They'll Be Fine

Today, we're tackling a topic that can feel a bit intimidating when teaching gifted students: math. Well known by its acronym, (AoPS), Art of Problem Solving has a unique approach to teaching math, focusing not just on rote memorization but on deep conceptual understanding and creative problem-solving. It's a curriculum that challenges students to think outside the box and build a true foundation in mathematics.

Grayson Maas joined ...

Summer Cowick is an educator and founder of Brilliant And Then Some who specializes in supporting gifted students, particularly those with Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities (OEs). Her work focuses on managing and leveraging these five intensities—emotional, imaginational, intellectual, psychomotor, and sensual—to help gifted children and families understand and nurture their unique needs in educational and home environments. She offer...

Chris Rice is an experienced educator, advocate, and speaker. He has over 10 years of experience as a school psychologist and has worked in several states and with students ages 3-21. Currently, Chris serves as a gifted education psychologist for a large school district in North Carolina. He has the opportunity to help influence policy and practice, work directly with gifted learners, and support AIG teachers through professional l...

Dr. Emily King is a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has worked with neurodivergent children and teens for over 20 years. She received a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she worked at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. She began her career as a School Psychologist in Houston, Texas specia...

You might know Todd Stanley from his YouTube channel “Todd Talks” or his website “The Gifted Guy” which has a ton of free resources! Todd served as classroom teacher for 18 years and then, has the gifted coordinator for Pickerington Schools the past 10 years. In this episode we discuss the power of project based learning, something he has a lot of experience in and wrote a few books. He shares some of his favorite tools from his b...

Monica Simonds, M.Ed., is a Strategist for K-12 Assessments at Riverside Insights. In this role, she works closely with educators across the U.S. to help them gain greater insight and utility from their assessment data with a specific focus on best practices for identifying and serving gifted and talented students. Monica is the 2017 recipient of the NAGC Gifted Coordinator award and the 2019 TAGT Administrator of the Gifted awar...

Gia Kaul combines her rich background of teaching elementary and middle school to impactful roles at Pearson Education, the National Math and Science Initiative, and the College Board. Currently, she serves in the Schools Development position at Cambridge International Education. Her expertise lies in fostering strong connections with state, district, and school stakeholders to drive educational opportunities for students. In thi...

In this episode of They’ll Be Fine, we're chatting with Brian Housand and Stephanie Higgs!

With a Ph.D. in Gifted Education from University of Connecticut, Brian has written books and given numerous presentations focused on gifted education. As the coordinator of gifted programs at UNC Wilmington, he educates and inspires teachers to bring more creativity to the classroom for their gifted students. He is also known for integrati...

Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with 30 years of experience in education. He is the author of

• Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry (Solution Tree),
• Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning (Solution Tree),
• Now That’s a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive...

In this episode of They’ll Be Fine, we speak with Crawford Leavoy, National Speech & Debate Tournament Champion coach. For the past 12 years as Director of Speech & Debate at Durham Academy, he's built a program that consistently dominates the national stage: 12 straight years of Top 20 finishes at the National Speech & Debate Tournament, with multiple Top 10 placements. He's a three-time North Carolina Coach of the Ye...

Welcome back to They’ll Be Fine, the podcast where we dive into the most impactful practices in gifted education and beyond. In this episode, we’re exploring an instructional approach that transforms classrooms into vibrant spaces for critical thinking, inquiry, and meaningful dialogue—the Paideia approach.

We recently had the privilege of sitting down with two incredible school leaders in Charlotte, NC– Kelly Dowdy and Jane Armbrus...

In this episode of They'll Be Fine, Kim Tredick, a seasoned educator with 36 years in public education, discusses her journey and passion for gifted education. She details her professional background from being an elementary school teacher to an assistant superintendent, emphasizing the need for differentiation. Kim introduces the Depth and Complexity framework, developed in the early 1990s by Dr. Sandra Kaplan and Betty Gould, as ...

“They're smart. Why would they need additional services? They’ll be fine!” Sound Familiar?

Time and time again we hear “they’ll be fine, they’re smart," when people refer to gifted learners. Because of this sad misconception, too many students fail to reach their potential because they do not receive appropriately challenging curriculum and services.

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) reports that 73% of teachers a...

Welcome back to They'll Be Fine! This week, we're tackling a complex and often misunderstood topic: intelligence testing. But we're not just scratching the surface. We're going straight to the source, speaking with Dr. Jack Naglieri. Dr. Naglieri, an Emeritus professor at George Mason University and senior research scientist at the Devereux Center for Resilient Children, has dedicated his career to creating more equitable and accu...

Dr. Dina Brulles is a true leader in the field of gifted education. She is the Gifted Program Coordinator at Arizona State University, a former Director of Gifted Education, and a co-author of the Naglieri General Abilities Test. She's also served in key leadership roles at the National Association for Gifted Children and has actively supported and served as a mentor for the Javits Frasier Scholarship Program since 2010.

As you will...

Welcome to They'll Be Fine! We are Kim Hackman and Lisa Pagano,  and we're the new hosts of this podcast. We're really looking forward to connecting with all of you about the needs of our academically and intellectually gifted. But first, we want to introduce ourselves. Starting next Friday, new episodes will be released every other week, so be sure to follow us!

Whether you're deeply involved in the world of gifted education, cons...

In this episode, Julia, a former teacher turned school counselor, shares how her experience in the classroom led her to write 126 children's books focused on positive parenting, teaching strategies, and emotional growth. She discusses her new website, Cookie Bites, offering resources for parents and educators to help children manage anxiety, build self-esteem, and navigate social-emotional challenges.

Julia also talks about the impo...

In this engaging and informative episode of Back Pocket Strategies, join hosts Alexia, Hannah, and Katharine as they discuss practical and adaptable teaching strategies that educators can use in diverse classroom settings. From the transformative Socratic Seminar to creative math and language games, the trio shares their experiences and tips to help students build essential skills such as critical thinking, effective communication,...

In this episode, we explore creative and engaging activities that help students develop critical thinking, reasoning, and persuasive communication skills. From making unexpected connections between everyday items to practicing persuasive speaking and crafting logical rebuttals, these activities are designed to challenge and inspire gifted learners. Whether you're looking for fun ways to encourage deep thinking, enhance argumentatio...