From: brian@quake.sylmar.ca.us (Brian K. Yoder)
Subject: Re: Smart kids (Was Re: Magnet schools)
Organization: Quake Public Access
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 10:29:21 GMT

In article <Jan09.011315.62346@yuma.ACNS.ColoState.EDU> wayman@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Jeffrey Wayman) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.222319.19498@sequent.com> petel@sequent.com (Pete Lancashire) writes:

>>Or what about this kid, in a school where (s)he is put down by his, peers,
>>and in some cases by his parents, because he would not 'fit-in'. A kid
>>I was a mentor to this summer, (est IQ over 135) didn't want to get good
>>grades because he felt that he would not have any friends, and he did not
>>want to be a 'nurd and geek' ,his words, Also he had to make a choise between
>>basketball EVERYNIGHT of the week or homework, the school (big into
>>sports) and his parents felt that his basketball was more important and
>>these are direct observations and conservations with the school and his
>>parents, not my opion.

>I'm not entirely certain that extracurricular activities aren't as 
>important as academics in the situation of a tremendously gifted child.

I completely disagree.  What is school there for?  To provide the academic
foundation for the future, or to teach the students to "relate to"
immature personalities?  Why do you consider it so terribly important a
lesson to learn?  In the event that "fitting in" to that juvenile social
structure requires that one be "average", what are you advocating here?
I'll tell you, you are advocating the "curing" of geniuses of their gifts.
I can think of nothing more antithetical to the principles of proper education.

>Of course, being pushed into something is another story.  

But that IS what was happening in this particular case, and is a very common
situation.

>A student
>like this needs balance in his life more than anything.  

A "balance" between what and what?

Knowledge and ignorance?
Civilized adult behavior and irresponsible juvenile behavior?
Intellectualism and anti-intellectualism?
Reason and irrationality?
Achievement and failure?
Academic development and academic degeneration?

What are you afraid of?  Such a student actually progressing beyond the
point where his peers can catch up?

>Athletics
>(that's what was mentioned here) can provide that along with other
>experiences that can teach him as much as any classroom ever could.  

Such as?  Brutality uber alles?  The superior value of social consensus over
reason?  Please explain these valuable lessons and why they are so
terribly important.  I hear platitudes like that all the time, but I
seldom hear any kind of explanation attached. 

>If the kid likes something other than academics, let him at it. 

I agree with that, but the point here is that schools need to encourage
academic development, which is something that compared to the encouragement
offered for athletic prowess is practically nothing.

>>His math teacher was the only one who seemed to care, but she was new,
>>and (I can't blame her) didn't want to risk loosing her job. Both his
>>history and english teachers were basketball coaches.

>The only one who cared about what?  

About his intellectual development, of course.  You may have heard about the
good old days back when this was considered important in schools.

>I think coaches get a bad rap about only caring that kids get into sports.

I think it is quite well-deserved based on what I have seen.

>Granted, there will be those coaching zealots who only care that a kid
>can play, but I'd guess 98% of the high school coaches have the kid's
>interest in mind.  And yes, I thought about that statement!!  :-)

I think that is absurd.  MOST coaches care about WINNING more than anything
else.  Of the rest, you may be right, but they see the "kid's interest"
as being athletic development, "school spirit", and the like.  Whether their
intent is to "help kids" is irrelevant if they have a false view of where
that interest actually lies.

--Brian

Newsgroups: misc.education