Classical education has been a fundamental part of Covington Latin School's philosophy for a century. It encompasses a comprehensive study of history, language, philosophy, mathematics, and the arts, providing individuals with a well-rounded understanding of the world and equipping them with critical thinking skills. In today's rapidly changing world, classical education is more important than ever as it provides a foundation for continued learning and personal growth. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of classical education and why it remains relevant in today's society.

Promotes Critical Thinking and Rationality

One of the most significant benefits of classical education is that it fosters critical thinking and rationality. By studying the classics, students are exposed to a wide range of perspectives, ideas, and worldviews, encouraging them to develop their own opinions and engage in meaningful discourse. This ability to think critically and logically is essential in today's complex and rapidly changing world, where individuals are faced with a plethora of information and must be able to analyze and evaluate it to make informed decisions.

Provides a Solid Foundation for Further Learning

Classical education provides a solid foundation for further learning and personal growth. By studying the classics, students gain a comprehensive understanding of history, language, and culture, which allows them to more deeply engage with the world around them. This foundation allows individuals to continue learning and exploring new topics with confidence, as they have a well-rounded understanding of the world and its history.

Encourages the Development of Virtues

Classical education is rooted in the idea that education is not just about gaining knowledge, but also about developing virtuous character. By studying the classics, students are exposed to the great thinkers and leaders of the past and learn about the virtues that they embodied, such as wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. This exposure helps to cultivate these virtues in students, making them well-rounded individuals who are capable of contributing to society in meaningful ways.

Prepares Students for Success in Today's Global Society

In today's global society, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of different cultures, languages, and historical events. Classical education provides students with this understanding, as it covers a wide range of subjects and perspectives, including Western and non-Western cultures. This knowledge is essential for success in today's interconnected world, where individuals must be able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and understand their perspectives.

In conclusion, classical education is a valuable and timeless form of education that provides individuals with a comprehensive understanding of the world and equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's rapidly changing world. Its focus on critical thinking, rationality and virtuous character development makes it an ideal choice for anyone looking to invest in their personal growth and future success.  If you would like to learn more about how your child could benefit from a Covington Latin School classical education, please contact our admissions director. 

Citations:

"Classical Education: The Movement Sweeping America." The Heritage Foundation, 8 Mar. 2012, www.heritage.org/education/report/classical-education-the-movement-sweeping-america.

"The Benefits of a Classical Education." Great Hearts Academies, greatheartsamerica.org/the-benefits-of-a-classical-education/.

"The Importance of a Classical Education." The Claremont Institute, 14 Aug. 2015, www.claremont.org/crb/article/importance-classical-education/.

 

The Superpower of Hyperfocus

As a teacher, the beginning of the new year brings fresh school supplies and organization.  As the Director of ExploreMore!, Covington Latin School’s enrichment program for gifted and talented students, I recently found myself going through our ExploreMore! storage so that we may start our next session off fresh. Upon finishing the summer camp, we end up with boxes of discarded materials like pipe cleaners, cardboard boxes, and household science materials. The chaos of neurodivergent organization can no longer be ignored. I, like many of our explorers, have boxes and boxes of old interests and hobbies. ExploreMore! storage is no exception. Our offerings of diverse classes for the Gifted and Talented community in our area lead to quite the eclectic grouping of materials. 

First, I stumbled upon old sewing patterns, denim, and knitting needles: the official storage of Fashion and Design. Another box contained Indiana Jones-style artifacts and sand: Dino-dig’s remnants. The third box of the day contained beakers, lab coats, and enough borax to do laundry for a year. That could be from any number of classes. 

All of these classes were requested by our students. Most of our classes are. These seemingly bottomless boxes contain the hobbies of ExploreMore! past that have long been forgotten. The stacks of stored interests reminded me of just how quickly trends can change. What is even more striking is how intensely our kids care for their interests, as if they had created Minecraft or Harry Potter themselves. These interests become more. They are all-consuming. Our obsession means we learn EVERYTHING about it. We leave no stone unturned. 

Originally, this behavior may seem endearing. Many parents find that it makes holiday shopping a bit easier. Grandparents know exactly how to talk to their grandchildren. If you want to know anything about the presidents, they have an answer and a ten-minute monologue prepared. But it seems as if as soon as you’ve gotten used to hearing about which of our founding fathers had the most cats (Explorer, John, tells me that it is Washington), the interest shifts. Now the cycle has started all over again. You’re left with $400 in merchandise and a case of whiplash. 

This occurrence is known as hyperfocus and is most common in neurodivergent populations. While many may see this as an intellectual superpower, it can be frustrating to parents, teachers, and even the kids. 

Last year, I had a student say, “Ms. Darpel, I love history, but I don’t love what we are studying in class. Can we learn more about the fashion of Ancient Rome?” As someone who has often felt this way, I knew I needed to allow him to explore that option. Our Gifted superheroes throughout the classroom can now pick one aspect of the unit and become expert on it. They then present these topics to the class. Not only are they gaining confidence through their exploration of their passion, but they are also gaining public speaking skills. 

Not everyone has the ability to adopt this method. So how can you implement and engage with your hyper-focused kid at home? 

