Dr. Gelston provides homeschool math online education to gifted children who need support with social emotional learning and minimizing math anxiety by providing a safe and relaxing learning space for gifted learners to work at their own pace, tackle their challenges in private, and to develop a positive math identity.
When I started Mr. Gelston’s One Room Schoolhouse to focus on Math in 2012, I had no idea where it would go and how it would evolve. At that time, I believed that I would bring good public school education to homeschoolers to help students. Oh boy, was I wrong and misguided!
Entering the world of Gifted Homeschool Education was an eye-opener for me that helped me to find my place in the Gifted Community. I found that my preferred style of teaching math conceptually was just the first step in making better connections for Gifted Kiddos.
My style of pedagogy has been to offer a balanced approach, utilizing both verbal-linguistic and visual-spatial models for learning math. As a Piaget informed Constructivist, I focus on developing knowledge through rule development rather than relying on memorization. And, my undergraduate degree in Psychology has prepared me for understanding the social-emotional needs of the Gifted community.
By focusing on individual needs, Mr. Gelston’s One Room Schoolhouse has found its place in personalized education for gifted kids who don’t fit into institutions.
Being Mr. Gelston, online, has become the fulfillment of my lifelong professional dream. Every day, I feel fortunate to have found my calling and get to experience great joy in my work. I get to work with like-minded families and share the same types of concerns that I have had for my child. But, the best part of being Mr. Gelston is that I keep getting to say to myself, “Oh good, that kid is next” all day long!
