Hi, I鈥檓 Cassidy Kao. I鈥檓 a twelve-year-old author and the founder and CEO of (more on this later). Additionally, I recently led my third poetry workshop at !

优蜜视频 Academy helped me start teaching others and supported me by hosting my poetry workshops, for which I鈥檓 very honored and grateful. The most recent workshop that I led at Academy was 鈥淪hakespeare鈥檚 Tragedies and Sonnets,鈥� based on my most recent book, .

In this latest workshop, I taught students about William Shakespeare then moved onto the characteristics of his tragedies and Macbeth, the star tale of the workshop. Students acted out a scene from the play. Since it was a small class, I played one of the characters and we invited parents to join in so they could provide sound effects! Afterward, I introduced them to the sonnet, and the complicated way that Shakespeare wrote his. Because of the complexity of sonnets, we wrote the first part of a sonnet together so students could take it home and continue writing. To wrap it up, there was a short insult contest where they used words that Shakespeare once used for fun to construct their own Shakespearean insults! It was a really fun class and I hope they left knowing more than they had before.

Conducting workshops like this one is what I do for iPoetTree. iPoetTree is an organization I recently created with the objective to help young, reluctant writers to love writing through poetry. This all started when I was eight. To celebrate National Poetry Month, I wrote a poem a day throughout the month and grew my own Poet Tree on the wall of my hallway. I later published my first book with all of the poems I wrote and instructions on how to write different types of poems. Then, I wrote another book, and another, and another! Most of the books that I wrote included some sort of poetry since poetry was the very thing that started the whole journey. I taught free workshops in my community based on the theme of my books and the poetry that was included in the books. I enjoyed this so much that I decided to create iPoetTree and the website to go along with it.

You can find my website at , where your children will learn how to write different types of poems by watching videos I created. After they聽watch the videos, they can write their own poems and share them with other young writers on the website. I created a curriculum of five levels, with about three to four different types of poems in each, and grouped them by level of difficulty. At the end of each school year, I will select a collection of poems and publish them in a book to help the authors of the selected poems become published.

Please go to my website and help your children sign up and start learning poetry! I really enjoy teaching and, some day, I hope to train others to teach workshops of their own so that I can reach out farther than my community and teach more kids the joy of writing.

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Growing up alongside my older sister and younger brother, I knew I was different from other kids. They played and studied with a little bit of a carefree nature, whereas I was almost always overly inquisitive, constantly asking 鈥渨hy?鈥� and 鈥渉ow?鈥� When I started elementary school in America as an English language learner, it was difficult for me to communicate this same curiosity. I asked the same questions, and teachers would often speak to me slower, ask me to re-read or, if available, send me to a volunteer translator with no content knowledge to find the answer. Finally, in the third grade, I was tested in the Los Angeles public school system and identified as gifted. I remember going to school on a Saturday morning and meeting a nice lady who insisted I be 鈥渘atural.鈥� I vividly remember the pattern on the circular carpet I walked around and around as she asked me questions in Cantonese and English.

The path through sixth grade was blissful. I became more and more acclimated to my classmates, and I had an extra special GATE teacher, Ms. Shannon Garrison, who satiated my curiosity once a week. We explored Shakespearian literature and geological sciences and organized the school鈥檚 annual Math Games Day. Through middle school, I procedurally mastered Algebra and skimmed books for the main ideas and overarching themes. In high school, the constant competition amongst my classmates became the purpose of life: who scored better on standardized tests, who had the highest GPA, how many AP courses you took. I went through the motions and graduated high school feeling I learned the art of test taking.

When I started college, I discovered I had retained little of the motivation to learn just because I loved to learn. In those first few semesters, I struggled to settle into a major of interest. Then, at the end of my sophomore year, I met a mentor, Dr. Dylan Rodriguez, who taught with immense passion. He guided me through academic journals in politics, race relations, and statistical analysis. Working with聽individuals like Ms. Garrison and Dr. Rodriguez enabled me to rekindle my passion for learning because I was interested to know more instead of just learning to take a test. Through these individuals, I learned to create systems to find in-depth knowledge and decipher meaning through academic jargon.

