For a variety of reasons, gifted students sometimes struggle to make a career choice. First, if you’re good at a number of different things, you could be dealing with what’s called multipotentiality…meaning that you have too many choices, and it’s hard to pick. Second, when you’re very smart, parents, friends, teachers, etc., might have a lot of expectations regarding what job you should have. Everyone assumes you want to be a doctor, or a physicist, or an engineer, or something else that requires a lot of education, and usually makes a fair amount of money and is pretty prestigious. With all these opinions, deciding what you want to do can be very tricky.

So what is a young person to do? How do you select a path? Dr. Kelly and I heard Jaime Casap, Google’s Chief Educational Evangelist, speak at a conference a while back, and he said something that really stuck with me. He said that students should not be thinking, “What do I want to be?”, instead they should be asking themselves, “What problem do I want to solve?”

Let that sink in a minute. “I want to make sure kids don’t go to bed hungry,” “I want to make cars go faster,” “I want to make sure our water is safe to drink,” “I want to help information flow faster,” “I want to cure cancer” – these are all worthwhile goals to pursue. They are a purpose to propel you forward. A lot of the research regarding gifted adults says that they need to find things to do in life, be it a job or a hobby, that they find fulfilling. They don’t feel happy just doing something because it makes them a lot of money, or because it meets others expectations, it needs to give their life meaning.

You may have heard the phrase “follow your passion,” but the thing about passion, as anyone who’s been in a romantic relationship can tell you, is that flares brightly, and then it tends to wane. Passion can be brief. Purpose is something different. Purpose requires knowing where you want to go, setting goals, and pursuing those goals. It requires the commitment of time, energy, and resources. It also demands a certain amount of self-awareness, because understanding these things about yourself is not usually a quick and easy process.

As you’re thinking down the road and wondering which career might be right for you, we encourage you to talk to a career counselor, who can ask where your interests lie, what your talents are, and what gives you purpose, and then help you with the self-awareness part. Then remember, most people will change jobs between 8 – 15 times in their lifetime, and many of the jobs you might eventually hold have not even been thought of yet. Twenty years ago, “Google’s Chief Educational Evangelist” was not a thing! Your purpose may change, your goals might evolve, and new careers may materialize, but as long as you keep your sights on what keeps you happy and fulfilled, you should be just fine.

The Silence is Deafening

I recently listened to Celeste Headlee, radio host and author of We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter, give an interview on NPR. She made some wonderfully valid points about how we have lost the art of conversation, and how we talk to hear ourselves talk, not to listen with an open mind. In this day and age of people only talking to other people who agree with them, or yelling at the people who don't, Headlee's book is exceptionally timely. When was the last time you had a frank discussion with someone about a sensitive topic that was not necessarily easy, but was important?

Many gifted students are passionate about ideas, the world, social justice, dinosaurs - you name it. The fact that they care so much about virtually everything is great, and the fact that they want to share it with everyone they know is also great. What they don't know how to do - and what we need to teach them - is to engage in two-way discourse and debate so that they are not just sharing what they know, but that they are learning from others. Others who have different values, cultures, and experiences, so that conversations are a two-way street, where all of the participants gain from speaking with each other - not at each other.

Celeste's Ted Talk "10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation" specifically addresses 10 important tips for people to keep in mind to make dialogue a more satisfying experience for all the participants. Some of the most important, particularly for our students, include: don't lecture (if you don't want someone to present an opposite point of view, write a blog); don't equate your experience with theirs (it's not about you); stay out of the weeds (no one wants to know every single detail about every dinosaur, no matter how fascinating you find it); and listen (listen to understand the other person, not just to prepare a response). 

Bright kids excel at the intellectual, but not always at the social and emotional. This makes the social aspect of being present with the other person and hearing their view, and the emotional aspect of hearing not just what a person says, but what they're feeling, a particularly tricky proposition. If we can share, absorb, and teach these skills, hopefully we can go back to talking to each other, listening to each other. If we can't, she's right - the silence will be deafening. 

First Day Worries

©Charles Schultz 1991

Just like kindergartners may have concerns about the first day of school - and first graders, and second graders, and so on - middle school students may have concerns about starting ATYP. What if I don't know anyone in my class? What if I feel stupid? What if the work is too hard? The list can be endless, and very real for your child. So what should you do?

