At your age.... or the whole is more than the sum of the parts

I recently caught up with a school friend for the first time in many, many years. Seven months ago as she was training to compete in a national level event she was knocked from her bicycle by a car. She is fortunate to be recovering from her injuries but the process of rehabilitation will continue for quite some time yet. One thing which she has found particularly frustrating is the attitude that she should be satisfied with gains she has made. Apparently the phrase 'at your age' has passed the lips of a number of her specialists. 

It struck me that it is much the same in education. Expectations are often based on age, regardless of potential or possible capabilities. My friend was an athlete in peak condition, highly attuned to her body and she is well aware of what her body was capable of and her limits. Many gifted children are not in such a fortunate position, never discovering their limits as a result of being constrained by what would be expected 'at their age'.

 

Another frustration my friend faces is the fact that she was is considered as a 'whole' but rather as separate parts particularly when she was first injured. Each body part was treated in isolation, the knee person only looking at her knee without anyone appearing to consider how that might impact on her also injured hip and so on. While these specialists undoubtedly have specialist knowledge the fact that there is no overview or plan that considers her in an integrated way restricts her progress.

Many students are frustrated by the compartmentalized nature of curriculum subject areas, and gifted students in particular often need the big picture in order to make sense of things learned in isolation. In much the same way as there is a need to treat the body as a whole, planning for the academic needs of gifted students without also planning for their social or emotional needs is likely to limit the effectiveness of the intervention.

photo Stuart Miles