5 Systems Every Solo Gifted Teacher Needs to Save Time & Sanity
If You're Doing It All Alone,
These 5 Systems Will Change Everything
Being a gifted teacher in a small or rural district can feel like running an entire program by yourself. Maybe it's because you are!
You're planning, advocating, testing, teaching multiple grades and often with no team, no training, and no templates.
Let’s fix that.
Here are 5 systems that every solo gifted teacher must have to stay sane and do the job well (without giving up your weekends or your mind):
1. A Digital Child Find & Screener System
Don’t let identification fall through the cracks. Use a digital form that works across classrooms to track referrals, observations, and early data—so you aren’t chasing paperwork across three schools.
Try This: Gifted Screener Google Form Template
2. A Reusable Tiered Planning Template
Planning doesn’t need to start from scratch every week. A tiered lesson plan helps you meet multiple levels without redoing everything. Plug in content, tweak levels, done.
Freebie: Tiered Lesson Template
3. A Parent Meeting System
No more scrambling to prep. Use a consistent agenda + checklist so every meeting runs smoothly and stays focused even when emotions are high.
Tip: Save your talking points and forms in a shared folder for quick access before each meeting.
Here's my agenda template: Parent Meeting Agenda Template
4. A Plug-and-Play Written Education Plan (WEP) System
For locally normed programs or for states without the IEP format for Intellectually Gifted, a reusable Written Ed Plan template can save so much time! Create a simple, reusable doc that pulls from your goals and service options. It should take 15 minutes, not 50. You can even make a copy of mine and edit it for your needs. Below is the Plan at a Glance template to share with gen ed colleagues.
Get This: WEP At-A-Glance Template
5. A Central Resource Hub
You need ONE place for all your tools, links, and templates. Not ten browser tabs or a pile of bookmarks. A central hub saves your brainpower for teaching, not searching.
Start Here: Gifted Ed Resource Hub
You didn’t choose gifted education to become a spreadsheet warrior or paperwork machine. You chose it to make a difference for the students who need you most.
Let these systems do the heavy lifting so you can get back to what you love.
💬 Want help implementing them? Come join our Facebook community: Join Us HERE!
Written by Michelle Robinson, founder of Gifted Ed Solutions. Helping gifted teachers get off “Gifted Island” and teach with joy again.
Want a peek at how I’m using Universal Themes to make planning easier?
Check out my Custom Gifted Curriculum Overview Planner. You can use it to create your GATE plan for an entire year. It's coded to focus on incorporating Universal Theme in the overall annual plan.
Drop a comment in the GES Facebook Group, or check out this Universal Theme Cheat Sheet
Want Early Finisher Ideas for your Gen Ed Colleagues? You can find them HERE
Let’s share what’s working and help each other keep standing.