First, validate your student's feelings. Let them know that they are perfectly normal, and that most of the other kids in their class will have similar worries. Not only is it normal to feel uncomfortable in a new situation, but we find that gifted students have higher levels of anxiety in general. Your child is not alone! 

Second, remind them that ATYP is about finding the right level of intellectual challenge, and not about being the smartest, or getting the best grades, or getting into an Ivy League university. Some of the pressure to not only attempt ATYP but to be super successful here may be coming from you - the parent. So you will have to remember to not freak out when they don't get 100% on their math homework, or occasionally get less than stellar remarks on an English paper. Don't let your stress spill over onto them, especially not right at the beginning when they are still finding their way.

Third, while early worries about grades are not necessary, you should be monitoring whether or not they have completed their homework. The most important thing students can do to get the most out of their ATYP experience is to complete their assignments on time. Getting behind is a slippery slope that leads to even greater anxiety problems. Help your student to organize their time (see the planner), and then help them to protect that time. An impromptu trip to the beach may sound like fun, but what if they still have two journals to write? Offer up the trip once they have completed at least one of those journals - give small rewards for finishing work that has to be done. And set up that planner so that if something does come up assignments are still completed before class. Then make sure that everything is printed out AND makes it into the backpack to get to ATYP on the correct day. Knowing that you are fully prepared for class is a big stress reliever for students.

Your student may have never been challenged before - this will be new and different. Yes, there may be some stress, but we will do everything we can to help them to acclimate. Don't let those initial worries dissuade your student from giving this opportunity their best shot - there are rewards on the other side of the anxiety tunnel!

Go Outside!

Over the course of the summer we like to talk about good books to read, ways to prepare for next year or for college, or how to challenge yourself. But let's not forget the most important part of summer - being outdoors. Being outside without a phone, or a computer, or a tablet, and without anything in particular to do. Just to catch fireflies, look at the flowers, walk in the woods, and enjoy the world around us.

Several recent books encourage parents to take their kids outside. The most famous of these is Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, which he followed up with The Nature Principle. Scott Sampson's How to Raise a Wild Child and Angela Manscom's Balanced and Barefoot also discuss getting your children back to the basics of nature.

You can read these books if you want. But go climb a tree first. No, you don't need to Google how to do it - it will come back to you, like riding a bike. And think about doing that, too. A Michigan summer is a completely beautiful thing, so don't waste it. 

Great Summer Read Suggestions!

I don't know what you do in the summer, but when I was a kid this was when I got to read endlessly. Nothing made me happier. But where to find great books to indulge in?

Every year, Dr. Bob Seney, a nationally-recognized expert on literature for gifted children, publishes a list of what's new in young adult literature. He gives great reviews, discussing themes, story lines, appropriateness of content, and frequently whether or not the book will resonate with the gifted reader.

For your summer reading enjoyment, here are several new books (2015/2016) that he recommends for middle and high school students, along with his comments. Books with more adult themes/language are marked with an asterisk. 

Learning to Swear in America* by Katie Kennedy
Fun, humorous. Seventeen-year-old Russian astrophysicist genius saves the world from a threatening asteroid. A first novel.

The Promise: Seven Wonders Journals by Peter Lerangis

The prequel to the Seven Wonders Journal series.

Blood Don't Lie by Levy Aaron

Middle school can be tough: bullying, searing or self-identity, your family in crisis, the loss of a close friend, and...I'm going to stop there. The last few chapters are dynamite! Several layered themes. 

Riders by Veronica Rossi (rated as one of his top ten books of the year) A great take on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse moves quickly, high adventure. Contemporary setting. Guide at end is good.

Bone Gap by Ruby Laura
Is it reality or is it fantasy - maybe both! 
Kidnapping to another dimension set in a Midwestern rural setting. Finn discovers his strengths. A bit of a more difficult read.

Echo: A Novel by Pam Munoz Ryan (rated as one of his top ten books of the year 2015) 2016 Newberry Honor. The novel reinvented. Tragedy but there is always hope.

An Ember in the Ashes - Books 1 and 2* by Sabaa Tair 
He calls it Hunger Games with a twist - and says the second book is more engaging than the first.

Wink Poppy Midnight* - by April Tucholke Told from the points-of-view of the three protagonists, this is a tale of mystery, love, and revenge. Light sexual situations. A good read, but I must admit it did not always hold my attention. Reader keep on: be ready for a real surprise.

