How do we sign up?
Semester sign-up forms are distributed in select communities online. If you’ve heard about this class from a different source, please fill out a contact form and be prepared to forward your Davidson Exchange email when we get back to you.
We can’t make it work in our schedule five days a week. Can my student attend three or four days?
A three to four day option is offered on a consistent basis due to scheduling issues, but then the price becomes $12 per class for four days a week and $13 per class for three days a week. Please reach out about any special concerns regarding your schedule.
What if we can only attend one day a week?
If you are interested in a once a week Gifted Homeroom (not DYS specific), check out Michelle on Outschool.
I found out we can use funds from our charter school to pay for Outschool classes. I’ve seen you also teach on Outschool. If there was a way to get the charter to provide funds that would be great for us. Any ideas?
I’m sorry this class isn’t on Outschool to make that an easier process for you. While I occasionally teach on Outschool, I mostly run a private business.
I have had other DYS parents simply request a copy of my transcript and diploma. They also use my invoices (and sometimes proof of my class structure from the blog) to obtain funds. Please contact the charter school to ask them about this option. An educational entity is an educational entity, and they most likely don’t provide reimbursement for only Outschool. Please let me know if you need anything specific from me.
How can I convince my child to get on board with “social-emotional learning?”
My child has said a few things like, “I don’t want to talk about my feelings or myself in front of strangers. I don’t want to have to share things about myself.” I think my child zeroed in on the “social-emotional” skill building part of the class description. While this is what they need more than anything, it’s also the last thing they want to have to deal with! Any recommendations on how I can convince them or bring them on board?
Your child is not the only one who is reluctant regarding the social-emotional needs component of this class. As you stated, many parents request this element, while the students who need it most seem to have the most energy for rejecting it. (By the way, the parent who sent the sample question above ended up having a student who LOVED this class and attended three years in a row.)
I find it helps to frame it as a learning opportunity connected to philosophy and psychology. For example, we talk about psychological theories (gifted psychology in-particular and how the gifted brain works). This often involves new vocabulary terms and exposure to fascinating facts/research. Under no circumstance is anyone pressured to share anything personal. Some students take the ideas further and journal about the topic of the week privately and a few even email me ideas or share their ideas with others, but it’s very casual. In addition, given the schedule with project sharing on Monday and games on Friday, these mini-lessons total to less than 45 minutes a week after the daily check-in. When it’s framed as “45 minutes to learn about the brain,” the social-emotional needs component often becomes less of a hang-up.
How intense is “project sharing” on Monday? My student is afraid they will have nothing to share.
Concerning project-sharing, it is very flexible. On a given day, one student might talk about a puzzle they built over spring break, while another student will talk about helping a friend build a game, and yet another will share a short video of a recent piano recital. One student might even make a birthday cake for their dad and talk about the process. It’s quite fun. I find it gets students excited about Mondays.
Anyone without a project simply discusses classes they are taking or what they did over the weekend. We encourage one another with a lot of variety present, and we keep it low key with little pressure. I present question prompts as a guide. Of course, students are never expected to answer every single one of these questions. They simply serve as a way to get conversations going between students.
Do you have other classes?
I have met with several DYS students for on-going private lessons. I’ve also facilitated small classes with two students. I love getting to know learners better through one-on-one interactions and partner classes!
Outside of the homerooms, I primarily provide:
- Reading/Writing Through the Lens of Social/Emotional Learning
- Life Skills For Gifted/Talented (PG/2E focus)
- Creativity and Accountability Coaching
Sometimes students request to meet with one other student to deepen a friendship, tackle a music project, write a book together, play games, etc. I strive to accommodate this in my schedule and facilitate scheduling with the other family. The price for this is $45 per student per 25-30 minute session as it requires significant overhead work, but it’s excellent once we get a schedule in place and a sense of direction for a project.
I also teach a few other “one-time” group classes on Outschool related to creativity.
My DYS student is twice-exceptional. Reading over the policy, I am now wondering if they are going to be able to participate without interrupting. Do you have any kids on the spectrum in DYS Homeroom? Would it be better if we didn’t join because of this? OR would you rather we try it and if it doesn’t work out then leave the group?
I have had numerous situations where twice-exceptional students on the spectrum joined our homeroom. I fully welcome 2e students. Some of these situations went (and are still going!) incredibly well. One situation did become an area of concern. With a lot of communication, a parent decided after a month it was not a good fit. I’m completely willing to give it a try as long as your student demonstrates a general tendency to participate well in online classes. I have found what helps this situation is if the student is not left unattended, depending on how aggressive or misperceived their interruptions may be. Sometimes a parent nearby simply helps regulate the student’s behavior.
We normally live part-time in another country (but we are in the USA for the next several months). Because of the possibility of us leaving the group before the semester is over, do you want us to join OR would it be better to not start given we may not finish the semester? Also, are you open to us switching classrooms as we travel across the US and need the start time accommodated?
As long as the class numbers are stable overall, I am OK if you join and have to leave later in the semester due to travel. I prefer that any change to a new homeroom happens after the fall break or the spring break. I’m flexible and will communicate with you about your individual situation.
My student doesn’t actually have an email address yet but he probably needs one soon. What will it be used for?
This class will certainly work even if a student doesn’t have an email account. In the past, I sent a weekly summary of our class lesson to both parents and students via email, but now I use the blog. Students and parents can simply subscribe to this blog (or check it weekly), and students without emails can leave a comment in a contact form. Otherwise, if they have an email account, they can always message me privately with any reactions to the week’s lesson.
My student is outside of the listed age range (8-12 years old). Can we still give your class a try?
I have a flexible age range in place for this class depending on the cohorts coming together for a given session. For example, if I have a group with several eleven year olds meeting at the same time, we’ve made room for thirteen year olds before. As a general rule, I like to keep all of the students within three to four years of one another. Starting in 2024, I started meeting during the summer months with students as young as six years old simply because several parents of younger students reached out simultaneously. Given these circumstances, it doesn’t hurt to fill out the sign-up form. I will get back to you if a good fit is coming together for your specific situation.
What if Zoom has a worldwide outage?
If Zoom is down in a major outage, students have been instructed to watch their inbox/email for a Google Hangout invite. If your student doesn’t have an email, I will be sending the invite to you as a parent/caregiver. If class is unable to be coordinated in time, students are welcome to join other sessions meeting later in the day in order to have the mini-lesson (if their schedule allows).
Classes meet at:
- DYS Homeroom 1 (9:30am EST / 8:30am CST / 7:30am MST/ 6:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 2 (11:30am EST / 10:30am CST / 9:30am MST / 8:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 3 (12:00am EST / 11:00am CST/ 10:00am MST / 9:00am PST)
What Zoom tools should my student know how to use?
While class can certainly be held in an enjoyable manner without the following tools, students have enjoyed increasing their level of participation with:
Chat/Reactions/Annotation/Screen-Sharing
Please feel free to practice using these tools with your student outside of class to make sure they are not focused on figuring out the technology during our sessions.
For all other questions, please take a close look at the classroom policy.
Posted in DYS Homerooms Resources
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