The Power of Biography

Every year in February I read my students the story of Ruby Bridges. She was a first grader in New Orleans, LA. She was the first African American student to go to a white school in the American South.

This is always one of my most powerful lessons of the year. The students sit with rapt attention as I read The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles and George Ford. They are first struck by the fact that this is a first grader who is making a HUGE difference in history. Secondly, they are struck by the fact that she doesn’t get mad at the protestors. The images in the book show angry people waving signs and shaking fists at her as she heads to school. Her family is very religious and not only does she not get mad at the protestors, she prays for them. The third thing that strikes the students is the fact that the white families were so opposed to integration that they didn’t send their children to school for quite a while. My students cannot imagine a reason their parents wouldn’t want them to go to school. We discuss what their parents might have done and what they would have felt if they were some of those students. They wonder what it must have felt like to be Ruby Bridges at school, alone with your teacher, for weeks on end.

The last question they always ask me is, “Does anything like this happen today?” When I share with them that it does they are fascinated. Where? Who?

I love the story of Ruby Bridges because it brings up the difficult topic of racism in a kid-friendly way. I also love the power it gives to the children. “Wow! If Ruby Bridges could do something like that, what could I do?” They find inspiration in Ruby’s courage in facing so many people who were opposed to what she was doing.

Gifted students think differently from others. They will come up with original ideas and will face opposition. Hopefully with a little inspiration from Ruby, they will stand by their ideas and confidently share them.

I was reading recently about Leta P. Hollingworth. When she started a program for gifted students in 1935 in New York City, she had biographies as a big piece of the curriculum. She felt it was important for the students to hear stories of the accomplishments and life paths of others so they could start to envision their own paths. She also wanted the students to develop attitudes they would need throughout life. I think perseverance and courage are two attitudes that will serve gifted students well.

My reading about Leta P. Hollingworth reaffirmed my desire to have a yearly homage to Ruby Bridges. It also made me want to find other kid-friendly biographies that young gifted students will find to be inspirational. I have found Teammates by Peter Golenbock, which is the story of Jackie Robinson’s friendship with Pee Wee Reese. I also really enjoy The Genius of Leonardo by Guido Visconti and Bimba Landmann. This book is full of descriptions and pictures of Leonardo’s inventions and has a fun subplot about his assistant which students always enjoy. I also have been keeping my eyes open for biographies of Galileo. He was another gifted individual who faced opposition to his ideas. I loved reading a grown-up biography of him but haven’t yet found one for kids that is very accessible. Please share biographies you have found to be accessible and have found to have an impact on young students.

By reading biographies we all see the paths others have followed and begin to imagine our own paths. We learn that there are challenges and the road is not always smooth. We learn new strategies for approaching difficulties. We learn that people can do great things. These are all important life skills. It is worth taking time to share these ideas with our students.

Camps for Gifted Students 2010

Summer is just around the corner. Summer is a fun time for kids to explore a topic in depth that they don’t have the opportunity to study during the school year.

Depending on a child’s school situation, summer can also be the time for gifted students to connect with other gifted students. Linda Silverman once told a group that the biggest gift one can give a gifted child is a friend. For students who haven’t yet found other gifted friends, summer camps can provide an opportunity.

I keep finding out about different camps in different places so I thought it would be helpful to put together a list here. This list was started as part of my research into camps for gifted students on the San Francisco Peninsula but it expanded as I found out about camps that look interesting but aren’t necessarily targeted for gifted students. Most of these camps are open for the K-5 age range. There are many fantastic local experiences for middle schoolers. I will save those for a different post. Make a comment about other camps you have tried or let me know how your child enjoyed these!

CAMPS AIMED AT GIFTED STUDENTS

San Carlos Charter Learning Center will be launching a summer program for gifted students in grades 4-8. Find out more at: http://www.scclc.net/

Nueva School has long been known in the area as a place to find creative, original programming for gifted and talented students. With their summer camps, they open their reach to the broader community.

http://nuevaschool.org/welcome

UC Berkeley is also known for its summer programs for gifted students. It is a bit of a hike from the Peninsula but it might be worth the drive for some students. Here is how they describe their program, “The ATDP, at the University of California at Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, offers challenging summer classes for K-11 students. ATDP courses offer students opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge of the subjects that interest them. Taught by outstanding university, public, and private school instructors, our classes are designed to engage our students' hearts as well as their minds. Admission is based on the student's overall academic profile. We consider grades, achievement test scores, an essay, and a teacher recommendation.”

http://www-atdp.berkeley.edu/

SUBJECT-BASED CAMPS THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO GIFTED STUDENTS


