In celebration and in honor of Teacher Appreciation week, I鈥檇 like to take this opportunity to send a very special thank you to each of our Spring Academy instructors.

Academy teachers bring passion and expertise in carrying out 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission of helping students build the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to reach their full intellectual and personal potential. Each new Academy session presents a unique opportunity for instructors and their students to grow, but never in the history of 优蜜视频 has there been a session so remarkable as this spring, when, in the face of a global pandemic, teachers were challenged to adapt nearly every aspect of what they would normally do to inspire, engage and share their love for learning.

We can all think of a teacher who has made a positive impact on who we are and how we learn, work and play. Each of us can remember something a teacher said that inspired us, made us feel smart, successful, or that made us feel that we simply belonged. Or maybe they did something that helped us realize a goal or gave voice to an inner strength we didn鈥檛 know that we had and that the world needed.

American writer Alice Wellington Rollins said, 鈥渢he test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask which he finds it hard to answer.鈥�

Grayson and Anita, thank you for being the perfect example of this sentiment. With grace and mastery your lessons encourage critical thinking in such a way that dialogue and debate become collective discovery. You are always willing and prepared to respond to those yet unanswered questions with nothing less than the same curiosity and desire to understand that you expect from your students.

It鈥檚 been said that teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. Rod, Stephanie, and Maria, thank you for sharing your content specialization with our students and encouraging them to experiment in ways that go beyond just imagining how to apply their knowledge to real-world solutions. Your experience in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Pharmaceutical Bioengineering and Mathematics brought special relevance to courses like Biology of Me, Medical Pathology, and World of Science.

Chris, Joan, Rich, and Kathleen. Thank you for your boundless creativity, resourcefulness, die-hard preparation, and ability to pivot and leap to meet students where they are at, all the while planning three steps ahead to launch them further. There could be no better quote that encapsulates the professionalism and intention that you bring to each lesson than, 鈥淎 great teacher can teach Calculus with a paper clip and literature in an empty field. Technology is a tool, not a destination.鈥�

Lucy, Bradley and, Justin, thank you for offering a space where students can dive into their creative process without fear they鈥檒l find themselves lost in a sea of uncertainty. Your vision and instinct to guide students through their process of invention, whether in writing poems or expressing life through drawing, collage, or painting demonstrated so well that the best teachers are those who show you where to look but don鈥檛 tell you what to see.

Finally, I鈥檇 like to thank Amy, Richard, Toby and Summer with these words from Chinese philosopher Confucious, 鈥淓ducation breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.鈥�
You each have an exceptional ability to perceive and respond to those critical moments when a student needs you to pause, reframe and rewind, deconstruct and construct again, theorize and strategize, and empathize and laugh. These consistent and sincere moments of mentorship builds the trust our gifted students need to be confident that the future will always hold something budding and beautiful for them to discover.

Thank you, Academy Spring Teachers, from all of us at 优蜜视频!

It鈥檚 Teacher Appreciation Week! 优蜜视频 Program Manager Hillary Jade shares her thoughts on why teachers should be appreciated, revered and supported.

Last week, program hosted its second Teacher Appreciation Evening, which was instituted in December as a way to honor our teachers who inspire, challenge, motivate, and encourage their students each session. Throughout the evening, Academy teachers shared stories, anecdotes and quotes from the Spring 2019 session 鈥� all of which were inspirational, witty, and indicative of the high caliber students who grace us with their presence every day. Truly, our teachers are invested, observant, passionate and committed to serving the gifted and talented students who walk through our doors.

As we reflect on the end of the Spring session 鈥� and the end of the school year at large 鈥� a fitting pop culture anecdote comes to mind:

Dead Poets鈥� Society is the quintessential teacher appreciation movie. Throughout the film, John Keating 鈥� played brilliantly by the late Robin Williams 鈥� inspires a group of reluctant prep school teenagers to love poetry, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some of them dig in their heels; some of them instantly embrace it. When they find his old yearbook and learn he was a member of the Dead Poets鈥� Society, they strive to emulate him and his legacy. For he wasn鈥檛 a poetry nerd; he was a poetry god. The most iconic line of the movie is often quoted in everyday life: 鈥淐arpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 a time for daring and there鈥檚 a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for,鈥� Keating goes on to explain, hitting home the need to push oneself and take risks 鈥� albeit calculated ones. And that is why he, like our instructors, is passionate, revered, talented and sensitive to the needs of adolescents.

don鈥檛 settle for second best. They push students to push themselves. Keating emphasizes to his students, 鈥淎 man is not very tired. He鈥檚 exhausted. And don鈥檛 use 鈥榲ery sad.鈥� Use鈥︹�檓orose鈥�!鈥� On the post-class student surveys we distribute each session we frequently get feedback like, 鈥淭his class was challenging 鈥� but in all the right ways!鈥� Instead of doing the minimum, Academy students stretch their boundaries, their limits and their safety net to produce extraordinary results. They couldn鈥檛 do this without our teachers, who burst through the Learning Center doors excited to delve into the differentiated curriculum.