After college, I decided I would teach students to have a passion for learning mathematics within urban areas of Los Angeles. All throughout high school, it took extra effort for me to find 鈥渢he easy way鈥� to learn math, and most of my mathematical studies resulted in fifty or more math problems of learning a derivative and/or integral procedure. Math has so many applications and exists because it is literally a needed component of sustaining and discovering life. I had found my purpose in life: to teach, lead, guide, and help students to learn math as a necessity for conceptual application.

Now, as I have the privilege to connect with great minds in Los Angeles鈥� world-renowned research institutions when coordinating 优蜜视频’s along with teaching bright young minds through 优蜜视频’s Self-Paced Math Academy course, I humbly and excitedly continue to learn from and teach our future generations. I hope to not only be an educator but someone who can open the eyes of youth to find their passion and innovate for our future.

Did a teacher or educational experience encourage your child’s natural love of learning? Please share your experience in the comment section below.

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Our second Genius Day took place on November 23 and was dedicated to the life and work of William Shakespeare. Like our inaugural Genius Day in June focused on Charles Darwin, November’s Genius Day was a great success! Hosted once again at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, we increased the number of spots available, and all were filled. Our delegates, the children, had read and prepared their pre-reading materials and were ready to dig deeper!

Led by Louise Hindle and Independent Shakespeare Company actor and educator Andre Martin, the day of deep learning began with an interrogation into the very concept of genius, then delegates engaged in a scavenger hunt exploring Shakespeare鈥檚 social, historical and literary contexts. After lunch, we were fortunate to enjoy a docent tour of the newly refurbished Library Hall and get up close to the First Folio. Thanks to Andre Martin, we closed the day and celebrated mastery through the dramatic exploration of Henry V.

Take a look at some photos from the event!

优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy program provides young gifted students with challenging enrichment classes that focus on exploration and the application of knowledge. This fall’s Academy session offers a variety of courses, including the new class Looking for Shakespeare, taught by Independent Shakespeare Company actor Andre Martin.

Ellie and Charlotte are 11-year-old Academy students who attended , an event held by 优蜜视频 in collaboration with the . This is a post Ellie and Charlotte wrote about their experience at this event.

A friend of ours involved with 优蜜视频 invited Charlotte and me, Academy veterans, to a taster for one of 优蜜视频鈥檚 new fall classes, Looking for Shakespeare. That friend was Louise Hindle, . The taster was an invite to attend the play As You Like It performed by the Independent Shakespeare Company (or ISC) at Griffith Park last Thursday evening. In addition, as students of Academy, we were able to take a private tour of the backstage area with ISC actor and teacher of the new class, Andre Martin. This was a special treat. After we took the tour, we did a few fun activities with Andre to give us an even better idea of what the class might be like. Andre was very enthusiastic about teaching us, and we all loved learning from him.

The backstage tour was one of the most enjoyable parts of the evening, especially since Charlotte and I share a love of performing Shakespearean scenes. Before the play began, Andre led us all onto the stage and then took us behind the scenes and downstairs to the backstage area, where we could see the actors getting ready, putting on make-up and preparing their costumes. Andre explained some of the plot and introduced the characters from the play. We were lucky enough to meet some of the actors, including the man who played both the evil and benevolent Duke in the production as well as the actor who played Orlando, one of the lovers.

Following Andre, we left the stage and gathered on the grass for Andre to lead us in an acting game. 鈥淚magine how a kind Duke would walk,鈥� Andre told us. Charlotte, the other students and I walked in circles around Andre, imagining ourselves as a charitable person in authority. 鈥淕ood,鈥� Andre said. 鈥淣ow how do you think a lover would walk?鈥� A few of us wandered aimlessly, donning a dreamlike expression, and he laughed. I was beginning to wish my schedule would permit me to take this class鈥�

Leading us back to our seats, Andre encouraged us to pay careful attention during the play and kindly offered to answer questions or confer with him during intermission. As Charlotte and I took our seats and waited for the play to begin, we started to chat about our activities with Andre. We both agreed that Andre鈥檚 class would be an amazing and informative class to take. We also conversed about some of the things we had already learned with Andre. He had explained to us the plot of the play and quizzed us on the characters. We also got to hear his insights and opinions on certain parts of the play, such as the famous 鈥淪even Ages of Man鈥� speech and the fascinating character, Touchstone. We both took pleasure in hearing and learning about all of these things. Andre was very fun and energetic while he taught and was excited when we expressed our love for and experience with Shakespeare.

