| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling Special Situations Gifted Homeschooling What Do I Do With All This Free Time...? (or... "What To Do When You've Finished the Curriculum") by Ann Seay, copyright 2007 One Mom's suggestions for extra-curricular activities that your teen may enjoy... Think outside the box. You don't have to move on to more curriculum. There are plenty of things to do besides finishing school at lightening speed. Some ideas: - get a part time job (one of my sons had a programming job at 13, another teaches chess) - volunteer, not just a menial job but something that is meaningful (one of my sons volunteers at a school for disabled children, working directly with the kids and their therapists) - expand your horizons (sports, art, music, community theater - join a performing group) - learn additional languages (try one with a different alphabet or a more esoteric one - one son learned Old English so he could read the original Beowolf) - read, read, read (take a 4 year Great Books course, pick a genre and become an expert, etc.) - write, write, write (one son wrote a novel -- unpublished -- but it improved his writing tremendously as well as being a great experience) - explore something that you are passionate about or become passionate about something - develop leadership skills (perhaps something akin to a Boy Scout Eagle project) - teach homeschool classes to younger students (my son earned money, the kids loved him and he learned a lot about leadership, responsibility and teaching.) - tutor/mentor a younger gifted child - get involved in local politics, volunteer at a local official's office - travel, study for a year abroad - brainstorm what you enjoy and then figure out how to do it (this may be hard because of age restrictions, but get creative) - take some good (really challenging) elective online classes! Here are some examples : The Lukion Project - online classes in Greek and Roman history, culture and language Art of Problem Solving - competition level math classes eiMACS - great advanced math, computer and logic classes Or try out one of the free online open course ware classes listed in the Distance Learning as Gifted Enrichment sections Most importantly - RELAX. Don't feel that you have to save the world before you are 16! You have plenty of time. P.S. -- Don't forget to sleep! |