We invite you to uncover
the truth about educating your gifted child.
It is a myth that
gifted children always do well in school... In fact, the more gifted the child, the more likely you will find the child to
be struggling in the traditional school setting. They struggle with the academic structure of sequential and auditory learning
as well as the social, moral and intellectual differences between themselves and their peers. In order for the student to
do well he or she must be able to sit passively, receive the information and be able to recite it back or fill in the correct
answers on a written test. The truth is: gifted children often experience frustration, bullying and underachievement in school.
Without
a supportive environment gifted children become more susceptable to social and emotional disturbances such as: (a) perfectionism,
(b) supersensitivy, (c) social isolation, and (d) sensory overexcitability (Delisle, 1986; Dixon & Scheckel, 1996; Fleith,
1998; Hayes & Sloat, 1989). Driven by a self-oriented or socially prescribed perfectionism, the individual establishes
high and rigid standards. To do the best is no longer enough and the individual feels frustrated no matter how well he/she
performs (Lajoie & Shore, 1981). Excessive concern about errors, in addition to high parental and societal expectations,
can result in depression and absence of self-worth. Many gifted youngsters believe they are only loved for their grades, honors,
and special abilities. As a result, they cannot tolerate making a mistake.
The gifted child learns and sees the world differently,
feels more deeply, understands comprehensively. These are differences, not defects. These characteristics are natural to the
gifted child and should not be changed to try to force success within the traditional school environment. Instead, the environment
must be changed to accommodate the special learning needs of the gifted child. It is this special learning environment that
Baywood Learning Center strives to create for gifted children.
Chronological age is one of the
least relevant factors in grouping gifted children. Studies have shown that gifted children do better when placed with children
who share interests regardless of age. At Baywood Learning Center different age groups are taught together, each student working
at their own pace. Classes are small, allowing teachers to develop a deeper connection with and a more personalized program
for each student.
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| with patience, we allow children to blossom |
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| like the wings of a butterfly or the petals of a flower... |
"The
truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:
A
human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.
To him... a touch is a blow,
a sound is a noise,
a
misfortune is a tragedy,
a joy is an ecstasy,
a friend is a lover,
a lover is a god,
and failure is
death.
Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that
without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him.
He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."
-Pearl S. Buck
Self Actualization, our Goal
“What
a man can be, he must be.”[8] This
forms the basis of the perceived need for self-actualization. This level of need pertains to what a person's full potential
is and realizing that potential. Maslow describes this desire as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become
everything that one is capable of becoming.[9] This
is a broad definition of the need for self-actualization, but when applied to individuals the need is specific. For example
one individual may have the strong desire to become an ideal parent, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in another
it may be expressed in painting, pictures, or inventions.[10] As mentioned
before, in order to reach a clear understanding of this level of need one must first not only achieve the previous needs,
physiological, safety, love, and esteem, but master these needs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_needs
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