GCISD Educators Shine at GiftED25 Conference (with students, too)

12/9/2025 12:00 am

Members of our GCISD Advanced Academics team, including teachers, administrators, and students, had a highly successful trip to the GiftED25 conference, gaining fresh strategies and showcasing their incredible innovation. 

Key Takeaways and Sessions Presented

1. GCISD Student-Led Research: Removing Obstacles

A major highlight was the engaging session presented by the Grapevine High School ASPIRE team.

  • Session Title: "Removing Obstacles to Encourage Student-Led Research"

  • Presenters: Jodi McCormack, Jennifer Edwards (ASPIRE District Liaison), and Ashley Millheim.

  • Focus: The session focused on strategies for structuring classroom environments to facilitate genuine student-led inquiry and remove common barriers, allowing gifted students to take ownership of their learning.

2. Highly Gifted Students Brought Receipts: Spilling the Tea on What Wows and What’s Just Cringe

This powerful presentation featured six ASPIRE student panelists who shared honest, clear insights into instructional strategies and learning environments.

  • Session Title: "Highly Gifted Students Brought Receipts: Spilling the Tea on What Wows and What’s Just Cringe"

  • Facilitators: Mr. Tucker and Mrs. Edwards, based on a design by Dr. Otto.

  • Focus: Students shared what truly works (and what definitely doesn't) for gifted learners regarding instructional strategies, learning environments, and assessments. The students' honesty and confidence made the session unforgettable.

3. The Power of the Student Voice Panel

In addition to the "Receipts" session, other GHS ASPIRE students participated in a separate panel to share their firsthand perspectives on the impact of student-led inquiry and positive classroom culture.

  • Key Insight: Students provided invaluable feedback on creating learning environments that encourage risk-taking, emphasizing the importance of:

    • Teachers making mistakes feel welcome.

    • Making questions feel welcome.

  • Impact: This session reinforced that incorporating Student Voice is paramount to maximizing engagement and creating a positive, growth-oriented culture for gifted learners.

4. Professional Development and New Strategies

Our entire GT team spent the day connecting with other educators and gaining new strategies focused on challenging and supporting gifted learners. The collective goal was to bring back fresh, actionable methods to enhance our classroom programs.

  • Team Focus: Learning fresh strategies, connecting with other educators, and finding new ways to challenge and support gifted learners.

We are incredibly proud of our teachers, students, and the innovation they bring to learning! The insights from this conference will directly inform our program development and advocacy moving forward.