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A Meaningful Mess Blog

Why Some Gifted Learners Go Quiet in Otherwise Strong Classrooms Jan 26, 2026

There’s something I’ve noticed over and over again in really good classrooms.

The planning is solid.
The learning targets are clear.
The tasks are th...

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Three Things You Might See in Genius Hour That Will Never Show Up in Data Jan 19, 2026

One of the things that keeps becoming clearer to me the longer I do this work is how much of giftedness lives outside of what we measure.

We collect ...

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Struggle: Red Flags and Green Flags Jan 12, 2026

Green Flags and Red Flags: How to Read Struggle in Gifted Learners

One of the hardest parts of supporting gifted learners is knowing what to do with ...

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Three Reasons Giftedness Doesn’t Always Look Like “Being Good at School" Jan 05, 2026

When we talk about or think about gifted learners, a lot of us default to the same ideas: neat notebooks, quick work, correct answers, polished produc...

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Getting LOUD for Gifted Learners: Practical Ways Educators Can Spread Gifted Cheer All Year Long Dec 08, 2025

Every year around this time, we talk about spreading kindness, joy, and holiday cheer.

But in gifted education, there’s another kind of cheer our lea...

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Where Passion Meets Potential: The Hidden Power of Genius Hour Nov 16, 2025

When we give learners choice, time, and true autonomy to explore what they care about, something powerful begins to happen. Gifted behaviors start to ...

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Creative Constraints Within Genius Hour Oct 28, 2025

One of the things I love most about Genius Hour is the freedom it gives learners to explore their passions. But sometimes, that same freedom can feel ...

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From Projects to Purpose: Helping Students Find Meaning in Genius Hour Oct 15, 2025

Most Genius Hour projects start with excitement — sticky notes of ideas, students buzzing about what they’ll build or research. But a few weeks in, th...

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Beyond Busywork: The Case for Meaningful Work Oct 06, 2025

“Gifted learners don’t need more work… they need meaningful work.”

If you’ve ever heard, “They finished early, what should they do next?”, you’re not...

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Genius Hour: Hidden Teacher Wins Sep 29, 2025

When people talk about Genius Hour, the spotlight usually falls on learners, their freedom to explore, the joy of passion projects, the spark of authe...

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From Small Talk to Big Talk: Cultivating Depth in the Classroom Sep 15, 2025

Classrooms are full of conversations, but not all conversations are created equal. Too often, we settle for small talk, quick, polite exchanges that s...

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Genius Hour at Every Grade Level Sep 08, 2025

Genius Hour can look very different depending on the age and stage of your learners. The beauty of my structure (the 6 Ps of Genius Hour) is that it’s...

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