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All AboutFor Leaders

Thoughts for administrators, directors, coaches, and other leaders of gifted and talented programs.

Featured Articles

How Clear Is Your Gifted Program’s Purpose?

I’ve long been concerned about how gifted education, as a field, communicates it’s purpose. If we don’t have a clear story, some else will write our story for us and it won’t be pretty.

Other For Leaders Articles

How I Learned Everything I Know

I didn’t learn by listening to speakers or reading books or going to conferences or by scrolling through lists of resources.

Grow Your Own Leaders

You don’t need to hire experts to fly in and do a one-day training. Look within your ranks for potential leaders. Equip them with resources and opportunities. Grow your own leaders.

You have a new gifted program! What do you do now?

You’ve been plunked into a new 1st through 8th-grade gifted pull-out program… what do you do?

Talk To Your Past Students

Are you ignoring the most cost-effective feedback about your program’s effectiveness? Talk to some past students!

“Priority” is Singular

You can only have one priority. Anything else is a cop-out.

Running A Gifted Program: Parent Nights

I’ve been to over a hundred parent nights and my main takeaway is this: use the time to build a community and get to know your parents’ needs. And stay away from PowerPoint!

Leaders Absorb Complexity and Pass on Simplicity

As leaders we have to constantly ask ourselves this question: Is this easy for me or is it easy for the people I’m leading? Very rarely is something easy for both parties.

Only Speak from Experience

The key to a great presentation? Only talk about things you have actually, personally done. Oh, and always start with your failure!

The Many Problems With That “Rethinking Giftedness” Video

In this “Rethinking Giftedness” video the filmmakers make a claim that gifted programs cause fixed mindsets. The three questions I immediately wondered were: Where is the research? How were the students in this video selected? Did they visit any great gifted programs? Let’s dig into it. Where Is The Research? The video and its accompanying […]

Stand Up to Jargon

Clear communication is simple, succinct, and relies on words that people understand. Jargon is the opposite. Journey with me as I attempt to define some edu-jargon…

Making The Case For A Gifted Program

A common question I get is folks asking how to make the case for a gifted program. Usually someone is pitted against an administrator who doesn’t see the value in a gifted program. How do we change minds?

Three Images To Explain Giftedness

Three images I’m using to do a better job explaining giftedness to parents of gifted kids.

Giving Better Presentations

It’s conference season, and that means we’ll all be settling in for a few sessions. I’ve put together a free resource to try to make those sessions more enjoyable for both presenter and attendee.

Why Label Kids As “Gifted”?

When speaking about giftedness, I am often told that “labels are harmful.” Here’s why I think labels have a powerful (but limited) purpose.

On Grouping Gifted Students

I am frequently asked about research supporting gifted programs. Is there evidence that putting gifted kids together is a good thing? The short answer: yes.

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