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 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:
Setting Up Constraints to Inspire Creative Thinking(Featured on Edutopia)
Many teachers assume that giving students unlimited freedom leads to greater creativity. In reality, thoughtful constraints often inspire deeper thinking, stronger problem solving, and more innovative solutions. Learn four practical ways to use material, time, budget, and process constraints to transform your STEM challenges.
Giftedness Is Not a Mirage
A recent New York Magazine article questioned whether giftedness is real at all. As an educator who works with gifted and twice-exceptional learners, I believe the better question is not whether giftedness exists, but whether our systems are doing an adequate job identifying and supporting students with advanced learning needs.
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.
The Hidden Cost of Underchallenge in Schools
Curriculum is not neutral for gifted learners. When challenge and autonomy are missing, the long-term cost shows up in motivation, identity, and sustained engagement with learning.