資優班：每週腦筋急轉彎與資優心理學課

This homeroom class is for gifted students who wish to meet with like-minded peers on a frequent basis. It serves as a friendly check-in space packed full of thought-provoking information. We also make time for a brain teaser and individual check-in with each student. Feel free to bring a snack. After class, I always provide a classroom summary with additional resources for those who would like to go deeper (a sample of class topics can be seen below). Feel free to use the write-up as a prompt for an interesting discussion with your student. I often reference "The Gifted Kids Workbook" and "The Gifted Kids Survival Guide" along with other professional resources I have collected over the years.

As a certified gifted teacher and doctoral student, I have extensive experience working with Davidson Young Scholars in the profoundly gifted population as well as students who identify as twice-exceptional. 

 Here's a preview of our routine: 
-Class typically begins with an educational game as a reward for those who arrive on time (5 minutes)
-Then, we engage in a quick class check-in that gives every student a chance to talk about classes they have or a project they are working on (1-2 minutes each student = 10 minutes)
- Last but not least, we have a 15 minute mini-lesson related to SEL/creativity/executive functioning 

Second Semester 2025: Jan. 6 – May 23 (20 weeks/19 weeks of class)
*March 9 (daylight savings time in U.S. – spring ahead an hour)
*No class Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14th (spring break). Class resumes Monday, March 17th.
*No class Friday, April 18 or Monday, April 21st. Class resumes Tuesday, April 22nd.
*Last day of the second semester: May 23rd. 

Jan. 6 - Jan. 10: Effective Goal Setting + Effective Note Taking
Jan. 13 - Jan. 17: Daily Routines for Long Term Success
Jan. 20 - Jan. 24: Decision Making and Reasonable Risk Taking
Jan. 27 - Jan. 31: Leadership
Feb. 3 - Feb. 7: Strategies to Beat Stage Fright and Fear of Public Speaking
Feb. 10 - Feb. 14: Imposter Syndrome + How to Take a Compliment
Feb. 17 - Feb. 21: Pyramids in Psychology (Bloom's Taxonomy and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs)
Feb. 24 - Feb. 28: Simultaneous Discoveries: Why Do People Invent and Discover Similar Things at the Same Time in History?
March 3 - March 7: Understanding Impulse Control 
*No class Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14th (spring break)
March 17 - March 21: Perfectionism 
March 24 - March 28: Self-Acceptance and Realistic Expectations
March 31 - April 4: Empathizing and Systemizing 
April 7 - April 11: Anxiety Toolkit 
April 14 - April 17: Learning Versus Knowing 
*No class Friday, April 18 or Monday, April 21st
April 22 - April 25: 2E Biographies (Twice-Exceptional People in History)
April 28 - May 2: Living, Learning, and Working (Surveys For Self-Knowledge)
May 5 - May 9: Working With Others
May 12 - May 16: Responsibility and Personal Accountability
May 19 - May 23: First Creative Dollars (The Unexpected Ways People Started Their Careers: Examples from Bob Ross, Louisa May Alcott, Frederick Douglass, Jules Verne, Rachel Carson, and More)

Summer 2025: June 2 - Aug. 22 (12 weeks/9 weeks of class)
*No class June 16th - July 4th (3 week break)

June 2nd - 6th: Theory of Multiple Intelligences + More Howard Gardner 
June 9th - 13th: Thinking in Pictures vs. Thinking in Words (Work of Temple Grandin)
*No class June 16th - July 4th (3 week break)
July 7th - 11th: Flow States and Creativity
July 14th - 18th: Is Curiosity an Emotion?
July 21st - 25th: Motivation
July 28th - Aug. 1st: Growth Mindset
Aug. 4th - 8th: Life Skill - Listening When You Have a Busy Mind
Aug. 11th - 15th: Overthinking vs. Self-Reflection
Aug. 18th - 22nd: Worrying vs. Planning 

First Semester 2025: Sep. 2 - Dec. 19 (16 weeks/15 weeks of class)
*Fall sessions start Tuesday, Sep. 2nd.
*No class Monday, October 13 - Friday, October 17 (fall break). Class resumes Monday, Oct. 20th.
*Nov. 2nd (daylight savings time ends in U.S. – fall back an hour)
*No class Thursday, November 27th or Friday, November 28th. Class resumes Monday, Dec. 1st.
*Last day of the first semester: Dec. 19th

