von cilawarncke@gmail.com | Aug. 2, 2026 | Academic coaching, Academic support, Gifted learners
Here is the paradox of the application essay: the single most valuable quality it can have — an authentic voice — is often the first casualty of the process. Add deadlines, parental hovering, competitive folklore, and a teenager’s conviction that their real life...
von cilawarncke@gmail.com | Juli 22, 2026 | Academic coaching, Education, Gifted learners, parents
On July 12, I ran the Ilkley Half-Marathon, my fifth half-marathon in 15 months. I was running with one of my best friends on a bright, breezy day. I’d recently run 24km, and a 7km race in personal best time. Everything, in fine, pointed to a straightforward,...
von cilawarncke@gmail.com | Juli 12, 2026 | Academic coaching, Gifted learners, parenting exceptional kids
If you’ve never heard the term “twice-exceptional,” you’re in good company. Most parents haven’t until another parent uses it to describe a bright-quirky-struggling child, or they stumble across it at 1am while googling why is my smart...
von cilawarncke@gmail.com | Juli 6, 2026 | Education, parenting exceptional kids, parents
“We’ve tried tutors, and it didn’t help.” This is a common concern/complaint that usually comes loaded with unspoken frustration or guilt. Since those quiet parts are the loudest, let me start there: failed tutoring sessions are typically no-fault. Most tutors are...
von cilawarncke@gmail.com | Juni 28, 2026 | Gifted learners, parenting exceptional kids, parents
People often assume a linear relationship between intelligence and output. Collectively, our culture has grown perilously attached to the mind-as-a-computer analogy, to the point that we sometimes forget the brain ISN’T a computer. A student can have extraordinary...