Thank you, teachers, for inspiring our students to be engineers, historians, makers, debaters, scholars, peacemakers, artists, and innovators. You are the reason our students run up the sidewalk each day, eager and excited to learn from you and engage in academic inquiry. You are the reason we have such a high session-to-session student return rate. You are the reason we are able to offer innovative classes that students can鈥檛 find anywhere else, such as Zoo Design, Math for Future Architects and Rube-Goldberg: Machine and Mazes. Because of you, the Learning Center is filled with inquiry, laughter, advocacy, positive challenge, friendship, curiosity and heart.

As we head into Teacher Appreciation week, we encourage everyone to take time to thank the teacher(s) that has/have meant the most to them 鈥� whether in-person, via a hand-written card (a true form of appreciation!) or by recommending them or their class to other students. During an impassioned analysis of poetry with his students, Keating proclaims, 鈥淣o matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world!鈥� We firmly believe that. In fact, we know that to be true of our instructors and the students who admire them.

听Here are a few quotes from our Spring session, directly from students, about their teachers:

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there could possibly have been a better teacher for Kitchen Chemistry than Miss Alka. She鈥檚 amazing and knows everything!鈥澨�� Sebastian (8)

鈥淎lka was SUCH a fun teacher to work with. She taught the KITCHEN CHEMISTRY class. She helped us if we needed help. She corrected us if we were wrong. And best of all, she was very, VERY nice.鈥�

鈥淭ristan was an AMAZING teacher to talk and relate with. I was in his class NEWTON: FORCES IN MOTION. I loved the apple-dropping experiment . Especially the part where you get to eat the apples (there were three apples.)* Tristan also helped us. He also corrected us. And he WAS NICE.鈥�

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Like many of us, I have several teachers from my early life in school imprinted on my memory 鈥� and there鈥檚 no doubt that they鈥檝e help shape me into the animal-loving, word-loving person I am today. One of my earliest school memories is of Mrs. Colliard, my second grade teacher. I was one of two lucky second graders chosen via lottery to take home one of the baby Finches born to Mrs. Colliard鈥檚 pet Finch. I remember being elated to bring home my new pet bird, who I named Gargamel after a character in one of my favorite cartoons. I already loved animals as a second grader, but in gifting me this new pet, Mrs. Colliard deepened my compassionate roots in caring for other living creatures.

Then there was Mrs. Van, my eighth grade teacher, who put me on a path to becoming an avid reader and communicator. I loved diagramming sentences and learning how to dissect meaning out of prose. I credit Mrs. Van with instilling in me a respect for language and for being the 鈥済o to鈥� proofer among my friends and family members. In high school, there was my honors English teacher Brother Aquinas who painstakingly took the class through Beowulf to show us the hidden story behind the poetry. While I may no longer read Old English, I grew a deep appreciation for nuanced storytelling and love of fiction writing.

All of us have these types of stories, of teachers who have touched our lives, instilled in us integrity and compassion and put us on a particular path to achieve our potential. And with all the negative noise in the ether about today鈥檚 schools, it鈥檚 refreshing to have a dedicated week in National Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate true heroes 鈥� our teachers.

Here are a few ways you can recognize teachers who have impacted your life and celebrate the work of today鈥檚 teachers:

1. Post a shout out on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag and . Check out the National PTA鈥檚 for more post ideas.
2. Donate supplies or money to your child鈥檚 teacher鈥檚 latest class project. Or ask the teacher what they could really use in their classroom 鈥� they鈥檒l thank you for not having to dip into their own bank account again for these items!
3. Hand-write a thank you letter to one of your favorite teachers. Even better, deliver it in person!
4. Create a short video about a teacher who鈥檚 made an impact on your life and upload it to the National Education Association鈥檚 for them to share to their national audience.
5. Like to bake? Make a favorite treat for your child鈥檚 teacher to enjoy. are some more creative ideas from PTO Today.

While my pet bird Gargamel is no longer with us, I will always remember him and Mrs. Colliard as a positive influence in my life. So I thank Mrs. Colliard, Mrs. Van and Brother Aquinas, for teaching me.

Do you have a story of how a teacher impacted your life? Share your story with us in the comments below.

