My guest today is Kelly Hirt, a full-time working elementary school teacher in the public school system who also happens to homeschool her own child. Since she bridges the worlds of being both an educator of young children and raising / homeschooling a differently wired child, Kelly has a unique perspective on how we can help our exceptional kids thrive both in school and in life.
Last year, Kelly authored the book Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children, which was published by the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum’s press. Today, Kelly shares some strategies from Boost, which are useful for parents of any differently wired child, not just those who are 2e. She also shares some useful insights on managing that parent / teacher relationship that can be tricky for so many of us.
About Kelly Hirt: Kelly Hirt is a veteran elementary school teacher with more than 25 years experience and she has a MA in Curriculum Design. She is the mother of a homeschooled 2e son, writer, presenter, and blogger. Kelly started her blog to support and connect twice-exceptional educators and families. Kelly wrote Boost: 12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice-Exceptional Children to help families and educators support 2e learners.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- How educators can shift their thinking to embrace the responsibility they have to every student in the classroom
- How raising her own 2e child has helped Kelly be a better public school teacher
- Kelly’s thoughts on how parents can best communicate their concerns and child’s needs to their teacher
- How parents can push for supports for a 2e kid whose challenges may not be impacting academic performance
- Kelly’s ideas about how parents can supplement support at home to fill in the gaps, whether they’re homeschooling or in traditional schools
- Why 2e kids do best when we lead with interests and strengths
- The benefits of finding ways to fascinate our children
- Kelly’s ideas for how we can find appropriate mentors for our children
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- My Twice-Baked Potato (Kelly’s blog)
THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING!
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