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Importance of Gifted in MTSS Framework - the MTSS framework, or multi-tiered systems of support, is meant to provide intervention for all students. Sometimes though we are only looking at the framework with scaffolds for at-risk students rather than an opportunity to grow all, including gifted. There are lots of benefits to including gifted in the framework though that will benefit all.

5 Words to Strike from Gifted Vocabulary - there are words that are commonly used in gifted vocabulary such as challenge, accelerated, and differentiation. There are others that are used all of the time that maybe shouldn't be. In this Todd Talk I discuss 5 of them you might reconsider using as well as a bonus one that would be doing me a favor.

Productive Struggle - this is when students are given a task that is a challenge to solve and through this struggle they not only learn the possible answer, but also the process. But how do we actively do this in our classrooms where students are often times afraid to make mistakes?

Gears of Genius - we use the word "genius" as an adjective to describe a person or idea, but how do we actually get someone there? What does it take to produce a genius idea? It is not just one thing. It is a combination of curiosity, creativity, challenge, and critical thinking. But how do we foster those ideas and skills in the classroom?

Creating Brain-Busting Bulletin Boards - often times the bulletin boards in classrooms are simply white noise that students do not pay attention to. But what if you could make them part of the educational process and get students involved? Here are some ideas for doing this.

What is Critical Thinking? - critical thinking is one of those terms that can mean a lot of things. In the case of skills taught in school, what does critical thinking mean? And why is it so important to teach it to our students?

Chances vs. opportunities for challenge - when we try and challenge our students in the classroom there are two ways to do this. Planned challenge where we prepare things ahead of time, and teachable moments where we see a spark of curiosity we want to tap into. Learn how to do both of these.

Academically Challenging vs. Intellectually Stimulating - academically challenging is how most of school is set up, where things gets progressively more and more difficult. Intellectually stimulating is where students are challenged in their thinking. Which one is used more in school and how can we balance these?

The needs of gifted students - gifted students have specific needs that are often not addressed or overlooked. Why is it important to address these needs and how can you ensure they are growing as learners?

What is Creative Thinking? - we identify some students as creative thinkers. But what does this actually look like? This is the definition of an outside the box thinker. They usually have multiple possible answers and make connections others don't see.

Flexible Grouping - when we put students into groups we must be purposeful about it. This is because in order for their needs to be met, they must be in the best environment for them to grow. But placing them properly is only half of the battle. Once they are in groups they must know how to work and collaborate to be successful.

Compacting Curriculum - is everything we are required to teach necessary for all students? What if they already know what we are going to be teaching? Do they need to learn it again or can we streamline the learning so that students are skipping over material they already know or have learned quicker than the pace set by the teacher? One solution is compacting the curriculum where we cut the fat from the lesson and allow students to digest only the meaty parts so that they can dig in deeper or extend further.

Tiered Lessons - differentiation isn't about making 30 lessons plans for 30 students. It is about determining the various levels of understanding in your classroom and making sure you meet the needs of those students. This should be deliberate and planned and that's where tiered lessons come in. These are about designing a lesson keeping in mind the needs of those on expected level, those who might be struggling, and those who need additional challenge.

What are some good books to read about raising gifted children? - as a parent of a gifted child you are probably discovering there are some different behaviors than might be in a typical child that parent books don't discuss. Luckily there are plenty of parenting books on how to raise a well-adjusted gifted child too. But how do you know which ones are worth reading? This Todd Talk discusses some of the parenting books used in book chats and the advantages they offer.

5 Things Never to Say to Your Gifted Child - sometimes as parents we say things to our children that we wish we hadn't. Things such as "I wish you were more like..." or "why were you ever born". We can do this with our gifted children as well and the expectations we hold for their gifts. Here are 5 of the things you should avoid saying to your gifted child and the reason you should not say them.