I LOVE Crissy Field and their camps have also received rave reviews. Imagine your child spending time outside in this beautiful area with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Then imagine them learning about the animals and plants of the area. It sounds terrific to me. Can I sign up?

http://www.parksconservancy.org/our-work/crissy/programs/summer-camp.html

The Marine Science Institute in Redwood City offers classes and camps. Kids get down and dirty as they explore the marine environment.

http://www.sfbaymsi.org/marinecamp.html

For the past few years my family has really enjoyed Camp Galileo. We like the emphasis on art and science since those two subjects are not emphasized in our school. My kids also like the silly atmosphere. My son did comment that Camp Galileo is “intense.” There is a lot going on and it is a high energy place. Not the best place for a quiet, sensitive child but others will greatly enjoy the camp atmosphere.

Their website states: “Camp Galileo is a summer day camp which inspires kids to imagine new ideas, collaborate with peers and express themselves creatively. Kids enjoy art, science and outdoor programming every day, wrapped in fun camp traditions and delivered by highly enthusiastic staff. Our hands-on curriculum is developed in partnership with The Tech Museum of Innovation, de Young Museum and Klutz.”

http://www.galileo-learning.com/camp-galileo/index.html

Camp Edmo is a new camp that is similar to Camp Galileo in that it emphasizes art and sciences. It was created with people from the California Academy of Sciences, The Exploratorium, MOCHA, and Zeum. I don’t have any firsthand experience with this camp yet and would love to get some comments from people who have tried it.

http://www.campedmo.com/program/arts-and-science/


One of my dreams is for my kids to spend a week at farm camp. They are such suburban kids who are never more than ten minutes from a Walgreens or a Safeway. I love the idea of them helping with the animals, getting in touch with the garden, and enjoying life without TV. What better way to get our children invested in nature and its preservation than to spend an extended period enjoying it. These two farms are near Petaluma.

http://windrushfarm.wordpress.com/

http://www.plantationcamp.com/About_Plantation/Why_Plantation_is_Special

Hidden Villa offers a day camp that is similar to farm camp. Their mission is to “develop young leaders committed to social and environmental justice and equipped with a sense of awe for natural and human beauty, tools for non-violent multicultural community building, and the confidence to make positive change in our families, communities and the world.”

http://www.hiddenvilla.org/camp_preview.php

If your child loves animals, the San Francisco Zoo also offers camps during all school breaks.

http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=13779&orgkey=1875

The ability to work with technology is increasingly becoming a necessary skill. Tech Know How Kids offers camps that teach technology through legos, K’nex, and computers. The instructors at these camps have not received my highest ratings for their warmth and friendliness but the students learn a lot of skills. My son was absolutely in heaven spending the whole day building with legos, and learning new things that he could do!

http://www.techknowhowkids.com/

Parents often ask me about writing camps for their budding writers. Up until now, I haven’t known of any in the area. I did find this one that meets in Redwood City. “Each summer youth ages 8 to 15 come to learn about writing techniques and develop their own creative projects in a relaxed and comfortable setting. Camp Director Beth Harrison engages campers in writing activities and games designed to stimulate their imaginations and teach them effective writing strategies. Guest writers join in to teach and inspire participants.”

http://pwlp.org/youth-programs/summer-camp

I also found this one that meets in San Jose:

http://www.lekhapublishers.com/summercamps.php

If your child is a musician, you might want to look into these music camps: San Francisco Conservatory of Music http://www.sfcm.edu/summer/index.aspx or the Peninsula Youth Orchestra http://peninsulayouthorchestra.org/pyocamp.htm. Your child could also attend summer camp with the Grammy-Award Winning Pacific Boychoir Academy. They do not need to be a member of the choir to attend the day camp. Visit their website at: http://www.pacificboychoir.org/daycamp.html.


So many great camps to choose from! Don’t forget to plan in down time during the summer as well. Unstructured play gives children time to develop their imagination and creativity. Those are important skills too.

Stories of Life With Gifted Children

Over the years, I have heard so many fun stories from families about the students that I teach. Of course, all children do funny things. Gifted students, however, often take things in a different direction than anyone would have expected or they have that unique blend of their physical age combined with their different mental age, which can lead to some comedic happenings.

I will never forget Back To School Night during my first year teaching at a school for gifted students. I was teaching first grade. A parent raised his hand and asked what to do when his daughter opens the refrigerator to get a glass of milk and then becomes so engrossed in reading her book that she just stands there with the fridge door open, reading, oblivious to the cold or her thirst. Her dad had recently found her like this and estimated she had been standing there for twenty minutes. The whole parent group burst out laughing.

