On 'Giftedness'

I will freely admit that I am widely considered a ‘gifted’ child. Since the beginning years of elementary school, I have been set apart by my parents and peers for being smart. I will also freely admit that I have not disliked being considered in such a way. As a child, I considered ‘giftedness’ to be a gift, but I now consider it a curse.
The main problem with the whole idea of ‘giftedness’ is that it is misleading. Setting a child aside from their peers, even in a positive way is alienating to someone so young as six. As a ‘gifted’ child, expectations were different for me, and I was tasked with more work than other children, not necessarily harder work, just more. ‘Gifted’ children ought to be given work that challenges them, not simply given more work.
Until eighth grade, I had never encountered any schoolwork that challenged me. School was fun for me, though somewhat boring because the work was quite easy. When I entered the accelerated English program at my local university, I was in no way prepared to actually work. This illustrates the true failings of the concept of ‘giftedness’. School is supposed to prepare you for life, but all it teaches ‘gifted’ kids is that they should be able to figure anything out instantaneously. I learned that being smart meant not needing to be taught, something that is blatantly untrue.
Determining ‘gifted’ kids and keeping them on the same track as other kids is not useful. When they reach subjects that are actually difficult for them, they wash out. If you have never worked before, you don’t know how when it comes time to work. And that is the true failing of the system I grew up in.
(I’m sorry if this post has been a bit rambling. I was not very articulate in my ideas.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chorus of the Day!

I'm on my way
Driving at ninety down those country lanes
Singing to "Tiny Dancer"
And I miss the way you make me feel, and it's real
We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill

Last Chorus of the Day:
Daughters by John Mayer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
La! ~SCP