PD Webinar Series
Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 6:00 pm CT
Unicorns, Umbrellas, User Manuals, and Unfinished Business
A Back-to-School Reawakening for Gifted Educators
With Dr. Brian Housand
You thought this was just another back-to-school PD?
Think again.
This is your official invitation to step out of survival mode and into something wildly more meaningful. In this curiosity-fueled kickoff, we’re connecting the dots between unicorns (the magic), umbrellas (the boundaries), user manuals (the things we wish we had), and unfinished business (the black hole we can’t keep avoiding).
Strange bedfellows? Maybe. But together, they tell the real story of what it means to teach gifted in 2025.
We’ll unpack what’s been shielding us, what’s been stifling us, and what’s been silently calling for our attention. We’ll challenge the noise of “just differentiate” and “they’ll be fine” by rewriting the script with clarity, creativity, and rebellious hope.
You don’t need another checklist.
You need a reawakening.
So bring your sparkle, your skepticism, and your stickiest Post-It notes. You’ll leave recharged, realigned, and ready to reclaim your brilliance.
Come curious. Leave luminous. Stay dangerous (in the best possible way).
MEET
BRIAN HOUSAND, PH.D.
Dr. Brian Housand believes learning should always be an adventure. As Coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, he helps educators challenge gifted learners both intellectually and emotionally. A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Brian explores creativity, gifted education, and the power of play. His latest book, SEED: Silverquicken Episodes for Enrichment and Diagnosis, blends immersive storytelling with puzzle-based learning designed to instigate cognitive and affective growth. A longtime classroom teacher, gifted specialist, and professor, he also co-authored Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model with Technology and wrote Fighting Fake News!. When not teaching or presenting, Brian proudly embraces his geeky passions for Star Wars, Disney, Taylor Swift, video games, and fonts. Find him at brianhousand.com or on social media @brianhousand
Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event.
