If you’re looking to refresh gifted services, make school a place learners want to be, or find innovative ways to see and support giftedness, Genius Hour is the best place to start. It transformed my teaching and my students’ experiences, reigniting my passion and giving learners the space to thrive.

In this session, I’ll show how my framework, the 6 Ps of Genius Hour, makes passion-based learning both manageable and meaningful. When implemented well, Genius Hour becomes a powerful way to identify and serve gifted learners—letting them lean into strengths, build authentic skills, and make real impact.

Participants will learn:

• 💡 What Genius Hour is and how to implement it effectively

• 💡 The Genius Hour Process (the 6 Ps) and the key skills embedded in each step

• 💡 Why this approach increases engagement and joy in school

• 💡 How prioritizing this work can reignite our own passion for teaching

We often plan for what to do when learners don’t understand, but what if they do? Gifted learners don’t need something different; they need something deeper. When educators know how to design for depth, differentiation takes care of itself.

In this session, I’ll show how depth-driven design transforms learning from passive to an active experience, like surfing, where every learner is fully engaged. Using my framework, educators will see that meaningful differentiation is simpler than we make it and entirely within reach.

Participants will learn:

• 💡 How to shift from planning lessons to designing rich learning experiences

• 💡 Why the first 8 seconds of class matter for engagement

• 💡 How to differentiate by identifying each learner’s next best step

• 💡 How to build productive struggle so all learners, including the gifted, grow through challenge

Too often, gifted onboarding becomes paperwork - forms, labels, checklists - when it should be the foundation of the gifted learning journey. Identification shouldn’t be the end of the story; it should be the beginning. Using the Gifted Onboarding Framework, we can shift onboarding from compliance to connection, ensuring gifted learners feel known, challenged, and supported from day one.

In this session, I’ll walk participants through the four pillars of the framework—Clarity, Community, Content, and Challenge—and show how each one helps create an onboarding experience that sets learners up for success. Built on a culture of curiosity, innovation, and creative thinking, this approach turns onboarding into a launchpad for deeper learning, stronger relationships, and meaningful differentiation throughout the year.

Participants will learn:

• 💡 How to design a strengths-based onboarding process using the four pillars of the Gifted Onboarding Framework

• 💡 What questions to ask gifted learners to build trust and tailor support early

• 💡 Why early communication with families sets the tone for the entire school year

• 💡 How to use onboarding data to drive authentic differentiation—without overwhelm

• 💡 How to turn onboarding into a starting point for identity, ownership, and deeper learning

I also offer coaching and consulting opportunities. I also offer an evaluation service through the Gifted Onboarding Framework. If you'd like to chat about ongoing support or evaluation services, please indicate that on the form below.  

I love sharing with gifted learners and/or their families. If you are interested in a family or student event, please indicate that on the form below.