I also remember talking with the parents of three highly gifted students. They were amazed at how other parents could take their children out in strollers. They said from the moment their children could walk, they didn’t want to be in a stroller. A stroller limits a child’s explorations. Their children wanted to be out and about, interacting with the world. My son was exactly the same way. It was so fun for all of us to find each other and feel connected over this fact because we had all often felt so different from the stroller-toting families we saw around us.

It is a delight for parents of gifted students to connect with other parents of gifted students and hear their stories. For this reason, I greatly enjoyed reading Karen L. J. Isaacson’s book about her gifted family. It is called, Raisin’ Brains, Surviving My Smart Family.

Isaacson has a lot of stories to share. She is a parent of five gifted children and comes from a family of talented individuals. Her book is easy to read and entertaining. Sometimes she gets so involved in sharing stories that her chapters lose their cohesiveness but readers will enjoy the stories, even without this organization.

I appreciated hearing about the experiences of Ms. Isaacson’s children in school. It sounds like their school does have a gifted and talented program but it is also clear she has encountered a few teachers who aren’t quite sure what to do with her children academically. Upon starting kindergarten, her oldest was already reading college textbooks. His teacher, however, wouldn’t let him work on anything more challenging than ABC’s claiming, “We need to make sure he understands his letters first.” Oh, yes, I think every parent of a gifted child has met a teacher of this type. I have met many of them through my work coaching teachers to work more effectively with gifted students. As a teacher, I must say in their defense that some teachers just haven’t met many gifted students and don’t know what to do with them. What these students need, to begin with, is a teacher with an open mind and a learning attitude. Once teachers have that mindset, gifted students will benefit immensely.

I also enjoyed Ms. Isaacson’s fresh, laid-back attitude. So many parents of gifted students are pushing the students to perform at the top of their class, participate in summer programs for high-ability children, and take classes on a whole range of topics. It was interesting to read about a family that was not engaged in this frenzy. While Ms Isaacson clearly sees her children’s various abilities, she mostly lets them travel their own paths. She is there as a supportive parent but is not engaged in directing their every move and ensuring that each activity provides academic stimulation.

I hope other books of this type will follow. All of us parenting and/or teaching gifted students will enjoy hearing the stories of others and feeling the warmth of connection that comes from knowing that we are not alone on our journey.

Differentiation

When I first started teaching, it was all I could do to figure out what systems I wanted to use. Was I going to give homework every night or give one large packet on Monday and have it due Friday? How would we figure out who would get to take out the two playground balls each recess? How would I communicate with parents in my class, many of whom didn’t speak English?

I was overwhelmed with the possibilities and drove my students a bit batty with my constantly changing systems. I had been trained to look at each child as an individual and meet his/her specific needs. Yeah, it all sounded good but in the moment I was not thinking about how to meet the needs of each child in my classroom. A colleague told me it takes three years to get settled and I found that to be just about right.

By the end of my first three years, I was feeling settled within my classroom. I had systems that worked for my students, their parents and me. I was feeling confident and I was repeating some lessons, doing them better each time. It was then that I began to think about differentiation and how to meet the multiple and varied needs of all those little people sitting in front of me.

Whenever you feel ready to start differentiating in your classroom, I highly recommend reading, Strategies for Differentiating Instruction by Julia L. Roberts and Tracy F. Inman.

The first few chapters of this book provide a great explanation for why teachers should differentiate. The authors draw examples from every day life and make a compelling case for changing our teaching to meet each child’s needs.

The authors then offer some practical ways to differentiate. I particularly enjoyed their chapter on Venn Diagrams. This is a tool that most teachers already use. A little bit of tweaking can make it a tool that can challenge higher level thinkers while still including students who are at the beginning stages of learning a concept. All students can be involved in studying the same subject, but in a different way. Students can then learn from each other as they share their work. All students will be engaged in the work they are doing yet all will still feel part of the larger lesson.

I was also very glad to see their chapter on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Since national testing currently focuses on the first few levels of the taxonomy, teachers are often unfamiliar with how to design experiences that address the higher levels. Roberts and Inman offer many examples that will help teachers become more familiar with this tool.

Using Venn Diagrams is another way to engage all students in the same topic yet provide more depth and complexity for those who are ready for it. While employing differentiation, I have always worked to keep my students engaged in the same topics at the same time. I think it builds community because students have common ground to share. I recently visited a Montessori classroom and I asked about this sense of community. Since the model of Montessori is that all students work at their own pace, often on different topics, I wondered how the teachers built community. The teacher I spoke with said that even in their classrooms, the students come together a few times a day to engage in a group activity or experience. This builds community, trust, and energy in the classroom.

