Gifted Kids' Bill of Rights - Right to Choose Pursuits
Monday June 29, 2009
The ninth right in Del Siegle's Gifted Kids' Bill of Rights concerns choice. Siegle believes that gifted kids have the right to decide for themselves which of their areas of interests they want to pursue. I agree with him.
Sometimes the adults in a gifted kid's life want to do the choosing. They may see that the child has exceptional abilities and talents in more than one area, math and music, for example. The child wants to pursue music, but the parents think the child should pursue science, perhaps medicine. The reasoning is sound for the parents, who want the best for their child. They worry that a career in music won't allow their child to make "good money." It could be the opposite, though. It could be that one of the parents always wanted a career in music, but went into medicine and now wants to see the child follow the path the parent left behind.
Of course a child's talents may lie in something other than music and math. Those were just examples. The point is that children should have some right to choose which of their talents and abilities they would like to pursue. Gifted kids with talents and abilities in a wide variety of areas may need help finding the right career, but they should be allowed to decide which path they want to pursue.
Sometimes the adults in a gifted kid's life want to do the choosing. They may see that the child has exceptional abilities and talents in more than one area, math and music, for example. The child wants to pursue music, but the parents think the child should pursue science, perhaps medicine. The reasoning is sound for the parents, who want the best for their child. They worry that a career in music won't allow their child to make "good money." It could be the opposite, though. It could be that one of the parents always wanted a career in music, but went into medicine and now wants to see the child follow the path the parent left behind.
Of course a child's talents may lie in something other than music and math. Those were just examples. The point is that children should have some right to choose which of their talents and abilities they would like to pursue. Gifted kids with talents and abilities in a wide variety of areas may need help finding the right career, but they should be allowed to decide which path they want to pursue.
Comments
I’m exceptionally gifted and a military officer… a combination many who support the gifted find appalling and unworthy of consideration, I’ve found. (Where were they when Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein got their starts? How come exceptionally smart Generals Schwarzkopf and, now, Petreaus who fight bad people like that are “unpersons,” unfit for discussion or even acknowledgement that they exist?) Many fields of pursuit will be encouraged for the gifted by adherents of Siegle but, unfortunately, some needed fields will be more encouragement-worthy than others for them.
What you say is one reason this right is so important. I’ve seen just what you described about military careers. The military was always welcome at my son’s high school, but not in the one in our neighboring town. My son loved talking to the recruiters since he was interested in the military. (He considered joining the Marines.) He has just enlisted in the National Guard and plans on INTEL as his AIT, with a long-range goal of working for the NSA. What appealed most to my son was the sense of honor and commitment in the military. Not everyone sees it that way and a few people tried to dissuade him from enlisting. I always supported his career-path decisions, whether it was to pursue a career in music or in the military.
Just found out my nephew is quite serious about the military. All of 7 now, he’s not sure whether he wants to be a fighter pilot, Navy SEAL or armored warfare guy, but definitely has the idea of something military when he grows up… and is into sports and learning about planes, tanks, history, etc. with an eye toward that. More power to him!