Supporting Gifted Learners: Overcoming Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Melanie McCabe

Supporting Gifted Learners: Overcoming Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Melanie McCabe

With 19+ years of experience, Dr. McCabe has a Master’s and PhD in Psychology from UNC-CH. She has also been intensively trained in DBT, DBT-C, CBT, PCIT, and FST. “Dr. Mel” opened RDU Therapy in 2022 with the hopes of giving families high-quality expert support in a manner that fits their lifestyle. She works with children (6+ yo), adolescents, adults, couples, parents, families, other providers, and high-achievers. Dr. McCabe specializes in: Depression, Anxiety, BPD, ADHD, DMDD, Selfharm, Suicidality, Burnout, Life Transitions, family conflict, and parenting support. She offers telehealth, DBT groups, Burnout group, our Intensive therapy program (Relational Rehab), educational trainings, speaking engagements, and is the “Real Life with RDU Therapy” podcast host. In her free time she likes to spend time with her family & friends, walk our therapy dog (Doc), traveling, running, and hiking. You can follow her on Instagram at @dr_melanie_mccabe. [https://www.instagram.com/dr_melanie_mccabe] ***************************************************************************** Learn more about the Academically Gifted Teacher Certificate through Eastern Carolina University here. [https://education.ecu.edu/aig/]

The Gifted Glow Up with Chamonix Mann

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 [https://www.instagram.com/giftedglowupstudio/]

Finding the Magic in the Middle with Dr. Jessica LaFollette

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 [http://www.nagc.org]. 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. [https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Middle-Hands-Challenges-Learners/dp/104110863X/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1N8VN4A5R9I64&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WrHA36u1rFcdTRvpGaMjHLDNy4VUFB8-uCWFzxDwLV2ymgj58wymr0NEpUR89qhnaNOCmgMcQ24aBezJi6CE27TOa5Bg97QxKxeqOdlcyeJuc8ppHX3JPaz6r8H4rDA-7FHDXs9JKgRtKe2Dw1AfjH5EMIsU541CIMHpd8aNIuqVbTCb6IpnEJCuwFrQcTTqMJ3ri_nCjySRJyQhYoBYwjO9ucpsxpTD1iVM0LtasVo.G2PJvb1-k8BXBt6tJOBlDb8imXmdlc5fYJtxrrjdeaw&dib_tag=se&keywords=magic+in+middle+school&qid=1777670263&sprefix=magic+in+midd%252Caps%252C180&sr=8-4] 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.

The Pod Squad: Gifted Ed Bestie Chat with Aritia Smalls, Lisa Pagano & Trinette Atri

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 [https://www.thinkingmaps.com] for the past 8 years. She also works with schools and districts through her gifted education consulting business, bright & brilliant, LLC [https://brightbrilliantllc.com]. 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.

Gifted and Underachieving: Exploring the Paradox with Dr. Michael Matthews

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 [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=01ia7AIAAAAJ&hl=en]