Indigos & Testing                            

by Jennifer Hoffman (www.UrielHeals.com)  -  Uriel Heals Website  September 2006

School will be starting again soon and with it comes testing and the worry that all Indigos face, that they will not do well. Many schools now use written tests to assess competence, learning and to determine whether a student will graduate. Since Indigos do not test well, they see these tests as a form of punishment and since their past experience with tests is generally not positive, they will dread the process, view this as another opportunity for them to fail and will simply give up. Schools see this as an indication of their inability to learn and will classify them as learning or developmentally disabled. Then they are put into the special education classes, which embarrasses them and further enforces their belief that something is wrong with them. Everyone loses in this process but it is the education system that has been created and under which Indigos must learn to function.

My Indigo children did not test well and after a few failures, simply decided that they were not 'smart enough' and stopped performing in school altogether. Getting them to go to school every day became a chore. Helping them with their homework enabled them to complete it, but I could not be there for the tests and no matter how well they did with the daily work, they inevitably did poorly on tests. Since many Indigos are dyslexic and have attention and focusing problems, they do not always process information in a way that allows them to remember it for a test. They can retain large amounts of information when they are interested in the topic. But that generally does not include reading, math and other school subjects. They do somewhat better with oral examinations, including reports and in speaking on topics that they are interested in.

If you are the parent of an Indigo, you may be preparing yourself for another year of frustration as the school year begins. It is difficult to watch your bright, intelligent child repeatedly fail tests whose purpose is to measure what they can memorize, not what they have learned. I spent many hours with the school administration, arguing for my children's right to testing that was less generalized and more reflective of their ability to process information. I also spent many hours helping them prepare for tests, using various ways to help them memorize the information that they needed and then hoped that they could remember it long enough to take the test. My participation in the process helped them, as we would go over the same topics, over and over again, until they could remember them. What is needed, however, is schools that recognize creativity and intelligence, and not give standardized tests whose purpose is to ensure that a school maintains its funding. I hope that parents will insist on a greater voice in how their schools are run, as the current system is simply not working. In the meantime, be as supportive and helpful with your child as you can, participate in their homework and learning and you can help them boost their self-confidence so that they can pass tests and maintain their interest in doing well in school and show the world how brilliant, creative and talented they are.

 

About the author

Jennifer Hoffman is an intuitive, spiritual healer, mentor, teacher and author. She also channels the energy of the Archangel Uriel.  Jennifer has helped many people through the Shift through her unique insights and counsel, facilitating their healing journey. Jennifer is the founder of www.urielheals.com, an on-line spiritual healing and growth center and dedicated to the messages and teachings of Archangel Uriel.  Information about Jennifer's books, on-line seminars and services is available at her websites, or email healing@urielheals.com for information.

Article Copyright © 2005 by Jennifer Hoffman. All rights reserved.