Of course, when one has different students engaging in different activities, the real question is assessment. How does one compare apples to oranges? Roberts and Inman see rubrics as the solution and they provide many samples in their book for teachers to use. One school I was at used narrative reports in place of report cards. This allowed the teacher to write about each child’s work, their strengths, and their challenges without needing to compare apples to apples. It is time consuming but maybe if we are differentiating to the fullest, then the students’ report cards should be differentiated as well.

Throughout the book the Roberts and Inman repeat that a teacher’s expectations should be continuous progress for all students. I would add “in all areas” to that as well. As a teacher I have always felt that “continuous progress” is a goal for me too. This book provides many ideas that will help teachers in their journey to continually improve their practice.

Searching for Mentors

Recently I have been feeling let down by the Baby Boomer Generation.  They were there to help me learn to tie my shoes, write an essay in French, manage my checkbook, and apply for a job.  Teachers, parents, my friend’s parents.  It felt as if there were a net of adults helping me along my way.  But as I near forty, it seems as if all that guidance has fallen by the wayside. 

PROFESSIONAL

I recently finished Carol Dweck’s Mindset.   Wow.  She describes some bosses and managers who are so inspirational.  They surround themselves with the best talent they can find and hope that they, along with the employees will all learn in this type of environment.  They understand that mistakes are part of the learning process and encourage innovation.  She describes managers with a fixed mindset on the other hand, who surround themselves with incompetent people and squeeze out those who really know their stuff.   The focus of those with a fixed mindset is on preserving their own superiority.  This is often accomplished by putting others down. 

A person in a management position has such potential to be a positive influence in people’s lives.  They can encourage, inspire, and promote and atmosphere of learning.  They mentor others and help them reach their professional goals.  I want to work for someone who encourages me to do my best and appreciates my efforts to extend myself in new ways.  It saddens me that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to work for someone like this.

I do have one professional mentor who has been a guide for many years.  She shows me possible next steps, shares her wisdom and experiences.  She has been a guide from my early years in my career through to present day where I am now looking to change directions and move onto a different arena in the field of education.  I am grateful to her guidance.  She never was my manager but is a more experienced teacher who has been willing to share her experiences with me.

PARENTING

Another area where I would like some guidance is in the arena of parenting.  I would love to hear from some old hands about their parenting experiences.  My parents are strangely silent on the issue.  I think they don’t want to influence me but truly, I’d rather hear 100 stories and draw ideas from them, than none.  Most people I know are in the throes of parenting young children but it would be great to hear from those with more perspective.  We have the close-up right now and I’m sure there are pieces we cannot see because we are so close to it.

MARRIAGE

How about the issue of marriage?  As I look around I only find one Baby Boomer I know who is still married.  A little guidance here, please.  Modeling?  Some advice?  None.

Most people I know of my generation are married.  I think getting married was a leap of faith on our parts.  We have a desire to not end up divorced like our parents.  But it will be challenging to maintain strong relationships without models of how to do so.  I have learned a great deal about the emotional path of families involved in divorce.  I’d rather be learning about the path of families that stay together.

LOOKING AROUND FOR MENTORS

How about some guides from the public sphere?  The Obamas hold promise. Michelle is well educated, raising young children, and reaching out to others.   But I keep waiting for the other shoe fall for some reason.  I hope it doesn’t.  Hillary Clinton?  I heard her speak in college and she moved me to tears.  She was such an inspiration but then I disagreed with some of her positions that would affect mothers and families.   Who else?  My mother in law suggested that perhaps we cannot look to public figures as mentors.  She suggested I look to people who are less well known and are perhaps humming along in their own quiet way following their values and inspiring those around them.  My next step is the biography section of the library.  Perhaps I can find a bit of guidance there. 

Part of me wonders if this is just what happens at midlife, that one’s relationship to other adults shifts.  One realizes that all adults are flawed and one starts to find guidance from within.  But then I think it just cannot be true.  There have to be elders to look up to and admire throughout life.  There will always be those who are older and could share a nugget of wisdom or two.

I was recently asked, “Who are your mentors?” and “To whom are you a mentor?”  As a teacher I have thought that I was doing my job but also doing community service at the same time.  I don’t have time or energy to do more with kids outside of school.  But now I am thinking that there is even more I could do in the classroom.  I have been teaching kids how to spell and borrow and carry but have I been doing enough to model for them what it means to be a person of integrity?  To carry oneself in a respectful manner?  To make hard decisions, which are sometimes unpopular?  To be a good friend?  These are the pieces that are harder to teach.  Students won’t pick these up playing an educational game in their free time at home.   Perhaps they are more important to teach than the next lesson on fractions.

