Curriculum
Jul. 15th, 2006 02:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skeddy_katCurriculum (Written for the sga_flashfic School Challenge)
Rating: G
Summary: Rodney’s school lessons.
When Rodney McKay entered Kindergarten, he discovered happiness. There were other children who wanted to play with him, who enjoyed his ideas and his imagination. There were adults with kind voices who applauded his successes and soothed away his hurts. It was an entirely different world from home. School became his passion.
When Rodney was in Grade 3, he realized he was much smarter than his classmates. Mrs. Flynn was explaining how multiplication was related to addition and Rodney wanted to scream that it was obvious and couldn’t they just move on? Except they couldn’t. Most of the class didn’t understand it. Rodney had already memorized the multiplication tables through the twelves. Bob and Eric, two of his best friends, seemed almost angry because he always got better grades. Rodney started spending more time alone. He didn’t mind so much, it gave him more time to practice the piano.
When Rodney was in Grade 6, he realized he was smarter than his teachers. This was quickly followed by the realization that they resented him for it. His intelligence was already alienating his classmates. His family barely tolerated his existence. School began to feel more like home. Then his piano teacher told him he was a fine clinical player, but would never be an artist. Rodney felt like something irreplaceable had been broken - him.
He tried to fix things. He decided to downplay his intelligence, to be like everyone else. Then, he reasoned, he could have friends again and his teachers would like him. After his second test grade of exactly 75, Mr. Rice asked him to stay after class. Mr. Rice taught Science and was the only teacher Rodney actually liked (which was why he made sure he got a 75 on Mr. Rice’s test).
Rodney and Mr. Rice had a long talk where Mr. Rice (one) explained that Rodney wasn’t fooling anyone and pretending to be average when everyone knew he was smart was only going to piss people off more, (two) convinced Rodney that being a genius had its own set of vaguely undefined rewards down the road, and (three) declared that Rodney owed it to himself (and maybe someday to the world) to be the best that he could be. Mr. Rice arranged for Rodney to interview with a school better suited to meet his needs; then pressured his parents into letting him attend.
When Rodney McKay was in Grade 7, he realized that although he was still probably the smartest kid in his class, he was surrounded by others who could give him a run for his money. His teachers challenged him and worked to harness his powers for good (the whole atomic bomb/CIA affair of the previous year seeming to have demonstrated a need for focus). His parents and sister still ignored him as much as possible. Life was looking up.
Rating: G
Summary: Rodney’s school lessons.
When Rodney McKay entered Kindergarten, he discovered happiness. There were other children who wanted to play with him, who enjoyed his ideas and his imagination. There were adults with kind voices who applauded his successes and soothed away his hurts. It was an entirely different world from home. School became his passion.
When Rodney was in Grade 3, he realized he was much smarter than his classmates. Mrs. Flynn was explaining how multiplication was related to addition and Rodney wanted to scream that it was obvious and couldn’t they just move on? Except they couldn’t. Most of the class didn’t understand it. Rodney had already memorized the multiplication tables through the twelves. Bob and Eric, two of his best friends, seemed almost angry because he always got better grades. Rodney started spending more time alone. He didn’t mind so much, it gave him more time to practice the piano.
When Rodney was in Grade 6, he realized he was smarter than his teachers. This was quickly followed by the realization that they resented him for it. His intelligence was already alienating his classmates. His family barely tolerated his existence. School began to feel more like home. Then his piano teacher told him he was a fine clinical player, but would never be an artist. Rodney felt like something irreplaceable had been broken - him.
He tried to fix things. He decided to downplay his intelligence, to be like everyone else. Then, he reasoned, he could have friends again and his teachers would like him. After his second test grade of exactly 75, Mr. Rice asked him to stay after class. Mr. Rice taught Science and was the only teacher Rodney actually liked (which was why he made sure he got a 75 on Mr. Rice’s test).
Rodney and Mr. Rice had a long talk where Mr. Rice (one) explained that Rodney wasn’t fooling anyone and pretending to be average when everyone knew he was smart was only going to piss people off more, (two) convinced Rodney that being a genius had its own set of vaguely undefined rewards down the road, and (three) declared that Rodney owed it to himself (and maybe someday to the world) to be the best that he could be. Mr. Rice arranged for Rodney to interview with a school better suited to meet his needs; then pressured his parents into letting him attend.
When Rodney McKay was in Grade 7, he realized that although he was still probably the smartest kid in his class, he was surrounded by others who could give him a run for his money. His teachers challenged him and worked to harness his powers for good (the whole atomic bomb/CIA affair of the previous year seeming to have demonstrated a need for focus). His parents and sister still ignored him as much as possible. Life was looking up.
