Future of Education Podcast

Have you ever felt like your child's interest in something has become all-consuming? It’s not uncommon for gifted kids to develop intense interests that can leave them feeling isolated from their peers. As caregivers, how can we help and encourage them?   For this episode in our Life Skills series, we talk with David Perell, founder of Write of Passage, about how parents can help their children embrace their passions and find a community of like-minded individuals. David shares his personal experience of feeling alone in his interests as a child and the steps his family took to make him feel valued and inspired.  Listen now to hear our conversation about: The difference between what’s rewarded in academics and what’s rewarded in life [02:59]; How to help your child find a community of ambitious peers who make them feel validated and accepted [12:10]; How the internet can help gifted kids who feel isolated [13:41]; and What parents can do to embrace and support their child's interests [16:51].   Don’t miss Today’s Takeaways!  Listen all the way to the end of the episode for three tips to help your child thrive with whatever they choose to do.    Links and Resources  Learn more about David Perell’s online writing program, Write of Passage. Check out the video version of this episode on the Gifted Minds YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe! Learn more about GT School, an online program that helps gifted and talented kids supercharge their academics.   Be part of something special Stay connected with our community:  YouTube channel Facebook Instagram  Twitter  If you enjoy the Gifted Minds podcast, would you leave us a short review on your favorite podcast platform? We love reading your feedback and ideas.    About David Perell David Perell is a writer, teacher, and podcaster. He believes writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. David seeks to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. David’s online course, Write of Passage, has been taken by more than 500 students from more than 40 countries and from companies like Intel, Google, and Twitter. The five-week course draws on David’s experience writing online, building an audience, and his interviews with more than 100 people on his North Star Podcast. Each interview explores the methods and principles of successful creators, artists, and entrepreneurs. His podcast guests include astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, author Seth Godin, and economist Tyler Cowen. As an Emergent Ventures fellow, David’s work is supported by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.   Podcast Credits Executive Producer and Host: MacKenzie Price Executive Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media  Senior Producer: Amanda Avery Senior Editor: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing Marketing: Patrick Harrell, The Krewe Video Production/Editing: Kevin Smith, Picturebox Productions Music Producer: Dyami Wilson 

As parents, it’s natural to think our kids can do anything. But that mindset can also make it easy to unintentionally burden them with heavy expectations, which can ultimately hinder their growth and wellbeing.  For this episode in our Emotional Health series, we talk with Dr. William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist, author, and faculty member at the Children's National Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine. He sheds light on how we can help our kids develop healthy motivation and stress management skills, and avoid the heavy weight of expectations.  Listen now to hear our conversation about: The two most important things to protect your kids from struggling with emotions [02:26]; How to recognize if your expectations could be toxic [04:29] … and if your children feel burdened by them [10:13];  Day-to-day tactics to help your kids build a healthy mindset [12:07]; and How to model and talk about healthy expectations and healthy thinking [15:41].   Don’t miss Today’s Takeaways!  Listen all the way to the end of the episode for three tips for reducing the weight of expectations on your kids.    Links and Resources  Learn more about Dr. Stixrud’s books, co-authored with previous Gifted Minds’ guest, Ned Johnson, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home and The Self-Driven Child. Listen to our episode with Ned Johnson, Consult, Don’t Manage: Achieving Academic Success. Check out the video version of this episode on the Gifted Minds YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!  Learn more about GT School, an online program that helps gifted and talented kids supercharge their academics.  Be part of something special Stay connected with our community:  YouTube channel Facebook Instagram  Twitter  If you enjoy the Gifted Minds podcast, would you leave us a short review on your favorite podcast platform? We love reading your feedback and ideas.    About William Stixrud William R. Stixrud, Ph.D., is a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of The Stixrud Group, as well as a faculty member at Children’s National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine.  He is also the co-author, with Ned Johnson, of the national best-selling book, The Self-Driven Child, which is published in 14 countries and 12 languages and has sold more than two million copies in China.  He and Mr. Johnson have also co-authored a critically-acclaimed second book, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home.   Dr. Stixrud’s work has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, Scientific American, Business Week, Barron's, and, New York Magazine. He is a long-time practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, and he plays in the rock band Close Enough.     Podcast Credits Executive Producer and Host: MacKenzie Price Executive Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media  Senior Producer: Amanda Avery Senior Editor: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing Marketing: Patrick Harrell, The Krewe Video Production/Editing: Kevin Smith, Picturebox Productions Music Producer: Dyami Wilson   

Failing is a natural part of life and essential to personal growth. But gifted and talented kids, who often excel in many areas, can find it especially hard to process setbacks. As parents and caregivers, how can we help them cope with failure, build resilience, and develop a positive attitude about challenges?  For this episode in our Life Skills series, I’m talking with Legend’s head of program and curriculum, Fish Stark. He’s a child development researcher and program designer who specializes in helping kids learn core life skills they often don't get in schools. Hit play to hear our conversation about: When confidence gaps usually start to develop in children [05:26]; How praise can undermine your kid’s success [06:22]; How to talk about failure when it happens [09:59]; and How to help your child process discomfort and learn from their experiences [12:42]. Don’t miss Today’s Takeaways!  Listen all the way to the end of the episode for three tips to help your gifted kids get comfortable with failure and build resilience.  Links and Resources  Check out the video version of this episode on the Gifted Minds YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe! Learn more about Legend Labs. Learn more about GT School, an online program that helps gifted and talented kids supercharge their academics.   Be part of something special Stay connected with our community:  YouTube channel Facebook Instagram  Twitter  If you enjoy the Gifted Minds podcast, would you leave us a short review on your favorite podcast platform? We love reading your feedback and ideas.    About Fish Stark Fish Stark is a child development researcher and program designer who specializes in helping kids learn the core life skills they often don't get in schools. He is the head of program and curriculum at Legends Lab, where he leads a team of researchers and educators to develop learning experiences that help kids build the skills they need to be confident. Before Legends Lab, Fish was director of programs at Peace First, an edtech nonprofit that provided tools for teens to launch their own self-directed service projects. Fish has worked with the Red Cross, the Aspen Institute, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, and other organizations to build programs that help young people grow up strong and kind, and develop the leadership skills they need to change the world. He holds a Master's in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor's from Yale University with a certificate in Education Studies, and the title of Funniest Person in Huntington, West Virginia from his side gig as a stand-up comic.   Podcast Credits Executive Producer and Host: MacKenzie Price Executive Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media  Senior Producer: Amanda Avery Senior Editor: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing Marketing: Patrick Harrell, The Krewe Video Production/Editing: Kevin Smith, Picturebox Productions Music Producer: Dyami Wilson 

