Pushing Forward From Holding Back

(As a child, I developed academically much earlier than usual. By the time I started kindergarten, I was reading at a fifth grade level. This conversation occurred when I was in second grade, between my teacher and my mother.)

Teacher: “I think that we’re going to need to hold [My Name] back a grade this year.”

Mom: “What?! Why!?”

Teacher: “Well, he’s just not applying himself in class. He doesn’t pay attention or contribute. He just daydreams and doodles all day. I think he may be a bit slow.”

Mom: “He’s not slow! He reads at a sixth grade level, and we keep catching him trying to do his older brother’s math homework for him!”

Teacher: “I understand that you want to think that your child excels, but he’s simply not showing the same interest in class as the other students, and they are all doing quite well. He simply can’t keep up.”

Mom: “[My Name] is NOT going to be held back a grade!”

Teacher: “I’m sorry, but my decision is final.”

(The next day, my mom arranged for me to go through testing for not only ADD, but also IQ testing. The results came back that my IQ was above average and I did not have any problem paying attention. The day after the results came back, my mom went back to my teacher.)

Mom: *slamming the test results on my teacher’s desk* “[My Name] is NOT slow, and you are NOT going to hold him back a grade! If you think he’s having trouble paying attention, then CHALLENGE him!”

(I didn’t get held back a grade.)