems with that idea. (I had a real issue in the last section with Clark offering to drive Lois home...that is a situation that can cause MAJOR problems). Teachers have to have a sense of where boundaries are and realize where completely innocent situations can be misinterpreted into gossip or accusations. I really enjoyed the banter between Lois and Clark - it showed that their natures are true to the L&C characters we love. I also understand why Clark would enjoy that...the students who question my bizzare theories or joke with me are the ones I enjoy teaching the most.
I'm looking forward to the next part!