At a point in the past, in the middle of an unusually busy year of educational change as a high school teacher and administrator, I recall hearing (and being motivated by) this phrase: 鈥淲ithout teachers there are no other professions.鈥� Ah, I thought 鈥� that鈥檚 why I must keep doing what I鈥檓 doing. Teaching is, without a doubt, about improving life chances.

Now, as Program Manager at 优蜜视频, where听I help shape the Academy program, I think similarly and differently. Today, as we mark National Teacher Appreciation Day, we honor our faculty of teachers who improve the life-chances of our students, but who also:

• Inspire our students, by creating incredible classes; classes not found in a traditional school environment. Moreover, Academy classes emerge from each teacher鈥檚 interests, expertise and current research. Where else would you get: Paleozoology? Marine Biodiversity? Logic Detectives? Brain Science? Microbial Ecology? Debating on a Global Stage: International Relations & Justice? Literary Ladies of Americana: A Paean to the Female Pen? Microbiology for Kindergartners? The Study of Star Wars: A Hero鈥檚 Journey? Mindfulness for Gifted Tweens & Teens?
• Mentor by sharing their stories, their journeys, by listening and being a friend. Academy classes are not just about the content or the process but about where these interests might take you and why and how.
• Lead by example: our teachers are patient, curious and share the thrill of learning, just as they enable Academy students to imagine a future self. Our teachers also acknowledge their younger selves in our students. They lead by example and they have the magical ability to connect with our youngsters
• LOVE what they do 鈥搒o much so, they find time as researchers, students, teachers, parents, computer scientists, consultants, N4P workers, actors, artists, film-makers, volunteers, animal curators, professors, administrators 鈥� to come to Academy and work with us 鈥� and then, THEY thank us!

And, so, a roll call to all of our Academy faculty, who teach, who teach and then sub, who offer mini-lectures, who sub some more, who provide expertise for Genius Days, who source and bring in extra learning resources to ignite their curriculum, who travel long distances each week, who accept all children with all of their needs (and always with a smile on their face), who return time after time with new classes and new reflections on how to improve and who work with 优蜜视频, with the resources we have, to offer your families the best service we can.

As Mark Twain said, “It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others.”

Today, we thank 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy teachers and friends for engaging in the most noble of professions and for helping shape future professions 鈥� whatever they might be.

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A British import, Louise Hindle graduated from the University of Manchester with a B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature and Language, completed her post-graduate teacher training at The University of Cambridge, and has recently completed her dissertation in Educational Leadership and Innovation with the University of Warwick. Louise has 20 years of experience in education as a high school literature teacher, lead teacher, administrator, adviser, and consultant. She is also the parent of three fun and active school-aged children. She loves working at 优蜜视频 because she is constantly learning and reflecting in order to meet the varied and complex needs of these children, who she finds to be confident and vulnerable in equal measure but always ready to learn and thirsty for more. In her free time, she likes to read with her children, hike, walk, and jog with her badly behaved dog.

Here鈥檚 to the teachers who encourage their students to think outside the box. To the teachers who make learning fun. To the teachers who care about more than a test score. To the teachers who apply classroom concepts to the outside world. To the teachers who allow students to pursue their passions, even if they lie outside the curriculum. To the teachers who challenge every student in their class every day. To the teachers who engage. To the teachers who see beyond the disruption to root out the true cause. To the teachers who recognize a student鈥檚 gifts. To the teachers who recognize that giving a student more work is not the solution. To the teachers who understand that there are some students who just learn differently. To the teachers who recognize that there is more to the gifted student than intellect. To the teachers who inspire.

Many different voices have contributed to this blog over the last two years. And, in looking back on what has been written, it is evident that teachers play an enormous role in the life of a gifted child. This Teacher Appreciation Day, we encourage you to look at these past posts by several different writers that talk about teaching gifted youth and about the difference that teachers can make in a gifted child鈥檚 life.

Lisa鈥檚 son went from a daydreaming fifth grader to the top of his high school class, and the more she explored the cause, the more she realized it had to do with his educational environment and the teachers who created it.

Dr. Delisle has been teaching and working with gifted kids for 36 years. Learn why he keeps coming back for more.

Louise Hindle has more than 20 years of experience in education and now serves as 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy Program Coordinator, shaping the supplemental educational experiences 优蜜视频 provides gifted Kindergarten-8th graders. Here she reflects on what our gifted children need academically.

优蜜视频 Program Coordinator Min-Ling Li was so greatly influenced by teachers who encouraged her love for learning that she became a teacher herself to encourage and spark the same love for learning in others.

Thank you to all of the teachers who make a difference each and every day.

Has a teacher made a difference in your child’s life? Please share in the comment section below!