If you read one of these books, or find another great book you want to share, write a review and we will be happy to post it on the blog over the summer. We are always looking for material - so get back to us and let us know what you think!

If you want to see the rest of Dr. Seney's list, including recommendations for younger children and the 2015 edition, you can find it at www.iag-online.org/resources/2016-Conference-Handouts/Seney/IGA-Whats-New-Handout.pdf.

Read on people! That's what all those pool chairs are for!

Free Test Prep for the PSAT!

Hey freshmen and sophomores, what are you doing this summer? One activity we would highly recommend is signing up for SAT prep through the Khan Academy. Many of you may already have heard about what Khan Academy offers in terms of free classes in all sorts of subjects – math, humanities, science, technology – but did you know that they offer free test prep as well?

Khan Academy has teamed up with the College Board to provide this opportunity, and it is really well done. Initial questions tell the computer where your strengths and weaknesses are, and then the system asks you follow-up questions in the areas where you need the most work. You don’t waste time answering questions where you’re strong, making this an incredibly effective way to study. And, I repeat, it is FREE!

Why do you want to do this now? Studying for the SAT also prepares you for the PSAT. The PSAT is offered in October of your junior year (you may have already taken practice ones at school), and doing well on the PSAT can put you in line for a wide variety of merit-based scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship, the National Hispanic Recognition Program, and other corporate-based scholarships that use the PSAT as a qualifying test. You can read more about these scholarships at www.princetonreview.com/college/psat-nmsqt.

Very few students will be as well-prepared as you could be, between your ATYP experiences and the work you put forth to study for this test. Just 15 minutes a day can make an enormous difference in how well you do, so go to www.khanacademy.org/sat today and start practicing!

Our Strength Lies in Our Differences

What is diversity, and why do we value it at ATYP?

When we talk about a diverse student population, we mean that our goal is to bring together students from different school districts, and students of different races, religions, ethnicities, genders, and socio-economic statuses. There are several reasons for this. The first, and most important reason, is that we know that giftedness is found across all spectrums of humankind. If our student body does not reflect this then we must work harder to find every young person who could qualify and benefit from ATYP.

Second, everyone learns more when we learn from each other. When children come to the classroom with different lifestyles, experiences, and worldviews, everyone gains a better understanding not just of literature and mathematics, but of each other. We discover new cultures, foods, values, music, art, beliefs, etc., and we learn that differences aren’t something to be tolerated, but something to be admired and accepted.

Third, we learn to listen to different opinions, and to state our own opinions in a civil and respectful manner. If you never meet or speak with people who hold different views, you never really clarify your own views. Ask yourself: What’s important to me? Why? Do I really think that, or did I adopt someone else’s idea without fully understanding what it means? Who am I as a person? Connecting with others forces you to examine your own values and beliefs, so while it looks like you’re discovering those around you, you’re actually discovering yourself.

Sometimes people think that diversity is just a code word for political correctness, and that could not be further from the truth. The reality is that we can all benefit from learning and living together, but this only happens if we think about how we are behaving, speaking, and treating one another. If you are dismissive of someone else’s opinion, fail to acknowledge their experience, or start with the assumption that their existence is somehow “less than” yours then your relationship is already on a path to failure. The key word in all of our interactions is RESPECT.

No matter where a fellow student goes to school, how they worship, what their parents do for a living, or the color of their skin, and regardless of any other differences between individuals, we will continue to honor and respect all members of the ATYP family. So please be kind and courteous to your classmates, so that we can all benefit from studying and working together in a safe and diverse learning environment.

P.S. Even though it’s a book for children, I love Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches for reminding me about how to treat people who are different – for any reason. The Sneetches was originally written as a push back to anti-Semitism. You can read the book or watch it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdLPe7XjdKc. Because you’re never too old for Dr. Seuss.

Middle Schoolers are Half-Baked

I heard someone at the National Association for Gifted Children's Annual Conference say that middle schoolers are half-baked, and I thought it was the most profoundly accurate description of tweens and early teens that I had ever heard. Not only because of what it says about children this age, but because of what it says about the way we do - and should - treat children this age.

First, the scientific research is very clear about the development of the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is in charge of rational thought, controlling impulses, and making better judgments. This part of the brain is not fully developed until the age of 25 - which may say everything you need to know about why your pre-teen or teen acts the way he or she does. PBS's Frontline has a great episode called Inside the Teenage 
Brain, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/, where you can learn more about topics such as "Do Your Teens Seem Like Aliens" and how the science behind brain development works. 

