Podcast
They'll Be Fine: The Premier Podcast for Gifted Education
Hosted by North Carolina Association for Gifted & Talented (NCAGT) · EN
What happens when gifted students are overlooked because everyone assumes “they’ll be fine”?
Hosted by the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT), They’ll Be Fine explores the realities of gifted education, advanced learning, talent development, and the challenges facing gifted, high-achieving, and twice-exceptional learners in today’s schools.
Too often, gifted learners are misunderstood, under-challenged, or denied the services they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. This podcast brings together educators, parents, researchers, school leaders, and advocates to discuss topics like differentiation, acceleration, creativity, neurodiversity, equity in gifted identification, social-emotional needs, and best practices for supporting high-potential students.
Whether you are a teacher, parent, administrator, or advocate for gifted and talented education, They’ll Be Fine provides practical strategies, expert insights, and meaningful conversations designed to help gifted learners reach their full potential.
New episodes feature interviews with leading voices in gifted education, classroom innovation, and student advocacy.
📸Follow the podcast on Instagram @theyllbefine
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Rerelease: Art of Problem Solving
Mar 2000:49:44Tap to summarizeToday, 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
Transcribe →
Rerelease: SEED: The Magic of Silverquicken
Mar 1300:52:44Tap to summarizeEducator, 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.comSilverquicken Instagram: www.instagram.com/silverquickenSilverquicken Facebook: www.facebook.com/silverquicken
Transcribe →
Navigating AP Success: Tools, Mindsets, and Opportunities with Brian Barnes & Michelle Lourcey
Mar 600:51:06Tap to summarizeMichelle 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/
Transcribe →
Rerelease: Dr. Emily King
Feb 2700:44:07Tap to summarizeDr. Emily King is a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has worked with neurodivergent children and teens for over 20 years. She received a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she worked at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. She began her career as a School Psychologist in Houston, Texas specializing in providing school-based mental health in K-12 public schools. Emily now works in private practice in North Carolina supporting the mental health needs of neurodivergent youth, their families, and their teachers.You can find more of her on the Learn with Dr. Emily Substack, where you can find her workshops, blogs, and podcast.You can also find her professional development offerings for teachers here.She is also the creator of The Neurodiverse Classroom, a professional development curriculum for educators. And her new book, THE NEURODIVERGENT LEARNER, will be available for presale in early 2026!https://www.learnwithdremily.com/https://www.learnwithdremily.com/teachershttps://www.learnwithdremily.com/parents@emilywkingphdNCAGT Blogs on this topic:https://www.ncagt.org/post/winter1https://www.ncagt.org/post/winter2https://www.ncagt.org/post/winter3https://www.ncagt.org/post/2elearners
Transcribe →
Rerelease: Over-excitabilities with Summer Cowick
Feb 2000:44:57Tap to summarizeSummer Cowick is an educator and founder of Brilliant And Then Some who specializes in supporting gifted students, particularly those with Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities (OEs). Her work focuses on managing and leveraging these five intensities—emotional, imaginational, intellectual, psychomotor, and sensual—to help gifted children and families understand and nurture their unique needs in educational and home environments. She offers practical strategies and insights through presentations, workshops, and her coaching organization, aiming to transform teaching and learning by addressing the authentic needs of gifted individuals.Brilliant and Then Some"Mellow Out," They Say. If I Only Could (2013) by Michael PiechowskiFact Check: 85% of gifted have one overexcitability
Transcribe →
Rerelease: From Assessment to Differentiation
Feb 1300:45:38Tap to summarizeMonica Simonds, M.Ed., is a Strategist for K-12 Assessments at Riverside Insights. In this role, she works closely with educators across the U.S. to help them gain greater insight and utility from their assessment data with a specific focus on best practices for identifying and serving gifted and talented students. Monica is the 2017 recipient of the NAGC Gifted Coordinator award and the 2019 TAGT Administrator of the Gifted award. On this episode, she shares resources on how to support gifted students after they receive their Cognitive Ability Test score.https://riversideinsights.com/
Transcribe →
A Meaningful Mess: Transforming Gifted Education with Andi McNair
Feb 600:43:59Tap to summarizeAndi is the owner and gifted education consultant for A Meaningful Mess, LLC. A recognized thought leader in the field, she was named one of the Top People in Education to Watch by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences in 2016. Andi is dedicated to helping educators engage and empower today’s learners through practical strategies that foster creativity and student-driven learning.She is the author of several publications, including Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry, A Meaningful Mess: A Teacher's Guide to Student-Driven Classrooms, Ready-to-Use Resources for Genius Hour in the Classroom: Taking Passion Projects to the Next Level, and Designing for Depth: A Framework for Purposeful Differentiation. Andi continues to advocate for gifted learners and strives to make teaching strategies both innovative and accessible.
