Ungifted

ASD student Chloe is in same homeroom to which Donovan is assigned. Their homeroom teacher, Mr. Osborne (nicknamed “Oz”), is also the robotics teacher. Sitting in homeroom on Donovan’s first day, Chloe constructs a series of hypotheses about the students at her school. Being gifted is not a “gift,” she says, because “you have to pay for” it (23). She and her classmates do not attend dances, play sports, or even know how to relate to each other outside the context of classroom activities. None of them has ever broken the rules, leading her to hypothesize, “Is there a point where the robotics student becomes the robot?” (24).

Donovan arrives late. Chloe’s classmate, Abigail, recalls attending elementary school with Donovan and expresses skepticism that he belongs at ASD. Mr. Osborne introduces him to the class robot. Donovan asks what his name is. Indignant, the students respond that the robot is an “it” not a “he” and does not have a name. Donovan christens the robot “Tin Man” and attempts to shake his hand. His arm falls off, causing an uproar among the students. Chloe notices that her classmates begin referring to the robot as “he” after that and debate what to name him.