Exciting News: I’ll Be Presenting at the 2025 WATG Conference on Gifted Education

This October I’ll be presenting at the 2025 Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted (WATG) Conference, and I couldn’t be more excited to share a topic that’s incredibly close to my heart.

My session is titled “Taking a Chance on Flexibility: What Schools Can Learn from Homeschooling Gifted Kids” with the title being a nod to this year’s conference theme, “Take a Chance on Gifted Education.”

As a teacher, homeschool mom, author, and educational consultant, I’ve seen gifted education from just about every angle. But it was the eight years I spent homeschooling my three gifted daughters that truly changed how I view learning.

Homeschooling gave us the freedom to follow curiosity, to pause when needed and accelerate when ready, to build connections across subjects, and to lean into passion-driven projects. It also allowed for deep, meaningful questioning—not just from teacher to student, but from student to self. And perhaps most importantly, it showed me what happens when we trust kids to help guide their own learning.

In my session, I’ll be sharing stories, strategies, and research on what traditional school settings can learn from homeschool practices. We’ll explore things like:

• Encouraging student-led learning through flexible pacing

• Using one-on-one questioning to go beyond surface-level thinking

• Designing interdisciplinary projects that connect big ideas

• Making space for free time and creative play (yes, even in school)

• Creating environments that foster voice, agency, and joy

Whether you're a teacher, GT coordinator, administrator, or parent, I hope you’ll join me. My goal is to leave you with practical, thoughtful ideas that feel doable in real classrooms and real homes because flexibility isn’t just for homeschoolers. It’s for all gifted learners.

You can learn more about the conference (and see all the amazing sessions planned) at https://www.watg.org.

Let’s take a chance on something better for our gifted students. I hope to see you there!