I read the article "The Art of Genius" by Michael Michalko. After reading this article I can understand why geniuses can have a tough time in school. Instead of supplying the correct answer in a timely fashion as we expect most students to do, the genius wants to look at the problem in many different ways. In school we are constantly going from one subject to the next,trying to fill as much knowledge into the students as possible within a limited school year.This format does not allow the students time to explore every avenue of a situation. A student who would spend his time trying to analyze the movement of a plate, or some other object, would probably be labeled a day dreamer or unfocused. In our classrooms we don't always have the time to encourage individual learning and that is probably one of the biggest disadsvantages in our current school systems. As teachers we try to encourage students but we are also caught in the system that demands expectations from each child and a time limit on those expectations.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 1999

Answers

Hi Dianne! I wholeheartedly agree with you. I feel that we move way too fast. I would like to see more time spent so that children can explore and actually learn the concept before we move on to the next. It feels like a race that starts in September and goes at breakneck speed until June. If we were able to take the time to begin with, maybe we wouldn't have to keep reteaching the same concepts each year.

-- Anonymous, January 26, 1999

Hi Dianne! I also read this article and share your views! We try to cram in so much content in a very limited time and we really only have time to brush the surface of most topics. This must be so frustrating for those creative geniuses that are sitting in our classrooms. They are there ready to explore all angles and possibilities and we are pushing them on to a new area. This article reminded me that we need to be asking more thought provoking questions that encourage students to think in different ways. We have trained them very well to find the one "right answer" now it is time to train them to look beyond that answer!

-- Anonymous, January 31, 1999

Hi Dianne! My name is Mary Chairs and I'm the new discussion facilitator. I teach in the Communication Dept. at UMD. Your comments were "right on." I wonder if we could recognize a genius in our classrooms with the way that we must currently teach. Most assuredly, as you note, we would not have time to encourage them when we have time lines we are required to meet. But reading articles like this serves to remind us that there are different types of intelligence and creativity as well as different learning styles. Did you discuss this article with your colleagues. It would be interesting to hear their thoughts also. Keep up the insightful reading!

-- Anonymous, February 09, 1999