Flexible Learning Strategies and Gifted Education Blog
Welcome to the InterestEd Blog, a space for educators and families to find practical strategies, flexible approaches, and encouragement for meaningful learning. Here you’ll find ideas, tools, and insights drawn from my work as an educator, coach, consultant, and homeschool parent, with a focus on supporting gifted and advanced learners in ways that benefit all students.
Search by topic or keyword to find posts on gifted education, flexible learning, social-emotional development, and more.
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Not sure where to begin? Here are a few great places to start based on your needs:
For Homeschool Families
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For Classroom Teachers
For Schools and Leaders
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Looking for ready-to-use resources? Many of these posts connect to practical tools, downloads, and classroom resources you can use right away. Explore the Resource Library for printable guides, templates, and student-friendly materials.
Latest Articles:
6 Ways to Add Depth to Your ELA Lessons (Featured on Edutopia)
Students can give the right answers without truly thinking deeply. This article shares 6 simple ways to bring more depth into your ELA lessons without adding more work.
How to Support Gifted Students Without More Work
Looking for ways to challenge gifted learners without extra planning? These strategies help you add depth and complexity to what you are already teaching.
The Case for Going Deeper
When students finish early, the typical response is to give them more work or move them ahead. But deeper learning doesn’t always require acceleration. In this article, I share a simple strategy teachers can use to extend thinking within the same task, along with a free classroom resource.
When Learning Stops Being Easy
When my daughter admitted that she wasn’t sure she liked her advanced math class because it felt hard, I realized she might be experiencing true academic challenge for the first time. That car ride led to a conversation about why struggle matters in learning, especially for gifted students, and how growth often happens in the space just beyond what feels comfortable. This post explores the zone of proximal development through a real parenting moment and offers insight for educators and families navigating productive challenge.
20 Words to Know in Gifted Education
Words shape how we see giftedness. This family-friendly guide explains 20 key terms every parent and teacher should know — and includes a free printable PDF glossary to help you understand and support gifted learners with confidence.
Exciting News: I’ll Be Presenting at the 2025 WATG Conference on Gifted Education
I’m excited to share that I’ll be presenting at the 2025 WATG Conference on Gifted Education! My session explores what schools can learn from homeschooling gifted students—especially around flexibility, curiosity, and student-led learning.
Differentiation Through Choice: A Classroom Strategy
Discover how student choice empowers gifted learners to take ownership of their education. This post explores how to design meaningful choice boards that balance structure and flexibility — and includes a link to a downloadable, editable Canva template for teachers.
See Them. Support Them. Stretch Them.
Gifted learners think deeply and feel deeply. This guide explains key concepts like emotional intensity and asynchronous development and offers practical ways to create inclusive, caring environments.
Challenging the Myth that 'All Students Are Gifted'
Not every child is gifted in the educational sense—and that’s okay. Learn why recognizing and supporting gifted students’ unique needs ensures equity, engagement, and true growth for all learners.