WATG18

ADDITIONAL PRE-CONFERENCE FEE APPLIES; LIMITED TO 8 DISTRICT TEAMS

For Youth-Adult Partner Teams:  1-2 educators/administrators and 1-2 students, max of 4 per district

In this workshop, youth-adult partner teams will explore why it matters that youth and adults are partners in learning and decision-making in our schools. This exploration will lay the foundation for a deeper dive into what this partnership looks and sounds like when authentically implemented.

Facilitators will review UP for Learning’s initiatives to provide a clearer picture of key components of partnership in action. Participants will engage in self-assessment to identify areas of strength and potential growth and use tools and strategies that ensure the integrity of true shared responsibility.

Teams will leave this session as capable creators and guardians of their own unique partnerships for their schools, developing an action plan informed by this sharpened vision of youth empowerment through partnership.

This session - - designed specifically for teachers, school counselors, and GT coordinators - - will highlight the who, what, why, and how of helping gifted students speak up and take charge of their own education.

You will hear what our brightest learners have to say about their educational experiences through survey responses of over 450 middle and high schoolers attending GT Carpe Diem workshops. You can also assess your own district's support for self-advocacy, share strategies that encourage student autonomy, discuss the barriers to self-advocacy for underserved learners, sample activities that promote self-advocacy, and collaborate in writing action plans for change.

Registration includes a copy of the book, The Power of Self-Advocacy for Gifted Learners: Teaching the Four Essential Steps to Success, providing those interested in facilitating their own workshop with the necessary information, insights, and tools.

Participant Outcomes:

• Recognize the importance of student self-advocacy
• Understand the rights and responsibilities of gifted students
• Learn how to assess the five areas of a learner profile
• Match student characteristics to specific programming options
• Consider the role of each stakeholder in encouraging students' self¬-advocacy
• • Plan and facilitate direct instruction on self-advocacy for gifted students

NAGC Standards Addressed
Standard 1: Learning and Development
1.1. Self-Understanding. Students with gifts and talents demonstrate self-knowledge with respect to their interests, strengths, identities, and needs in socio-emotional development and in intellectual, academic, creative, leadership, and artistic domains.
1.2. Self-Understanding. Students with gifts and talents possess a developmentally appropriate understanding of how they learn and grow; they recognize the influences of their beliefs, traditions, and values on their learning and behavior.
1.7. Cognitive and Affective Growth. Students with gifts and talents recognize their preferred approaches to learning and expand their repertoire.

Standard 4: Learning Environments
4.1. Personal Competence. Students with gifts and talents demonstrate growth in personal competence and dispositions for exceptional academic and creative productivity. These include self-awareness, self-advocacy, self-efficacy, confidence, motivation, resilience, independence, curiosity, and risk taking.

Parenting gifted kids is most definitely not for the faint of heart! From the endless questions to the gargantuan emotions, the asynchrony to the sensory sensitivities, the perfectionism to the heightened empathy, these kids bring intense joy and intense challenge to even the most skilled of parents. Join us for this pre-conference session to dive deep together into the world of parenting gifted kids. Find support, learn strategies, and increase your understanding of your differently wired child. Content will be shaped by the needs and interests of the group, but will most likely include: building self-compassion, managing anxiety, nurturing sibling relationships, modulating intensities, and generally maintaining your own sanity!

Participant Outcomes:
Participants will be able to . . .

• Identify and implement 2-3 strategies to regulate each of Dabrowski’s 5 intensities
• Identify 2-3 strategies to support their child’s social well-being
• Identify 2-3 strategies to support their child’s mental health and wellness
• Identify 2-3 strategies and resources to enhance their own support network as a gifted parent