Reflect, Recognize, and Reach Higher: Transforming Your Summer PL into a Vibrant Thinking Lab

May 5, 2026

Posted By: ElizaBeth Warner in Blog Posts,

By ElizaBeth Warner & Bailey Nafziger, Chair & Chair-Elect, Professional Learning Network

The close of the school year is a valuable opportunity for gifted education leaders to reflect and evaluate our impact. While our work is complex, it is also transformative. True leadership relies on reflection—the bridge between past experience and future innovation. Grounded in the NAGC Professional Standards, which state that "professional educators must regularly reflect on and refine their practice to meet the evolving needs of gifted learners," we celebrate our recent achievements. By reflecting now, we can better align our summer planning to strengthen teacher efficacy and empower our educators for the year ahead.

What Are You Most Proud of This Year?

Don’t let the busyness of May overshadow the milestones you’ve reached. Whether it was expanding a program model or seeing a veteran teacher embrace new digital tools, these "mastery experiences" are the foundation of our professional self-efficacy.

Acknowledge the Growth: Take time to review student performance data and effective measures to see the real story of the year’s success.
Share the Faces of Gifted: Highlighting the human element, the students, teachers, and administrators who championed the cause, builds communal trust and morale.
Reflect on Advocacy: Consider how you’ve moved the needle on equity and inclusion. According to the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, "Targeted professional development is a critical lever for increasing the representation of underserved populations in gifted programs, as it helps teachers recognize 'hidden' potential."

Who Are Your Teacher-Leaders for Gifted Education?

Summer is the perfect time to grow teacher leaders who can share what works in their own classrooms. Moving professional learning into the hands of teachers doesn’t just help students—it builds teacher efficacy by validating your expertise and creating a clear path for you to rise up as a PL leader.

Actively monitoring and scouting the innovative and effective teachers is one way to address standards five (Leadership and Policy) and seven (Collaboration) within the NAGC and CEC Advanced Standards in Gifted Education Teacher Preparation. By giving the mic to your gifted education teacher-leaders, you “advocate for the allocation of appropriate resources for the preparation and professional development of all personnel who serve individuals with exceptionalities (standard 5.5) and using “collaborative skills to improve programs, services, and outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities (standard 7.2). Professional learning is most impactful when it is collaborative, job-embedded, and contextualized (Darlin-Hammond et al., 2017). Look to those in your sphere to help improve your programming and opportunities for your gifted students.

Identify Emerging Strengths: Notice which teachers naturally step into problem-solving, collaboration, or advocacy roles. These patterns often reveal who is ready to lead next.
Elevate Classroom Expertise: Encourage teachers to share their instructional strategies, enrichment models, or differentiation practices so others can see gifted education in action.
Build Sustainable Leadership Pathways: Create opportunities—such as mentoring, PLC facilitation, or curriculum design—for teacher-leaders to grow their influence and strengthen your gifted programming.

When we give teachers the mic, we create a culture of trust. This shift ensures every gifted learner is truly challenged while giving our best educators the platform they deserve to lead.

Elevate Your Program: Apply for the NAGC Professional Learning Award

As you gather these success stories and witness the impact of your teacher-led PL, consider sharing that innovation with the broader community. The Professional Learning Award, presented by the Professional Learning Network, recognizes individuals or organizations that implement sustained gifted education development for any age level, from Pre-K–12 through higher education.

Winning not only honors your hard work but also provides a platform to highlight your unique contributions to the field. Nominations for 2026 Network Awards are open April 1 - May 31, 2026. Review the Guidelines and Rubric to see if your program is ready for the national stage. Don’t be the "best kept secret" in your state—let your program’s purpose and goals shine.

ElizaBeth Warner & Bailey Nafziger

Chair, & Chair-Elect NAGC Professional Learning Network