Whispers of Melancholy at the Window

Two weeks ago I broke my big toe and badly bruised my other foot. I wasn’t doing anything remarkable. I simply missed the bottom step while carrying down some ‘donations’ from our clean up. The pain was incredible and I earned myself a trip to hospital and three days of lying on the couch with my feet up.

A few weeks earlier, I had tripped while crossing the road and skinned my knee. A warning sign that I was overdoing it. This time the message was more insistent.

The ‘thought’ of time to catch up on some reading and some shows on Netflix was appealing. I did something I rarely do – I cancelled my University classes and gave my body permission to rest.

It was hard, really hard.

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Planting My Flag

Earlier this year I graduated from my Master of Education (Gifted Education) from the Australian Catholic University. I wasn’t going to attend my graduation. After all, most of my degree was online, they even sent me my transcript when I completed my degree in 2017.  But something felt wrong, it felt incomplete. 

When one of my peers messaged me to say she was planning on attending the ceremony, I thought why not! It would be great to celebrate this event together.

I think I have a tendency in my life to rush onto the next shining thing without pausing to acknowledge the enormity of my achievements. In fact, I would go as far to say that I never  feel that I have done enough.

I wonder if you can resonate with this?

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Supporting Sensitive Individuals

Since returning from the Off the Charts Gifted Education Symposium in Auckland, Mother Comforting Teenage Daughter Sitting On Sofa At HomeNew Zealand, I have been acutely aware of the difficulties faced by sensitive gifted children in the classroom.

Take these three examples…

1.     When I asked to speak to staff about the innate qualities of gifted individuals,  I was referred to the curriculum coordinator to ensure we differentiate curriculum for our top achievers.

2.     Hearing the concerns of the mother of a sensitive eight-year boy who doesn’t want to go to school because of emotional bullying he encounters daily.

3.     Applying for a select entry acceleration program for my daughter, when I am uncomfortable with the test focused selection process for these schools.

All of these situations clearly highlight the lack of awareness of the complexity of giftedness, especially for creative and emotionally gifted young people.

Let’s unpack three issues highlighted in these examples.

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Fostering Creativity

It is a gorgeous Saturday morning, perfect writing time while my youngest struts her stuff Carah at Nicaat NICA – The National Institute of Circus Arts. Every Saturday we make a pilgrimage from Ballarat to Prahran.

As a music teacher, coach and mum of creative, sensitive, gifted individuals I have come to the conclusion that most traditional schools can’t provide what creative young people need. Rather than lament the reality, I prefer to embrace the opportunities this provides.

We can all notice the ‘spark’ in our children and provide them with the environment they need to thrive. It is worth the effort

Here are FIVE KEYS to support your creative kids. Continue reading

Great Thinking Takes Time!

At a recent professional development session on curriculum differentiation the facilitator left and right hemispheresshared this quote that really resonated with me…

Great Thinking Takes Time!

How often in the classroom do we give students time to contemplate their answers or develop ideas in creative and unexpected directions?

How often do we give ourselves this time?

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The problem with being REALISTIC!

????????????????????????????????????????I am sure you have heard how important it is to set goals! You may have even heard of the  Harvard Study that discovered the 3% of graduates with clearly defined written goals earned in excess of  the other 97% of graduates put together.

You may have even set SMART goals!

If you are a big dreamer like me, SMART goals can be a a bit of a downer because they encourage us to be realistic. Sometimes, I don’t want to be realistic.  Sometimes I want to dream the impossible! BIG goals inspire me to new heights and make me feel ALIVE! Continue reading

What do you plan to do with your precious life?

This year our family is planning a move from Ballarat to Melbourne.  Deciding where to live, schools for the girls, is just the beginning. 1bf78293ee5d44dd9ec3f51d00984699 Ask 10 people their favourite suburb and they all have a different answer. Venture online to property and school websites and drowning in an avalanche of information is guaranteed.

While this information is useful. In the end we have to listen to our own hearts and decide what is important to us, take into account our personal situation and visit places to get a ‘feel’ for them. We have to trust ourselves, be true to our life vision and be willing to take the action to make it happen. Continue reading