Connecting DYS Scholars
Welcome to homeroom classes addressing social-emotional needs, creative problem solving, and effective task management in a friendly setting. This is a fun space for DYS students who are profoundly gifted to meet like-minded peers.
When asked to describe this class, students say:
- “It’s a place to get my head wrapped around my day.”
- “It’s a reason to wake up.”
- “I love Michelle’s lessons. They are fascinating!”
- “I like the mix of serious topics and things that make me laugh.”
- “I’m here for the other kids. Thanks for helping me meet them!”
About
Age: 6+ (summer sessions)
Age: 8-12 (school year sessions)
*Flexible age range option depending on specific cohort dynamics
Fall Semester 2024: Sep. 3rd - Dec. 20th (except fall break Monday, October 14 - Friday, October 18 + Nov. 28th and 29th)
Spring Semester 2025: Jan. 6 - May 23rd (except spring break Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14th + April 18 and April 21st)
Summer 2025: Tuesdays (project sharing)/Thursdays (game day) Dates TBA
DYS Homerooms are currently held M-F at the below times:
- DYS Homeroom 1 (9:30am EST / 8:30am CST / 7:30am MST/ 6:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 2 (11:30am EST / 10:30am CST / 9:30am MST / 8:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 3 (12:00am EST / 11:00am CST/ 10:00am MST / 9:00am PST)
If you would like a sense of our daily routine:
- 10 minutes: Check-in questions for the day (What classes do you have? What specific topics are being focused on in these classes? How are you feeling today about these classes and the way they are going?)
- 15 minutes: Guided discussions about various aspects of giftedness from resources recommended by Davidson (attending with a notebook/journal is encouraged)
- The Monday routine focuses on project-sharing. Friday classes include online games, riddles, and lateral thinking puzzles.
Please check out the FAQs and resources if you have additional questions.
The cost is $55 per week ($11/class). Billing takes place on a monthly basis via PayPal. Students are expected to attend at least three days a week on a regular basis. A three to four day option is offered on a consistent basis due to scheduling issues, but then the price becomes $12/class (4 days) and $13/class (3 days). Please reach out about any special concerns regarding your schedule. You will receive the Zoom link after the first payment.
The gifted psychology information used in this class comes from “The Gifted Kids Workbook: Mindfulness Skills to Help Children Reduce Stress, Balance Emotions, and Build Confidence” by Heather Boorman and “The Gifted Kid/Teen Survival Guides” along with other resources suggested by Davidson. Please check out FAQs and resources for additional information.
In 2021 a DYS parent reached out to Michelle Ptacek and asked her to start the online homerooms. Meeting with like-minded peers on a frequent basis continued with homeschooled students as other friends returned to in-person schooling. Plenty of families have helped spread the word regarding the benefits of starting the day with a DYS homeroom. Summer sessions are also part of the schedule twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays (this is a great way for students attending in-person schooling to still participate). As a reminder, this homeroom is not at all associated with the Davidson Institute and is an informal class originally organized by parents and now organized by Michelle. Welcome to year five!
Michelle Ptacek is an educator, writer, and presenter focused on cognitive diversity. She has worked with over one thousand students worldwide, and provided consulting for clients from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. Closer to home, her primary focus is facilitating M-F online homerooms for Davidson Young Scholars in the US and Canada. Michelle has a B.A. in special education, M.A with a focus on gifted education, and is currently working on her doctorate in cognitive diversity. From young scholars to professional organizations, Michelle uses foundational principles in psychology to help people gain awareness about themselves and their teams. She provides workshops, lectures, and what she calls “keynote concerts,” bringing her lessons to life using examples from biographies. She continually churns out songs about inventors, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, explorers, and more while referencing her research. In her free time, Michelle blogs about the “First Creative Dollar” of figures such as Frederick Douglas, Louisa May Alcott, Rachel Carson, and Bob Ross. In a variety of ways throughout her career, she has worked enthusiastically to bring useful ideas from the world of gifted education to the broader public. Likewise, she strives to connect the psychological science of expertise and concepts from organizational psychology to the practice of gifted education. Michelle lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children.
Curriculum Calendar
First semester: Sep. 2 - Dec. 19 (16 weeks/15 weeks of class)
*Fall sessions start Tuesday, Sep. 2nd.
*No class Monday, October 13 - Friday, October 17 (fall break). Class resumes Monday, Oct. 20th.
*Nov. 2nd (daylight savings time ends in U.S. – fall back an hour)
*No class Thursday, November 27th or Friday, November 28th. Class resumes Monday, Dec. 1st.
*Last day of the first semester: Dec. 19th
Topics
Sep. 2 - Sep. 5: Five Learning Environments to Help You Thrive
Sep. 8 - Sep. 12: What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?
