In this short video clip, Lisa Van Gemert talks candidly about her own perfectionism which she refers to as, a cuationary tale. If you are interested in reading more on the topic of perfectionism, I highly recommend her book, Perfectionism: A Practical Guide to Managing Never Good Enough.
One of the best strategies I learned from the book is what Lisa refers to as the Ranking System. Watch the video to learn more!
Karen Young is an Australian psychologist who created Hey Sigmund, “an internationally popular online resource, as a way to provide contemporary, research-driven information on the art of being human, and being with humans.”
After reading her most recent post, What to Say When Kids Ask Hard Questions, or When They Know Things Aren’t “Right”, I knew I had to share it with all of you. Parenting is hard right now. Really hard. This article speaks to us as parents and gives sound advice on how we can help our children during these challenging times.
For the past 6 years, The Kid Should See This (TKSST) puts together a list of smart gifts for all ages. The list includes books, toys, games, magazines, cool kits, and other gifts. Check it out!
If you have a little over an hour to spare, and want to learn how gifted children can become as at home in the world around them as they are with the world inside of them, please take the time to watch this 3 part series by Lisa Van Gemert called, Adaptive Giftedness. I’ve included a link to each of the videos below along with a brief summary of each part and my personal “takeaways”.
Part 1: Helping gifted kids get along with themselves.
Part 1 explores why gifted kids need a little bit of help in growing into themselves and why it is so important for children to pay attention to who they are. Lisa emphasizes the idea that gifted kids need to understand that success is the combined result of ability and hard work and they need to build stamina. My key takeaway: Failure is part of the achievement process.
Part 2: Helping gifted kids get along with peers and parents.
Part 2 explores the idea that social emotional development of gifted kids is often more of a concern than the development of their cognitive ability. My key takeaway: Peer group awkwardness is not a sign of giftedness. It is our role as teaches and parents to help children learn the necessary skills to get along in the world and to help foster connection with peers.
Part 3: Helping gifted kids connect with teachers and the community.
Part 3 explores the idea that teachers and parents have the same goal for students but sometimes go about achieving the goal differently. Here are the 3 keys to school success:
My takeaway: Intelligence doesn’t lead to passion for school just like height doesn’t lead to passion for basketball. We need to work together to leverage the skills and interests children have for real world application. And finally, my favorite line, “Parents and teachers need to work together and realize school will be a supplement to a child’s learning, and not a meal replacement shake.”
Dear Families,
We hope this email finds you and your families healthy and well. As we transition back to in-person instruction, we wanted to assure you that we remain committed to fostering growth and learning in your child as outlined in his or her GIEP. However, we recognize that there may be some different preferences in how those services are delivered. Please take a moment and read through the in-person service delivery options and complete the preference form by next Friday, 11/20. You can access the form at this link.
Please note: If your child will remain in the Penn Manor Virtual School, your child’s gifted support services will continue to be delivered virtually.
In-Person Options:
1. Small Group In-Person Instruction – This option would provide your child with a designated time to work with the Gifted Support Teacher in-person and potentially with a small group of other students. There may be grouping across grade levels or classrooms based on GIEP goals.
2. Teacher Collaboration and Individual Consultation – In this option the Gifted Support Teacher would work collaboratively with your child’s regular education teacher(s) to provide enrichment activities tailored to meet your child’s individual goals. Periodic individual consultation would be provided by the Gifted Support Teacher to monitor your child’s performance and provide feedback.
If you would like to discuss these options further, please contact your child’s Gifted Support Teacher, and a time to discuss your questions or concerns will be established.
Sincerely,
The Elementary & Middle School Gifted Support Department
