Chamonix Mann is a Gifted and Talented specialist with 14 years experience in elementary education, currently serving students and teachers in Texas. She is the creator of Gifted Glow Up Studio, a digital platform dedicated to helping educators and families move beyond compliance-driven instruction and into meaningful, inquiry-based learning experiences for gifted learners.

Chamonix is passionate about redefining what it means to support gifted students- advocating for depth, creativity, and authentic challenge over speed and perfection. Her work centers on creating opportunities for gifted learners to think critically, creatively, and authentically.

Follow her on Instagram @giftedglowupstudio

Jessica LaFollette has been teaching gifted learners for over 25 years and serves on the board of directors for the National Association for Gifted Children. She currently teaches gifted students at Piper Middle School in Kansas City and instructs graduate courses at the University of Missouri in differentiation. Dr. LaFollette is co-author of the LEAP Guidebook and Modules for Differentiating Instruction and recently authored the book, Magic in the Middle: Hands-on Challenges that Create Joy for Gifted Middle School Students. She is a Past President of the Kansas Association for the Gifted, Talented and Creative and past Chair of NAGC’s Parent, Family and Community Network. When she is not teaching, she enjoys puzzles, reading, baking, and traveling with her husband and four children.

Aritia Smalls brings nearly two decades of educational expertise to her role as Advanced Learning and Gifted Education Coordinator. A deep-seated passion for student potential defines her career; she works tirelessly to ensure that advanced resources and academic support are accessible to all students, empowering them to reach their full potential.

Lisa Pagano currently serves as the Director of Advanced Studies for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). Lisa brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in gifted education. Throughout her career, Lisa has been recognized for her contributions to education innovation, i Lisa holds advanced certifications and degrees in School Leadership, Gifted Education, and Curriculum and Instruction. An accomplished educator and published author, she has shared her insights on gifted education in various professional publications, including Parenting for High Potential. She is thrilled to work on and co-host the podcast, They’ll Be Fine. Lisa has worked as a Per Diem Consultant with Thinking Maps for the past 8 years. She also works with schools and districts through her gifted education consulting business, bright & brilliant, LLC.

Trinette Atri is a National Board Certified educator with 21 years of experience and an AIG Instructional Specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, supporting gifted education across 100+ elementary schools. She serves on the NCAGT Board as a Presidential Appointee and co-hosts the podcast They’ll Be Fine. Trinette is also the longtime Program Director of Spectrum of the Arts, a summer program for students gifted in the arts. She also taught AIG teacher licensure courses at Queens University of Charlotte and holds degrees from Boston College and the University of Bradford in the UK.

Michael S. Matthews is Professor in the Cato College of Education of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Dr. Matthews has held leadership roles in the Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent SIG of the American Educational Research Association, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the North Carolina Association for the Gifted & Talented, and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Talented and Gifted division (CEC-TAG). He has co-edited both Gifted Child Quarterly and the Journal of Advanced Academics. At the local level he is also a founding board member and Board Chair for a public charter school that uses gifted education pedagogy to meet the needs of all learners. Dr. Matthews is widely published in the field, having authored or edited six books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. His research addresses identification in gifted education; underachievement, parenting, and motivation among high-ability children, including those in homeschooling and those with dual exceptionalities; and open science and research methods in gifted education.

Dr. Matthews’ recent recognitions in his field include the 2025 Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association for Gifted Children and the 2026 James J. Gallagher Advocacy Award from the North Carolina Association for the Gifted & Talented. His research can be seen in his Google Scholar profile at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=01ia7AIAAAAJ&hl=en

A graduate of Appalachian State University (1976), Chris Yeager went on to earn a Master’s degree in Education and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Beginning a career in education, Chris taught English at 71st High School, later serving as an Instructional Curriculum Facilitator for three years and briefly as an Assistant Principal at the elementary level.

In 1996, Chris Yeager joined Thinking Maps, Inc., where they served as Director of Professional Development for nearly three decades, supporting educators nationwide. During this time, Chria also co-authored numerous textbooks and instructional resources, contributing significantly to the field of visual learning and instructional practice.

🔗Learn more about Thinking Maps here.

Today, we're tackling a topic that can feel a bit intimidating when teaching gifted students: math. Well known by its acronym, (AoPS), Art of Problem Solving has a unique approach to teaching math, focusing not just on rote memorization but on deep conceptual understanding and creative problem-solving. It's a curriculum that challenges students to think outside the box and build a true foundation in mathematics.

Grayson Maas joined Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) in 2015. He earned his PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of California Santa Barbara where he conducted research, wrote, and taught about the various factors contributing to underrepresentation in STEM education and in the workforce. He has spent the last ten years at AoPS working to deliver the most engaging and transformative educational experiences possible for hundreds of thousands of students.

Art of Problem Solving

Educator, curriculum designer, parent, and community builder, Leslie Kerner is the COO and co-founder of Silverquicken. She’s spent the last 25 years developing K-12 education products and services. At Amplify, she worked closely with teachers and administrators around the country to bring them solutions that help their students succeed. At Silverquicken, she’s designed, developed, and implemented programs for gifted students, including direct instruction with K-8 students and teacher training for gifted and general education teachers.

Teacher, author, and curriculum developer, Chris Ryan is CEO and co-founder of Silverquicken. He spent 15+ years growing an education startup to the world’s largest provider of GMAT test-preparation services, after close to a decade of consulting and teaching high school chemistry/physics. He’s authored, co-authored, and edited numerous nonfiction books, and is working on a middle-grade novel. At Silverquicken, he builds puzzles, games, and stories to help awaken the curiosity and wonder of learning.

Links:

• Silverquicken www.silverquicken.com
• Silverquicken Instagram: www.instagram.com/silverquicken
• Silverquicken Facebook: www.facebook.com/silverquicken

Michelle Lourcey is a Director of the NC Advanced Placement Partnership, State and District Partnerships, through the College Board. During her 34 years in education, she has served as a high school English teacher -- both face-to-face and online -- as well as a curriculum specialist, high school administrator, and the Chief Academic Officer of the NC Virtual Public School. She is dedicated to strengthening teacher practice as teacher practice directly impacts student learning.

Brian Barnes is a Senior Director at College Board and leads the North Carolina AP Partnership. A former school principal, teacher, and basketball coach, he brings a school leader’s perspective to expanding access to rigorous coursework and strengthening college and career readiness across North Carolina. In his role, Brian works closely with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, district and school leaders, and statewide partners to build practical, sustainable structures that support strong instruction and long-term student success.

College Board: https://www.collegeboard.org/