Transcribe →
Collaboration and Coaching: Building Capacity in Gifted Education with Dr. Emily Mofield & Dr. Vicki Phelps
Jan 2300:49:48Tap to summarizeEmily Mofield, Ed.D., is an Associate Professor at Lipscomb University with more than two decades of experience in gifted education as a teacher, district leader, and researcher. She’s passionate about helping educators challenge and support gifted and high-potential students through meaningful curriculum design, differentiation, and social-emotional learning. Emily is the co-author of several award-winning books, including Collaboration, Coteaching, and Coaching in Gifted Education —named NAGC’s 2021 Book of the Year—(with Vicki Phelps) and Vertical Differentiation for Gifted, Advanced, and High-Potential Students. She’s a frequent keynote and featured speaker for gifted organizations and works with school districts across the country to deepen rigor and create learning experiences that stretch student thinking.Dr. Vicki Phelps is Executive Director/Head of School for Quest Academy, a school for gifted learners in Palatine, IL. She has been involved in gifted education for over 25 years, including teaching and leading gifted services at both the elementary and secondary levels as well as serving as an assistant professor of education. She regularly keynotes and presents at gifted conferences and is the recipient of the 2021 NAGC Book of the Year (with Emily Mofield) for Collaboration, Coteaching, and Coaching in Gifted Education. In addition to her published research and various other articles, she is also the author of Strength-Based Goal Setting in Gifted Education (with Karah Lewis), Coaching in Gifted Education (with Emily Mofield), and Successful Online Learning with Gifted Students. She is excited about her new project with Routledge: The Power of Purpose in Gifted Education: An Instructional Decision-Making Framework for Student-Centered Learning. Dr. Phelps is Chair for NAGC’s Special Schools & Programs and serves as a reviewer for articles, books, and proposals.
Transcribe →
UNC Honors Carolina. Come Here, Go Anywhere.
Jan 900:45:33Tap to summarizeUNC Honors Carolina is a premier undergraduate academic program at the University of North Carolina and today we have Jason Clemmons, the Director of Curriculum, Recruitment & Operations for Honors Carolina. In this episode, Jason provides an overview of the program, including its distinctive offerings to these Honor students such as small, faculty-led courses, career and professional development support, priority registration, first-year housing, and an extensive selection of global travel opportunities. He emphasizes how Honors Carolina forms a close-knit community within the larger university, fostering intellectual curiosity and offering students a multitude of opportunities for learning and personal growth.
Transcribe →
North Carolina School of Science and Math with Chancellor Dr. Todd Roberts
Dec 1900:47:10Tap to summarizeIn this episode of They’ll Be Fine, we speak with Todd Roberts, the Chancellor of the North Carolina School of Science and Math. NCSSM was the first school of its kind, a public residential high school where students study a specialized curriculum emphasizing science and mathematics. Annually, NCSSM serves 11th and 12th grade students in its Residential program across two campuses, plus additional North Carolina students in the NCSSM Online program and through other distance education offerings. NCSSM also provides science and math enrichment opportunities for K-12 students, course content, and professional development for teachers throughout North Carolina.Dr. Todd Roberts was appointed chancellor of North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) in August 2010. Previously, Dr. Roberts served as superintendent of the 16,500-student Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan. A Durham, N.C., native, Dr. Roberts began his career in the Durham Public Schools, where he was a high school teacher and elementary school principal. Dr. Roberts holds a B.A. from Duke University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Transcribe →