Andi McNair is an author, international speaker/ consultant, and educator that is passionate about helping educators design meaningful experiences for today’s gifted learners. As a mom of gifted learners and an educator that had the opportunity to work specifically with gifted learners in the classroom, she as a unique perspective that is clear throughout her message.
As a strong advocate for passion-based learning, Andi shares practical ways to engage and empower today's gifted learners through meaningful experiences, even when it's messy.
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In this episode, Andi McNair discusses the concept of gifted onboarding, emphasizing its importance in the educational journey of gifted learners. She introduces a structured framework consisting of four pillars: clarity, community, content, and challenge, each essential for effective gifted education. The conversation highlights the need for intentional onboarding processes to ensure gifted learners and their families understand giftedness, feel supported, and are appropriately challenged throu...
What is gifted onboarding and how can you make it a priority on your campus or in your district? In this episode, I answer that question as I share why all of us should be making gifted onboarding a priority for gifted learners and their families.
In this episode, I share how the Pomodoro Technique can benefit gifted learner and how we, as educators, can utilize the idea to increase focus and sustained motivation.
I apologize for some of the sound issues on this episode. We were using our phones and my sound just didn't pick up as well as I hoped it would. But, this is a great interview that you are going to want to hear! Also, if you caught the end recording before I edited, I'm so sorry, I forgot to delete our end conversation so you got to hear our "after" conversation. Just one of my "messy" moments! LOL! On this episode, I had an amazing conversation with Julie Lee, AKA Socratic Sister. She shared he...
In this episode, I talk about meaningful goal-setting in the classroom and why setting healthy goals are so important for our gifted learners. SHOW NOTES andimcnair.com/episode82
Is wonder a priority in your classroom? Did you know that being able to wonder can lead to a deeper understanding of content? Cultivating a willingness to wonder in the classroom is more important than ever before and this episode, I share three easy ways to make it happen! SHOW NOTES
In this episode, I share what essential questions are, why they are so important for gifted learners, and how they can be utilized throughout the Genius Hour process.
Discover practical applications of AI for differentiating instruction for gifted and advanced learners. The host shares five strategies, including using Diffit.me for leveled texts and higher-order questions, Canva's AI for dynamic choice boards, and ChatGPT/Magic School AI for tailored rubrics. Learn how Magic School AI can make content relevant to student interests, and how Question Well helps craft essential questions, all while emphasizing ethical AI use and the educator's crucial role. These tools aim to streamline tasks, allowing educators to focus on meaningful learning.
In this episode, I have a conversation with my very own thought partner, Kari Espin. We talk about what thought partnership is, how it can be incorporated in the classroom, and why it's so much more valuable than peer tutoring.
On today's episode, I share about gifted leaders and the different types of leaders that might exist within the classroom environment. I also spend some time during this episode sharing how to identify and empower these specific types of leadership styles as learners are working on their Genius Hour projects. Show Notes HERE
In this episode, we explore the difference between mastery and perfectionism. Learn three key differences and practical ways that we can help our learners lean into mastery rather than perfectionism.
In this episode, I share 5 reasons that productive struggle is so important and how we can make it a priority when implementing Genius Hour in the classroom. SHOW NOTES: andimcnair.com/episode74
I think that identifying gifted learners is so important. Because, if they are never identified, they are never served. And, that can lead to some less than desirable outcomes. In this episode, I share the reasons that learners are often not identified as well as some innovative ideas for identifying gifted learners that you may not have considered. SHOW NOTES: andimcnair.com/episode 73
In this episode, I share the difference between passion projects (Genius Hour) and research projects as well as why it's so important that we, as educators, know and understand the difference. SHOW NOTES: andimcnair.com/episode72
In this episode, I share specific questioning strategies and question examples that we can use, as educators, to help our learners make progress, take ownership, and reflect on their learning as they work on their Genius Hour projects. You can find the show notes at andimcnair.com/episode71 .
In this episode, I share 6 practical ways that educators and administrators can encourage family involvement in the gifted education program. Show notes can be found at andimcnair.com/episode70.
On today's episode, my special guest talks about creativity and the role that it plays in gifted education. This episode is full of practical ideas and innovative solutions that you can implement in your classroom tomorrow. Show notes can be found at andimcnair.com/episode69.
In this episode, I talk about ChatGPT and how we might utilize it in the classroom. I share what artificial intelligence can do, what it can't do, and why we shouldn't be afraid of what's coming next.
The home school connection is so important and is something that should be prioritized when implementing Genius Hour in the classroom. In this episode, I share five practical ways to make that connection a reality. Show Notes can be found at andimcnair.com/episode 67 .
I often hear so many things about this type of learning that simply aren't true. On today's episode, I share five myths around passion-based learning. We will explore, not only the myth, but also the reality that needs to be considered before implementing Genius Hour into your classroom. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Genius Hour is so much more than free time How passion projects are different from research projects Why Genius Hour isn't just for gifted learners How to manage Genius Hour Ho...
Giving your learners an opportunity to create authentic products can help them move from simply learning content to understanding content. When students deeply understand what is being learned, they will be able to use what they know to create something new. In this episode, we talk about why products are important, how they can be utilized, and how we can give feedback that matters. In this episode, you'll learn: Why products are important What types of products can your learners can create How...
Underachievement can be frustrating and difficult to understand. Why would a learner capable of so much achieve so little? In this episode, I share four specific causes of underachievement and specific ways that it can be addressed. If you are a parent or learner of an underachiever, this episode is for you! In this episode, you'll learn: What is underachievement? What causes underachievement? How can we support gifted learners that are underachieving? Resources: Underachievement - NAGC 8 Great ...
Have you ever wished that your learners could make their class presentations more meaningful? In this episode, 5th grade teacher, Tiffany Perry shares a framework that she created to make this happen in her own classroom. Listen as she shares practical ideas and easy-to-use resources that will make presentations much more meaningful through intentionality. In this episode, you'll learn: A framework for purposeful presentations How to utilize Question Formulation Technique in the classroom Why de...
In this episode, I share three intentional pivots that I had to make to shift from being a traditional teacher that did what was easy to being an innovative educator that did what was write. In this episode, you'll learn: Why pivots are important What to do when you feel stuck How to become a connected education How to shift the way that you lesson plan How to ask the right question Resources: Blog Post Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess 5-Day Challenge Want to Learn More (and do me a favor)? F...
Everybody makes mistakes...on this episode, I share four mistakes that I made when serving my gifted learners in the general education classroom as well as what we must consider in order to avoid making these mistakes in the future. In this episode, you will learn: Why we shouldn't tell gifted learners that they are smart Why perfection shouldn't be the expectation Why comparison is always a bad idea How we can design experiences with gifted learners in mind Resources: Episode 58 - Strengths-Fir...
It’s no secret that Genius Hour had a huge impact on myself as an educator and on my learners. In this episode, I share 7 important attributes of passion projects that need to be considered when making this type of learning a priority in the classroom. In this episode, you will learn: What Genius Hour Is and Is Not 7 Key Attributes of Passion Project 4 Ideas for Actionable Projects The Difference Between Passion and Purpose Resources: Usage of the KWHLAQ Thought Partnership and Genius Hour Geniu...
"This is hard." " I can't do this." We hear this often in our classrooms when things don't come easily. In this episode, I share how you can help your learners embrace productive struggle and understand that valuable learning happens when things don't go as expected. In this episode, you will learn: What productive struggle is Why productive struggle is important What is a pre-mortem strategy? How can I model productive struggle? How can we celebrate the struggle? What is My Favorite No? Resourc...
