Tidbit # 3
As my kids have gotten older, more mouthy and self-assured in their positions, I have vacillated between being pleased not to have sugar-coated or avoided difficult topics or unpleasant realities, including the fantastic set of hypocrisies that are much of life, and very uncertain about whether I took advantage of their unusual capacity to deeply […]
Exordium
So it began, closer to two fleeting decades ago than the time my mind is willing to accept has passed. The chaotic birth of my daughter, Haley, the first offspring of what would (quickly) become a clan of seven Lowders. “It will be easy.”, I boasted. “We’re teachers, we’ve got this!”, we claimed. “Our kids […]
Tidbit # 2
How to start the year on the right foot? I feel safe in saying that pretty much everyone experiences some degree of anxiety about the start of the new school year, and as one approaches the end of high school, the real and imagined pressures mount. And because gifted kids tend to have heightened emotional […]
Tidbit # 1: Permission to Be
The challenges of living, as an adult, with one’s own giftedness and raising a child who is gifted, are many. Of course, there is the predictable set of expectations that one has for one’s child, which can be amplified by the knowledge that the child is “gifted” and the more so as a projection of […]
Tidbit # 4: “The fallibility of innate talent”
Just the other day, I exchanged a lengthy text communication with a student who needed to write about a weakness he had overcome. He wrote me to say that he could not for the life of him think of any weaknesses. Thus far in his 17 years, he had had nothing but success in life […]
Tidbit # 5-The Perfect Fit
We all want to fit in — some of us more outwardly than others! The desire to be seen and heard is the desire to be accepted, to be affirmed in one’s expression of self and to feel connected with others. There are different patterns to how different people go about fitting in, and the […]
🌟💙 A Personal Family Update from Dr. Lowder: Celebrating Haley’s UNC-Chapel Hill Graduation 🎓🐏
Dear Scholars Academy Family, This past weekend was one of those moments as parents that feels almost impossible to put fully into words. Our oldest daughter, Haley, a proud Scholars Academy alumna, graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Haley earned her Associate of Science in Exercise and Sports Science […]
Empowering Tidbit # 41- Teaching: A Timeless Call to Empower
In the quiet corners of a classroom, where sunlight filters through worn-out blinds and chalk dust lingers in the air, you’ll find the heart of education. It is here, among the desks and the books, that educators like myself find our purpose. To teach is to plant seeds that may take years to grow, yet […]
Empowering Tidbit # 40.2-Exploring the Upper Academy of SA
Unveiling Excellence: Exploring the Upper Scholars Academy for the Gifted-Part II “A Day in the Life at Upper Scholars Academy for the Gifted” *7:30 AM: Rise and Shine* As the sun gently peeks through the curtains, students at Upper Scholars Academy awaken to a new day of exploration and learning. Some students may choose to […]
Empowering Tidbit # 40.1-Exploring the Upper Academy of SA
**Unveiling Excellence: Exploring the Upper Scholars Academy for the Gifted-Part I** In the realm of education, certain institutions shine brightly as beacons of high expectations and achievement, guiding and nurturing the bright minds of tomorrow. Among these, the Upper Scholars Academy for the Gifted stands tall, offering a transformative educational journey for students seeking to […]