One way to make your child feel special while also connected with the family is to have theme nights. Give your child a budget for supplies, a list of ingredients, or other parameters so that they can create a night for the whole family. Not only will they get to share their passion with the family, but they will learn valuable money, social, and practical skills. 

Another option to control hyperfocus is to set a timer. I do this in many of my own relationships. Often I will say, “Give me ten minutes to talk to you about the craft I made. Then I will turn it off.” Not only does this make me more cognizant of my own focus, but it is a good cue for others around me. The same can work for your child. Give them ten minutes on their activity then twenty minutes of homework or chores. When this method is first implemented, it can seem daunting, but eventually, it will become a lifelong habit that they are sure to thank you for. 

Finally, and possibly the simplest implementation is setting a timer or alarm. The minute that blaring noise is heard, the synapses in the brain snap to attention. Your child will be pulled out of the trance they’ve been in. Within those few minutes, your child could have traveled to the Jurassic period and learned about thirteen new plant species while the world around her completely faded away. That buzzer is her signal that it is time to get back to algebra. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions. 

Creating consistent and meaningful plans for the control and management of hyperfocus will allow your Gifted and Talented children to flourish. If, and when, we look at hyperfocus as yet another superpower of our children, they will find that they are capable of much more because they are able to remain on task. Look not at what they are missing through hyper-focusing, but look at what they are able to achieve and overcome because of it. 

About the Author: 

Samantha Darpel is the Executive Director of ExploreMore! Gifted. She has been with the program for six years as a teacher, Assistant Director, and Executive Director. Samantha is working toward a Gifted and Talented endorsement to add to her Masters of Middle School and Secondary Education from the University of the Cumberlands. She has also been teaching the gifted and talented community for six years. 

Executive Functioning- the Struggle Is Real

Confucius said that a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.  That is all well and good, but for someone who struggles with Executive Functioning, even that first step can seem like a thousand miles. The technical definition of Executive Functioning (EF) is, "the cognitive processes that help us regulate, control and manage our thoughts and actions." It includes planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, cognitive flexibility, initiation of actions and monitoring of actions. A person with excellent EF skills will not have problems creating a plan, organizing, sticking to it and shifting gears, if necessary. Those who lack EF skills will certainly have trouble when they enter school especially when they get older and need to become more independent. Projects can seem overwhelming. There is so much work to be done, and yet, they don't seem to know where to begin. Once they do begin, they can struggle to keep on task, stay organized and be able to adjust and change directions. The struggle for them is real.

Even the brightest of kids can struggle with this because it is no way connected to ability or intellect. It is not an innate ability. It must be taught and developed. Even at a very young age (as early as toddler years), children can be taught the necessary skills to have excellent EF skills later in life.  Games as simple as peek-a-boo and hide and go seek use working memory, attention span, and concentration. These are your building blocks. They teach focus and problem solving.  As the child grows older, they will benefit from participating in sports, doing chores, playing strategy games and playing a musical instrument.

Because it is a learned and acquired skill, students who struggle with EF skills can get on track with strategies that make sense to them.  The caveat is that it is not a one size fits all approach. From my years in education, I know that kids learn differently, and what works for one won't work for all. My advice is to first figure out what kind of learning style the student has.  Is he or she a visual learner? Auditory learner? Kinesthetic learner?  All of these influences can affect which strategy you employ.  

For visual learners, I am a huge proponent of project boards, sticky notes, and paper or electronic calendars.  The more color coding the better.   For visual students, I recommend color coordinating their books, notebooks, and folders. Visually, they will be able to grab what they need based on subject. I, personally, am a visual learner.  I have a huge whiteboard with sticky notes and different colored markers for different projects I am working on.  This is how I operate and organize.  It makes sense in my brain.

Auditory learners organize things quite differently.  Those kids benefit from setting alarms on phones or timers to keep them on track. Noise reduction headphones or conversely, music can help tune distractions out that will cause concentration issues. It can also be helpful to leave voice reminders for themselves on their phones.  You will often hear these kiddos talking to themselves to remind them of the steps needed to do a task.  My son did this while learning to drive.  He gave himself directions on how to parallel park. It was funny and slightly disconcerting at the same time.

The kinesthetic learner will benefit from scratching things off their lists.  This gives them a sense of accomplishment and keeps them on track.  They can also benefit from moving around while doing a task. Pacing is a normal thing while working on a project or studying. It keeps them focused. Another thing I have found that helps an active kid stay on task is an organization app.  Habitica is an app that works like a video game awarding kids with gold coins for completing a task.  For every task they complete, they check it off their list and earn rewards. They can also compete against their friends to earn points. Wunderlist is another app that allows kids to compete against their friends to check things off their to do lists.  It is a great way to motivate kids that need some movement.  These apps will also help students who are social learners and like to work with others to accomplish a goal.

These are just some of the strategies that I use while working with students with Executive Functioning deficits.  The good news is that these are skills that can be developed at any time so they do not have to struggle. Look for future posts regarding specific ways to engage students based on learning styles.

Blog post by Amy Darpel, former teacher and educational consultant, Director of ExploreMore Enrichment
Program.

We are proud to be participating in this month's Blog Hop on Hoagie's Gifted Page.