I’m mad right now. Steaming. Any minute now, smoke might start coming out my ears. I really shouldn’t get so upset; seeing as it’s happened since I started grade school. Still, perhaps somewhat foolishly, I expected that it would be different this year.

I’m sick of this. Sick of being underestimated; of being ignored. Of being pushed down to the average. I’m not average. I’m much more than that. But they do not understand. Some of them are scared of me, others get mad. Some simply ignore it.

“They” are the teachers. After that, “they” is the administration. I might look like I am an average student. I wear average clothes, eat normal foods, talk about the usual things. But I cannot stand one thing: an average education. And that is what they are trying to give me. I will not just go along learning things I am bored even thinking about, because I got it the moment the teacher explained it.

This time it was in math. My teacher’s upset at the class because we were talking, wasting valuable work time. Then, we started our lesson. She began doing the lesson with the entire class, wanting us to work together to figure out the problems. We were only half done with the lesson when the bell rang. I could have done it in five minutes independently. Oh, wait… I did do it in five minutes. I worked ahead.

I ask why we had to do the lesson with the whole class. The answer? “Some of the students need extra support, seeing as this is a new concept.” What students? The name of this class is Advanced Math, not remedial math for hopeless people.

I would say something. But that wouldn’t change a thing. There isn’t enough money for extra programs; there aren’t enough eligible students; we don’t have enough teachers. The list of excuses goes on and on. This is my silent shout. Perhaps the pen really is mightier than the sword. Perhaps pigs fly. No matter what, gifted students everywhere will have to contend with being lumped in as “average.”

The shouts of gifted children everywhere are being silenced. But what are we supposed to do? Who will listen to us? When will someone finally realize that not everyone can be labeled as an “average” student? Who will finally hear our voices?