classes are at once engaging and educational. While sitting in on three classes two weeks ago, I was surprised by the instructors鈥� hands-on, student-centered approach to learning. Academy students arrive at conclusions through discussion and inquiry; rather than feeding the class answers and formulas, Academy instructors give students room to explore and discuss concepts. Coming from a boarding high school that emphasizes a collaborative, inquiry-based approach to learning, I was impressed to see classes with younger students using the same pedagogy.

Due to the interdisciplinary and interactive nature of these classes, students are able to apply what they learned to real-word scenarios, from using chemistry to prepare food to making video games in Java and Python. During a Primary Geometry class, for example, students learned about shapes by creating their own mini-boats out of foil and straws and testing them in a tub of water. The instructor used the most buoyant boats as a segue into a discussion about 3-D geometry, helping students visualize the intersection of geometry and the outside world. If you missed out on Primary Geometry, check out our new offering, Math Magic: Numbers up your Sleeve, a class offered in .

In a Rocket to Calculus class, the instructor asked students to predict the path of a rocket using mathematical formulas before going outside to test their predictions with their own handmade rocket. Rather than plugging numbers into equations, the instructor helped students understand the origin and meaning of the formula. In both classes, the instructor made sure that each student had an equal opportunity to ask questions; due to the small class sizes and instructors鈥� approach to teaching, each student felt included and comfortable speaking up.

Although each Academy class has a structure and purpose, instructors are open to students鈥� suggestions and are there to engage their curiosity. On the last day of a Robotics class a few sessions ago, students were testing their robots when one came up with the brilliant idea of attaching pins to the front of the each robot and balloons to the back, then pitting the robots against each other. An eccentric way to test their robots, indeed, but the creative activity made for a memorable end to a Robotics class!

Classes are still open for Session II and III, so if you missed out on previous sessions, check out our offerings for this summer. In addition to our classic offerings of Video Game Design and Microbiology, we are excited to announce a handful of new classes, from Improv 101 to Creative Writing. Summer is only getting started, so we can鈥檛 wait to see you at Academy in the coming weeks!

Mark is an extern this summer at 优蜜视频. A Los Angeles resident, Mark will be a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy this fall.

Lisa is the mother of 3 gifted children and lives outside of San Francisco.

My middle son is a junior in high school. It鈥檚 time for him to start thinking about college. To help the process along, his school invited a speaker from to speak to the parents and students. She reminded the parents that the search should be student-centered. To make her point she told stories about over-involved parents who push their children aside during college fairs in order to speak to the admissions officers and those who get their pronouns confused when talking about the application process, as in, 鈥�We are still in the process of writing our 别蝉蝉补测蝉.鈥�

I have never pushed my children, and I am very conscious of which pronoun I use. That said, I was very involved in my oldest son鈥檚 college search, and I plan to do the same for my middle son. My experience has given me sympathy for the parents she ridiculed. It鈥檚 a fine line between over-involved helicopter parent and helpful consultant. But whichever side of the line you fall, there will be consequences for your child and a corresponding label of their own.

My involvement in my children鈥檚 educational decisions is not unlike that of many parents of gifted kids. For the past 10 years, I鈥檝e been helping my children get the resources they need to challenge themselves and feed their passions. In the past, that meant online courses, tutors, extracurricular activities and schools. Two years ago, it meant helping my oldest son find a college. It wasn鈥檛 until he began his college search that I understood how my involvement has influenced the way he thinks about his own education.

鈥淚 want a school with a good visual arts program, but I don鈥檛 want it to focus solely on the object.鈥�

He wanted to paint, draw or sculpt at a school that didn鈥檛 focus on the painting, drawing or sculpture. If you are confused, so was I. Even he didn鈥檛 know exactly what he was looking for. But that didn鈥檛 prevent me from searching for this elusive school. I (yes, I am aware of the pronoun I am using) looked through course catalogues for visual art classes with unique titles, eschewing schools that only offered the vanilla 鈥淧ainting 101鈥� or 鈥淒rawing Techniques.鈥� I looked at their capital expenditures on the arts and made charts detailing their core requirements. We visited colleges on the East Coast and in Southern California where I asked more questions than my son during the campus tours. The accordion files I created for potential colleges bulged.

My search led him to the University of Chicago. He was intrigued by the classes titled 鈥淰isual Language: On Time and Space鈥� and 鈥淧erforming Tableware.鈥� He enrolled last year. When my husband and I delivered him to the campus, we knew that the school would provide a rich academic experience for him. But he wasn鈥檛 done personalizing his education.

At the beginning of his second year, he decided that the majors available at University of Chicago were limiting. So instead of settling for a major that mostly provided what he wanted, he decided to invent his own. He is going to declare a major in Interdisciplinary Studies. This do-it-yourself major allows him to combine studies in the humanities. He is going to craft a major in the fields of anthropology, visual arts, creative writing and psychology. The tentative title of his major is 鈥淪torytelling.鈥�

Just as there are contrasting labels that can be applied to me, you may be tempted to apply one to my son. On the positive side, you could say that he is self-actualizing. On the negative: he feels entitled. While I will argue the former, I will admit that the latter also applies. My interference in his educational experiences led him to believe that he can expect a personalized education plan that feeds his passions, wherever that may take him. This may mean that he will enter a work force that does not value his efforts and that he will spend his twenties living in our basement. On the other hand, he may have developed skills that allow him to pursue a career his father and I have never imagined. After all, there are people making a living creating Google Doodles. Who knew that was a career 10 years ago?

I believe that my intentions are good and that my behavior furthers my children鈥檚 goals. My middle son is going to test that belief. An extraordinary math talent, he doesn鈥檛 want to pursue math in college. He wants the educational equivalent of Sid Meyer鈥檚 Civilization game series鈥攁 program that combines politics, economics, history and philosophy. I am going to do my best not to slip in a math component, but I can鈥檛 guarantee my behavior at this point.

I know that I am both over-involved and helpful. I am certain that my children are seen as both entitled and on the path to self-actualization. Which label you apply to my children and to me depends on your perspective. I suppose the only judgment that really matters is my children鈥檚. If later in life they are leading happy and fulfilling lives, then you can call us whatever you鈥檇 like.

Have you struggled with the fine line between helpful and over-involved? Please share your experience in the comment section below.

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