So, with the new year upon us, I ask you, “Who are you mentors?” and “To whom are you a mentor?”  What can you do to share your life knowledge with others?  We will build stronger connections, communities, and people if we start to think about these questions.  I have made a new year’s resolution to find some mentors for myself and to reach out to some who need mentoring. 

Reflections on "Living With Intensity"

I just finished reading Living With Intensity, edited by Daniels and Piechowski. I thought that this was an older book that I just hadn’t gotten around to reading yet since I have seen it referenced in so many places but it turns out that it was published this year. It is getting a lot of attention!

For those of you familiar with Kurchinka’s term “spirited child,” parts of this book will sound familiar. Kazimierz Dabrowski was a psychologist who developed a theory of personality.  In it he describes "overexciteabilities" or areas in which a gifted person may be particularly intense.  "Overexciteability means that life is experienced in a manner that is deeper, more vivid, and more acutely sensed."  (p 9) His theory delineates five overexciteabilities: imaginational, physical, emotional, sensual, and intellectual.  Having worked with Kurchinka's term "spirited child" for some time, I was excited to discover how Dabrowski takes the same idea and breaks it into five areas.  I had found so many of my students to fit under the term "spirited" but in many different ways.  Dabrowski's theory adds more nuance so that we can better understanding of individuals.  We can think in terms of one overexciteability or a combination of a few.

The little boy I had last year who kept drumming upon his desk every chance he got and played on three different sports teams after school definitely had physical overexciteability.  The young girl who often cried as we read stories together as a class and could not join us for the Halloween Parade because of the the intensity of her fear of some of the costumes had emotional overexciteability.  What a new way to think of my students!  It also helped to validate their intensities by seeing them as one of five that many others share. 

One of my favorite chapters is Daniel's chapter entitled, "Overexciteability, Giftedness and Family Dynamics."  She cites research that "parents with strong overexciteabilities are likely to have children with strong overexciteabilities."  She describes a few families in depth.  I wish she had ten more case studies to share.  It is fascinating to see how the different combinations of overexciteabilities in a family play out.  A child with emotional overexciteability may be especially sensitive to a sibling's rambunctuous physical overexciteability.  A parent with intellectual overexciteability may be exasperated by a child's sensual overexciteability and desire to change socks and clothing often because they "don't feel right."  The same parent, however, might be lit up by another child with intellectual overexciteability who wants to discuss their favorite books or something they heard on the news that night.

I think this area is ripe for research.  Even just a book full of case studies would help parents feel that they are not alone and that their are others wrestling with similar challenges.  Research into the most effective parenting techniques to use in some situations would be extremely helpful.

Often, as a teacher, I think only of how giftedness plays out in young children.  They are my day-to-day reality and I want to gather as much information as I can about them as young children to help them at this point in their lives.  Ellen D. Fielder's chapter entitled, "Advantages and Challenges of Lifespan Intensity" and Stephanie S. Tolan's chapter entitled, "What We May Be: What Dabrowski's Work Can Do For Gifted Adults" really opened up a whole new aspect of my thinking about giftedness.

I always thought that we worked as a school to help a child through to eighth grade.  We nurtured their gifts and helped soften their rough edges and, in my mind, by the time they graduated, we were sending off a more polished version of the child we had received in PreK or K.  This child could function like an adult in the world.  Incessant conversations about geography had been tamed (not turned off but brought more in line with conventional conversation).  A child who lived with the fairies in her mind, now joined the world in which the rest of us lived.  A child who only wanted to do math computation would now engage in a writing project.  Fiedler and Tolan helped me realize, though, that each child's overexciteability would stay with them throughout their lives and continue to affect the way they interact with the world.  While I still believe that it is much easier to find a niche in the adult world where one's quirks function best than it is to find that niche in the elementary classroom where one must study all subjects and interact with 20 other students on a daily basis, I do see now that the road continues to be interesting after eighth grade.  I look forward to reading more about giftedness in those older than elementary school.  How come I had limited myself to the age I taught?

Nonfiction is not usually my favorite reading genre but each night I couldn't wait to get back to this book.  I saw so many of my students and friends reflected in its pages.  This book also gave me a great sense of optimism.  The student who drummed on the desk all year tried my patience some days.  The child who asked me questions about current politics daily exhausted me.  However, Dabrowski, feels that these overexciteabilities are necessary to move to the next level of development.  Without this intensity, some people will not progress.  I know that those students whose intensities made them to stand out in my eyes are well on their way.