When your child is gifted, it is sometimes harder to remember the "half-baked" truth. When that same twelve-year-old can read college-level material, has an expansive vocabulary, can compute differential equations, or discuss the pros and cons of Middle East political policy over the last fifty years, parents and teachers sometimes forget that while the intellectual part of their brain appears to be 20, that pre-frontal cortex is not. This asynchronous development is a distinctive part of what it means to be gifted, and one that makes this stage of life difficult for kids, teachers, and parents.

On the one hand, understanding that your kid's brain is still a work in progress may help you keep your cool when your twelve-year-old acts like, well, a typical twelve-year-old. For instance, when homework is forgotten, or when the long-term implications of not having papers signed are ignored, or when someone goes to a friend's house without letting you know where she's gone. This is when being able to mutter, "not fully cooked" to yourself as a mantra can come in handy. But it is also helpful to note that this is a great time to add ingredients to the recipe you're trying to create.

Many people feel that during the middle school years kids are so busy going through puberty that asking them to do anything else is just too taxing. This would appear to be incorrect. Instead, this is great time to hard wire the brain to do what you need it to do. Learning to persevere through effort - and sometimes failure - check. Expanding executive function skills like organization and time management - check. Exposing yourself to new ideas, cultures, and people to develop empathy and an expanded worldview - check. These are all things you should ask/expect your middle schooler to do to help them become the adult they want to be. Now is the best, not the worst, time to develop these skills and mindsets.

So whether or not you're trying to bake a brownie, cake, or cookie, and whether or not your kid is still only at the soft-set stage, keep cooking. Keep stirring, adding chocolate chips, or nuts, or whatever else needs to be in there, and eventually they will become the fully-baked adults we know they can be. Just remember that you're still several years away from  the timer going off.

Inspirational Reading for Your Spring Break

After our very successful fundraiser and showing of the movie Hidden Figures, my sister recommended the book Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles to the Moon to Mars, by Nathalia Holt. This sent Dr. Schultz and I into full-on investigation mode, learning more about women in math and science both in history and in literature, where we happened upon this great article in Elle Magazine, "8 Books by Women for Bill Gates to Read This Summer: A revised reading list," by Mattie Kahn. 

Wow! Whether you read the books on this list because you love math, science, physics, literature, feminism or just a plain old good story, there is something for everyone - males and females - to be found here. If you're a girl thinking about going into a STEM field, some of these books are must reads. Nothing is more encouraging or motivating than reading about someone who has blazed a trail, broken a glass ceiling, or gone where no one has gone before. For any girl who thinks they are not good at math (a surprising number of female students who qualify for ATYP math), and for any boy who thinks that girls are not as talented, these stories prove without a doubt that women are just as capable, and that achieving in these fields is entirely possible.

With Spring Break coming up, any one of these books would be a great option for inspirational reading during your vacation - or go out on your own and discover something that speaks to you, or makes you want to try something new, or aspire to something great. And then ALL of you - go out and conquer the world!

Times They are A-Changing

Change is something with which many of us struggle. We get into a routine, we like things the way they are, we're comfortable - and then life happens. Things become different. And sometimes we have a hard time coping.

We know this is true for many of our students because, yes, sometimes it's true for us. Today, after ten years as part of the Lee Honors College, ATYP has moved to Ellsworth Hall where we will join up with Upward Bound, Gear Up, Dual Enrollment, and Campus Compact to be part of the new Office of Pre-College Programming. While we will miss the Honors College, we understand that this new office offers many opportunities in terms of support and development, as well as a focus on the young students we serve. Still, it is hard to leave our friends and colleagues at the Honors College, who have been with us through many ups and downs over the last decade and have provided us with a great home. Sigh.

So here is a picture of our new office, which we are afraid we will forget how to get to, and where to park, and where the copier is, and all those other important facts. We know it's going to take a while to get used to this new space, and new people, but we are looking forward to making new friends and trying to look at this as a new adventure, not something that is scary or overwhelming, even though sometimes it is.

We hope you will come to visit us in our new digs - 2206 Ellsworth - so you will know where to find us. And keep good thoughts that we will remember which door is ours, especially early in the morning when Dr. Kelly hasn't had her coffee yet.