Most gifted and talented kids have super intense feelings. As parents and caregivers, how can we help them with this and stay tuned-in to what’s going on with them emotionally and socially? Paying attention to their emotional intensity is critical. For this episode in our emotional health series, I’m talking with Dr. Matt Zakreski, a psychologist and expert on giftedness and neurodiversity. He has a deep passion for helping gifted and talented kids manage their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Hit play to hear our conversation about:  What makes gifted and talented kids’ brains unique [02:17]; How we, as parents, can help them regulate their emotional intensity for healthy and positive growth [09:16]; Strategies for managing emotional disruptions that happen in public [10:54]; and Advice for helping gifted and talented teens manage their emotional development. [14:56] Don’t miss Today’s Takeaways!  Listen all the way to the end of the episode for three tips to help ensure your gifted and talented kids survive and thrive in their emotional development.    Links and Resources  Check out the video version of this episode on the Gifted Minds YouTube channel. Visit Dr. Matt’s Facebook page for a dose of mental health advocacy and humor. Learn more about GT School, an online program that helps gifted and talented kids supercharge their academics.  Be part of something special Stay connected with our community:  YouTube channel Facebook Instagram  Twitter  If you enjoy the Gifted Minds podcast, would you leave us a short review on your favorite podcast platform? We love reading your feedback and ideas.    About Dr. Matt Zakreski Matthew Zakreski, PsyD (Dr. Matt) is a high energy, creative clinician who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and their families to provide therapy and psychological evaluations. He is a researcher and author on giftedness, and thrives in supporting young people in understanding, developing, and celebrating their unique brains and ways of operating in their world. He received BAs in Psychology & Communications at Wake Forest University and assisted with research at Harvard Psychophysiology Lab at the Harvard University Business School before attending graduate school at Widener University, where he earned his Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) from the Institute of Graduate Clinical Psychology.    Podcast Credits Executive Producer and Host: MacKenzie Price Executive Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media  Senior Producer: Amanda Avery Senior Editor: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing Marketing: Patrick Harrell  Video Production/Editing: Kevin Smith, Picturebox Productions Music Producer: Dyami Wilson 

So much of what allows gifted and talented (GT) kids to excel is the development of life skills. These encompass the wide range of know-how that GT kids need to grow into capable and compassionate adults, from exercising self control, to setting goals and learning how to lead.  For this episode, I talk with Duke University Professor Sue Wasiolek about how to prepare our GT kids for the world outside the classroom. She has spent decades helping young people develop the skills they need for a successful and rewarding life. Listen to our conversation about:  Examples of life skills that many GT kids are lacking [05:22]; How to help your GT child manage and set priorities from an early age [14:20]; Why and how to let your GT kids fail [15:16]; and Ever Scouts, a program to help GT kids master life skills [16:40]. Don’t miss Today’s Takeaways!  Listen all the way to the end of the episode for three tips to help ensure your GT kids thrive in academics and life.    Links and Resources Check out the video version of this episode on the Gifted Minds YouTube channel. Learn more about Ever Scouts. Learn more about GT School, an online program that helps gifted and talented kids supercharge their academics.  Be part of something special Stay connected with our community:  YouTube channel Facebook Instagram  Twitter  If you enjoy the Gifted Minds podcast, would you leave us a short review on your favorite podcast platform? We love reading your feedback and ideas.    About Dean Sue Wasiolek Dean Sue Wasiolek (more commonly known as Dean Sue) is Adjunct Faculty at Duke University. She encourages students to study and base their careers around what they love. She thinks of her time with students not as a job, but as a way of life. In her free time, she can be found jogging around Durham or working out at the gym with students.   Podcast Credits Executive Producer and Host: MacKenzie Price Executive Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media  Senior Producer: Amanda Avery Senior Editor: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing Marketing: Patrick Harrell  Video Production/Editing: Kevin Smith, Picturebox Productions Music Producer: Dyami Wilson 

Ned Johnson, founder of PrepMatters and co-author of The Self-Driven Child, shares his expertise on supporting academically gifted children. He emphasizes the importance of shifting from managing to consulting, allowing kids more autonomy. Ned discusses how to foster communication and deal with perfectionism and anxiety in gifted students. He advocates for nurturing intrinsic motivation through passion and unstructured play while remaining a non-anxious presence in their lives. Close with actionable tips for parents to help gifted kids thrive!

Help your gifted and talented child to build healthy goals, develop lasting relationships, and engage with their community.

Encourage your gifted and talented child's leadership and critical thinking skills, and help them build healthy habits.

Help your gifted and talented child to fulfill their academic potential, showing them how to take ownership and accelerate learning in areas they love.