Once the play started, we were immediately pulled into its plot. The skilled actors captured our attention with their life-like portrayal of emotions and character traits. Soon, we noticed the different styles of the costumes used to represent the differing groups in the play. The courtiers dressed in elegant, fancy dresses and suits, while the forest exiles were dressed in more practical clothing for their setting. Also, the characters traveling into the forest wore clothes they thought would be suitable but were not and so they had to change identity.

Both Charlotte and I appreciated the depth of the production. When it was over, we thanked Louise and Andre for inviting us to the inspiring performance. Any kid taking Andre鈥檚 class in the Fall will surely enjoy it, we thought. As for this special taster event: now that night was one we would never forget.

Interested in Academy classes for gifted Kindergarten 鈥� 8th graders? The fall session starts September 21. Sign up today!

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Matt is a summer intern at 优蜜视频. He had the privilege of meeting some of the Summer Academy students and taking them to the park for lunch each day. This is his reflection on his time with these kids.

I had never met a gifted child before interning at 优蜜视频 this summer.聽 My job would be to help around the office and take the Academy kids to lunch.聽 聽What is a gifted child, though?聽 What do they look like?聽 I somehow had an image of miniature college professors in khakis, casual sweaters, and dirty new balance running shoes (this is what most of my professors at The Johns Hopkins University wear). 聽Perhaps one or two of them would even have a stylish goatee that they would twirl in their finger as they discussed the motive hunting surrounding the motiveless malignity of Iago from William Shakespeare鈥檚 Othello.聽 鈥淚ndeed the play suggests some over-determined motivations from Iago鈥攁 lover jealous of Othello鈥檚 involvement with Desdemona, an ambitious military officer, or perhaps a subtly racist Venetian?鈥�

I would nod my head, 聽making a mental note to read up that night on my Othello notes from last semester.

Contrary to my crazy imagining, the kids were not like this at all.聽 On the surface they just look like, well, kids!聽 They wore shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes, much like any ten-year-old would.聽 They gobbled down turkey sandwiches, Doritos, and snack packs.聽 When they were done eating, they enjoyed playing soccer or cards, joking around the whole time, without a care in the world.

And, of course, they were smart.聽 I learned that ladybugs primarily eat aphids, which is why they are good to have in gardens.聽 I learned that there are species of fungi, which I won鈥檛 even attempt to try to spell the names of, species that can grow to the size of a basketball over night!聽 This all came as I dealt cards to the five youngsters, who would remind me that for a game of six players each got eight cards with four left over.

This is what I鈥檝e learned about gifted kids: they are smart like I expected them to be, but they also like, need, and want everything a normal kid likes, needs, and wants.聽 When I take them to the park for lunch, the world of the smart meets the world of kid.聽 They have great conversations with each other cover topics from Sponge Bob to the properties of neurons.聽 They stretch their muscles, kick soccer balls, chase squirrels and beetles, and lie out in the grass.聽 They are masters of play, just like any other kid.聽 This element of the gifted child isn鈥檛 exclusive to lunch in the park either.聽 They bring this same exciting energy into the classroom; every time I take a peek to check in on their learning, they each have the same big smile that accompanies their youthful eagerness to live life to its fullest.

I am grateful that I have been able to be a part of these special children鈥檚 lives.聽 Even though my interaction with them primarily involves taking them to lunch, I think that part of the day is a curiously special part of their development, a time that perpetuates their youth and energy.聽 Most often it鈥檚 the down time that has driven them toward their promising futures in the first place.聽 This is why I鈥檝e so enjoyed lunch in the park with the Academy kids and helping 优蜜视频 in any way that I can. 聽Also, chasing squirrels in the park never gets old!

As you learn about gifted children, what have you found most surprising? Please share in the comment section below.

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