Sep. 2 - Sep. 5: Five Learning Environments to Help You Thrive
Sep. 8 - Sep. 12: What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)? 
Sep. 15 - Sep. 19: What is Cognitive Diversity? + Cognitive Diversity Mapping 
Sep. 22 - Sep. 26: How People Learn + Learning Strategies
Sep. 29 - Oct. 3: Tips For Learning at Home and While Traveling
Oct. 6 - Oct. 10: Self-Determination: Motivation with Autonomy, Competence, and Connection
*No class Monday, October 13 - Friday, October 17 (fall break)
Oct. 20 - Oct. 24: Social Creativity + Learning From Improv
Oct. 27 - Oct. 31: Giftedness in History: Who Would Make the Cut? (Simulation Game) 
Nov. 3 - Nov. 7: Lateral Thinking Vs. Vertical Thinking (Puzzle Time!)
Nov. 10 - Nov. 14: This is Only a Test! Combating Test and Essay Anxiety
Nov. 17 - Nov. 21: How Focus Works 
Nov. 24 - Nov. 28: Gratitude and High Performance: The Surprising Connection
*No class Thursday, November 27th or Friday, November 28th
Dec. 1 - Dec. 5: Procrastination
Dec. 8 - Dec. 12: Handling Boredom
Dec. 15 - Dec. 19: Learning When and How to Speak Up + Holiday Social Scenarios

Second Semester 2026: Jan. 5 – May 22 (20 weeks/19 weeks of class) 
*March 8 (daylight savings time in U.S. – spring ahead an hour)
*No class Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13th (spring break). Class resumes Monday, March 16th.
*No class Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6th. Class resumes Tuesday, April 7th.
**Last day of the second semester: May 22nd. 

Jan. 5 - Jan. 9: Responsibility/Time Management
Jan. 12 - Jan. 16: Working With Others 
Jan. 19 - Jan. 23: Misunderstood: The Double Empathy Problem and Communication 
Jan. 26 - Jan. 30: Burnout: Understanding the Problem and Finding Solutions
Feb. 2 - Feb. 6: Mastering Attention in a Tech-Driven World 
Feb. 9 - Feb. 13: Navigating Friendship and Rejection Sensitivity
Feb. 16 - Feb. 20: Personality Showdown: The Big Five vs. Myers-Briggs 
Feb. 23 - Feb. 27: How We Think and Talk: A Look at Holistic vs. Analytical Thinking Styles
March 2 - March 6: Understanding Friendship Using Metaphors
*No class Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13 (spring break)
March 16 - March 20: From Delta to Dopamine: The Waves and Chemicals of Your Brain
March 23 - March 27: Mistakes of the Greats: Intellectual Humility and Dialectical Thinking
March 30 - April 2: Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome (Results of a Study)
*No class Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6
April 7 - April 10: Deliberate Practice: Taking Your Strengths to the Next Level
April 13 - April 17: Creative Problem Solving + 5 Bridges To Progress
April 20 - April 24: From Gifts to Growth: Well-Rounded and Whole
April 27 - May 1: Acting Brain vs. Thinking Brain
May 4 - May 8: Overwhelm: Choosing Where and When to Take Action
May 11 - May 15: Developing a Personal Philosophy
May 18 - May 22: Talent Development Plans: Personalized Paths to Growth 

Here's a more detailed example for the description of a class topic:

Topic: Executive Function Skills - Each student will list their top 3 goals/tasks for the day. What do they need for these tasks? Do they have what they need? If not, how can they be resourceful? Where are they at concerning completion of their daily tasks? What is going well and what can be improved? In addition, what is their week-long goal for their work? What is happening in the next two weeks that can be contributed to today?

Topic: Creative Psychology - Students touch on key theories in gifted education (Bloom's Taxonomy, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, The Theory of Positive Disintegration, etc.) to help them understand and gain insight into their unique capabilities and unique challenges. These are mini-lessons that don't necessarily build off one another. 

Topic: Motivation and Life Balance - One thing that differentiates high performers from average performers is the quality of their breaks. This seems counter-intuitive to many gifted students, but it is backed by research. Students will address how to close out a day or close out the week to prepare for rest. How do you make sure things are in order for next week (and not left until Sunday)? What important things do you need to address with key adults in your life? What can actually help you REST during breaks rather than rush around?

In addition to serving as a social hub for like-minded peers, this class will help students discover themselves through interesting and challenging material designed with their specific needs in mind. 

Do you see a topic on the schedule that's already been addressed (or you wish for your learner to experience it one on one)? Consider booking this class: https://outschool.com/classes/11-creativity-and-accountability-coaching-hCAya9kk#usm3isaHNf

Interested in this same class for older students? Please check out this link: https://outschool.com/classes/gifted-and-talented-teen-homeschoolers-homeroom-yn3KARtK#usm3isaHNf

Interested in a M-F class? I hope to put one together in the future. Please click here: https://outschool.com/classes/m-f-gifted-and-talented-homeroom-social-club-with-brain-teasers-and-more-FcviTCIX#usm3isaHNf