Sep. 15 - Sep. 19: What is Cognitive Diversity? + Cognitive Diversity Mapping
Sep. 22 - Sep. 26: How People Learn + Learning Strategies
Sep. 29 - Oct. 3: Tips For Learning at Home and While Traveling
Oct. 6 - Oct. 10: Self-Determination: Motivation with Autonomy, Competence, and Connection
*No class Monday, October 13 - Friday, October 17 (fall break)
Oct. 20 - Oct. 24: Social Creativity + Learning From Improv
Oct. 27 - Oct. 31: Giftedness in History: Who Would Make the Cut? (Simulation Game)
Nov. 3 - Nov. 7: Lateral Thinking Vs. Vertical Thinking (Puzzle Time!)
Nov. 10 - Nov. 14: This is Only a Test! Combating Test and Essay Anxiety
Nov. 17 - Nov. 21: How Focus Works
Nov. 24 - Nov. 28: Gratitude and High Performance: The Surprising Connection
*No class Thursday, November 27th or Friday, November 28th
Dec. 1 - Dec. 5: Procrastination
Dec. 8 - Dec. 12: Handling Boredom
Dec. 15 - Dec. 19: Learning When and How to Speak Up + Holiday Social Scenarios
Second Semester 2025: Jan. 6 – May 23 (20 weeks/19 weeks of class)
- No class Friday, April 18 or Monday, April 21st. Class resumes Tuesday, April 22nd.
- Last day of the second semester: May 23rd.
Lesson Topics:
- March 17 - March 21: Perfectionism
- March 24 - March 28: Self-Acceptance and Realistic Expectations
- March 31 - April 4: Empathizing and Systemizing
- April 7 - April 11: Anxiety Toolkit
- April 14 - April 17: Learning Versus Knowing
- *No class Friday, April 18 or Monday, April 21st
- April 22 - April 25: 2E Biographies (Twice-Exceptional People in History)
- April 28 - May 2: Living, Learning, and Working (Surveys For Self-Knowledge)
- May 5 - May 9: Working With Others
- May 12 - May 16: Responsibility and Personal Accountability
- May 19 - May 23: First Creative Dollars (The Unexpected Ways People Started Their Careers: Examples from Bob Ross, Louisa May Alcott, Frederick Douglass, Jules Verne, Rachel Carson, and More)
2026
Second Semester: Jan. 5 – May 22 (20 weeks/19 weeks of class)
*March 8 (daylight savings time in U.S. – spring ahead an hour)
*No class Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13th (spring break). Class resumes Monday, March 16th.
*No class Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6th. Class resumes Tuesday, April 7th.
**Last day of the second semester: May 22nd.
Topics
Jan. 5 - Jan. 9: Responsibility/Time Management
Jan. 12 - Jan. 16: Working With Others
Jan. 19 - Jan. 23: Misunderstood: The Double Empathy Problem and Communication
Jan. 26 - Jan. 30: Burnout: Understanding the Problem and Finding Solutions
Feb. 2 - Feb. 6: Mastering Attention in a Tech-Driven World
Feb. 9 - Feb. 13: Navigating Friendship and Rejection Sensitivity
Feb. 16 - Feb. 20: Personality Showdown: The Big Five vs. Myers-Briggs
Feb. 23 - Feb. 27: How We Think and Talk: A Look at Holistic vs. Analytical Thinking Styles
March 2 - March 6: Understanding Friendship Using Metaphors
*No class Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13 (spring break)
March 16 - March 20: From Delta to Dopamine: The Waves and Chemicals of Your Brain
March 23 - March 27: Mistakes of the Greats: Intellectual Humility and Dialectical Thinking
March 30 - April 2: Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome (Results of a Study)
*No class Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6
April 7 - April 10: Deliberate Practice: Taking Your Strengths to the Next Level
April 13 - April 17: Creative Problem Solving + 5 Bridges To Progress
April 20 - April 24: From Gifts to Growth: Well-Rounded and Whole
April 27 - May 1: Acting Brain vs. Thinking Brain
May 4 - May 8: Overwhelm: Choosing Where and When to Take Action
May 11 - May 15: Developing a Personal Philosophy
May 18 - May 22: Talent Development Plans: Personalized Paths to Growth
The routine on Monday focuses on project-sharing. What qualifies as a project is very flexible (essays, Lego creations, videos of piano recitals, science experiments, coding projects, sharing about activities over the weekend, etc.). Friday classes include online games, riddles, and lateral thinking puzzles. The gifted psychology information given on Tuesday through Thursday comes from “The Gifted Kids Workbook: Mindfulness Skills to Help Children Reduce Stress, Balance Emotions, and Build Confidence” by Heather Boorman and “The Gifted Kid/Teen Survival Guides” along with other resources suggested by Davidson.
- DYS Homeroom 1 (9:30am EST / 8:30am CST / 7:30am MST/ 6:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 2 (11:30am EST / 10:30am CST / 9:30am MST / 8:30am PST)
- DYS Homeroom 3 (12:00am EST / 11:00am CST/ 10:00am MST / 9:00am PST)
Interested in enrolling?
Semester sign-up forms are distributed in select communities online. If you’ve heard about this class from a different source, please use the contact form below and be prepared to forward your Davidson Exchange email. Michelle will get back to you in a timely manner. Thank you!