Back in the Day

This meme was on my feed yesterday.  I laughed and sent it on to a fellow teacher. We used to hate the term Gifted and Talented. Too many times, it seemed, kids went into that class that were smart, yes, but who didn't do the work. We thought they might need a bit more accountability. 

Then, thinking on this, I've realized that this meme might be more sad but true. I started at Groton in 1984, the time of G & T classes. Thinking on what we know now and what we didn't know then, Gifted and Talented classes might have been in the forefront of coming to terms with students and learning disabilities. Maybe the people who came up with G & T had the right idea. 

Some people think that there's too many labels today, but as a sub, I've seen kids in middle school struggling who become independent students in high school. Giving support in the 90s might not have been perfect, but it was the beginning of realizing what some students were dealing with.

Thank goodness for the dedicated people working with students who need time to grow and learn how to deal with life when different from the 'norm.' 

And to answer that question: I hope they're doing okay!

Back to the Future