Concurrent 45 min

Steel-Strong Foundations: Building Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships

Friday, November 14, 2025

9:15 AM - 10:00 AM ET

Location: Convention Center, 330

Grade Level: Pre-K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Katherine Rottjakob Bryda (she/her/hers)

Elementary Gifted Administrator
Rockwood School District
Ballwin, Missouri, United States
Jessica Harris (she/her/hers)

Divisional Gifted Coordinator
Henrico County Public Schools
Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States
Cheryll M. Adams (she/her/hers)

Director Emerita, Center for Gifted Studies & Talent Development
Ball State University
Newberry, Florida, United States

Short Description: Explore how Daggett's Rigor/Relevance Framework and strong teacher-student relationships create powerful differentiation opportunities in mixed-ability classrooms. Through interactive examination of curriculum examples and hands-on lesson revisions, participants will discover how psychological safety and meaningful connections support students in embracing challenging content while maintaining appropriate rigor for gifted learners.

Learning Objectives:

Design psychologically safe learning environments that utilize the Rigor/Relevance Framework to transform standard curriculum into differentiated experiences, supporting students in embracing increasingly complex challenges.
Apply Hockett and Brighton's principles alongside relationship-building strategies to create classroom environments where gifted learners feel supported in taking intellectual risks while progressing through the framework's quadrants.
Design cross-curricular STEM learning experiences that demonstrate effective differentiation through increasing levels of rigor and relevance while addressing NAGC programming standards.