DYS Homeroom

Please see  https://www.michelleptacek.com/dys-homerooms and  https://www.michelleptacek.com/blog for all future blog posts and DYS Homeroom announcements. I'm looking forward to fall 2024. Have a wonderful summer! 

Welcome to homeroom classes addressing social and emotional needs, creative problem solving, and effective task management in a friendly setting.  This is a fun space for DYS students who are profoundly gifted to meet like-minded peers.   “I love DYS Homeroom because it is a safe space where I feel I can talk about my feelings with friends. It’s so fun to be around other Davidson Young Scholars in a friendly environment! I enjoy all of Michelle’s mini lessons. I love and cherish every moment with Michelle and my peers.” – Lauren, Age 11  Summer Homerooms:   Tuesdays June 4th* - Aug. 20th : Sign up for a weekly project sharing class and mini-lesson related to gifted psychology/creativity (8:30amCT, 10:30amCT, or 11:00amCT) Thursdays June 6th* - Aug. 22nd: Sign up for a weekly check in and fun educational game/activity (8:30amCT, 10:30amCT, or 11:00amCT) *Three week break. No class the week of June 17th (June 17th-21st) or 24th (June 24th-28th) or July 4th (July 1st - 5th). Class resum

This week we discussed the work of Howard Gardner. We spent time exploring his controversial “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” using specific examples from a survey (see below). It was enjoyable to have students make personal connections with each prompt (1-19) while connecting the survey questions to corresponding “intelligences” named by Gardner. In addition, we discussed how the brain is dynamic. Our different intelligences obviously interact. (For example, math and music have a large overlap.) In other words, sometimes one survey question spoke to multiple intelligences that the students were able to debate. That made it interesting. We also added "existential intelligence" survey questions since they were missing from this survey.  It’s important to note why it is called a theory. Many educators and psychologists argue the eight intelligences listed can still be whittled down to talents with either words or numbers. They criticize Gardner’s definition of intelligence as

 “Cognitive distortions are internal mental filters or biases that fuel anxiety and make us feel bad about ourselves.” - Peter Grinspoon, MD (Harvard University) In other words, cognitive distortions are thoughts that lead to misunderstandings about reality. (Think of them as akin to putting on dirty glasses that make it hard to see.) When anxiety dominates a gifted brain, it is often due to a variety of cognitive distortions. These distortions are part of the human experience regardless of high ability in a given area (mathematics, reading, creativity, etc.). It’s important to remember it is possible to be highly intelligent but still perceive reality in an inaccurate or ineffective manner.  This week students explored numerous cognitive distortions along with examples of how these distortions create untrue perceptions of reality. Challenging these ways of thinking (and becoming aware of them in the first place!) can often help with incessant negative thought patterns.  Common Cogniti

Mini-Lesson Guiding Quotes: “Focus on progress, not perfection.”  “Striving for perfection and expecting perfection are two different things.”  Mini-Lesson 1: Perfectionism This week we explored the concept of “healthy perfectionism” and “unhealthy perfectionism” using two fictitious characters. Students were prompted to explore what beneficial striving and self-talk looked like in student 1 (this student tried very hard at what they did but understood they were a human bound to make mistakes each day). Then they were asked to process how shame and anxiety dominated the self-talk of student 2 (this student called themselves names and beat themselves up when they didn't get one hundred percent on everything).  We also discussed how mistakes can lead to new learning. Being comfortable with making mistakes can lead to exploring more activities and broadening life experiences. As an additional activity, we looked at research regarding what perfectionism can look like at all five levels

This week students learned about the concept of “growth mindset” and how it is different than a “fixed mindset.” We also explored how a growth mindset can be applied to projects. Key understandings for a growth mindset: Mistakes are a natural and expected part of learning Failure is an event (not a person) It is better to be praised for trying hard than “being smart” (we discussed a study linked below by Dr. Carol Dweck) Your intelligence can increase with struggle (but if you avoid effort or new things because you are afraid you won’t be the best, that will actually cause your intelligence to flatline) Initial success in a task is never guaranteed (view everything new thing you try as an experiment) Part 2: Da Vinci and Thomas Edison This week students were exposed to traits that characterize two very different, yet very similar, epic inventors in human history. Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452 - 1519): an Italian Renaissance polymath who was active as a painter, theorist, sculpto

This week we continued with Dabrowki’s Theory of Positive Disintegration and compared levels four and five to self-actualization in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We compared and contrasted the theories while summarizing our insights in our own words. This requires significant abstract thought and higher-level thinking. As always, these students did a great job.  Level 4 (Dabrowski’s theory): People at level four live free of social convention in a way closely matching their ideal self. If they worked hard to articulate their ideal self in level three, they have a well-thought-out approach to living along with a guide for ideal behavior in level four.   In essence, their ideal life is aligned with the way they actually experience their day.  They show compassion for others and self-acceptance for themselves in the space where they used to compare themselves to others (or their inner ideal).  Focus turns outside of themselves again, but not in terms of conflict or judging like at level on

This week we discussed Kazimierz Dabrowski's "Theory of Positive Disintegration." (Our introduction to “overexcitabilities” in the previous weeks served as a relevant jumping off point for understanding his complex and profound observations.) Dabrowski was a European humanist counterpart to Maslow. His research involving positive psychology didn't become as famous and is still mostly confined to the world of gifted education. One of the many ways i t differs from Maslow's hierarchy of needs involves allowing for self-actualization in individuals who don't have their lower level needs met (physiological, safety, relationships, etc.). Also, growth in terms of his theory takes what Dabrowski called "developmental potential." It's wise to think of his "theory" as more of a personal philosophy. That being said, his under-explored research can be very insightful for creative individuals going through difficult periods internally or in the

This week we enjoyed an exciting class reflecting on topics specific to gifted psychology. Overexcitabilities are one aspect of a personal philosophy called "The Theory of Positive Disintegration" developed by the Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski. To start, Dabrowski thought of “overexcitabilities” as “developmental potential” for highly original thinkers. In other words, these are the factors that launch someone on a unique path and unique trajectory as a gifted individual. According to his theory, these are the five overexcitabilities that can cause people who are gifted to be quite intense: - Imaginational - Intellectual - Psychomotor - Sensual (five senses) - Emotional We went through a definition of each of these along with some checklists to see which ones students identified with the most (maybe all five)! Some lingering questions to consider include: Why would overexcitabilities set someone on a unique path in life?  What overexcitability dominates you the most

This week students were presented with lateral thinking puzzles that challenged their analogous thinking patterns. (Many children who are gifted have an early onset of abstract thinking capabilities compared to peers, lending them unique analogical problem solving approaches performed at different levels of abstraction as they age.)  After the interesting introductory activity, students were exposed to research regarding why analogous thinking is connected to creative problem solving. With the remaining time, we dived into examples from the lives of professionals and historical figures who used analogous thinking as a critical thinking tool to solve problems ranging from radiation exposure to gravity.  What is analogical thinking?   First and foremost, it is a powerful problem-solving exercise for scientists, creatives, and people solving everyday problems. When we use solutions, information, and ideas from one domain to solve a problem in a different domain, we are engaging in this pr