Heather Miller is a Texas certified teacher and has worked in various education roles for over 18 years!  She has taught 2nd and 3rd grade classes, Pre-K and has even taught Parent Education classes! This will be her second year teaching GT students in the Challenge Lab at Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary. She enjoys working with children of various ages and loves being a foundational part of the lifelong learning process!!     

1st Grade students - 5th Grade students will be receiving 100-105 minutes weekly of pull out instruction.

Kindergarten students are being identified and will begin services by March 1, 2019.

Challenge Lab Overview 

The Challenge Lab provides an additional tier of service to identified elementary Gifted and Talented and Talent Pool children. Students go to the Challenge Lab for a minimum of 90 minutes a week to receive curriculum and instruction designed to provide additional challenge and opportunity to pursue topics of interest.  Participation is voluntary; parents may opt out of this service. 

Challenge Lab instruction is based on the Texas Performance Standards Project (State G/T) curriculum and Project Based Learning, which is an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks specifically designed for gifted and talented students.      

Activities in the Lab are designed to cause students to think in more in-depth and complex ways. Challenge Lab teachers use Sandra Kaplan’s model of Depth and Complexity and her icons for each element to engage students in assimilating new information, making connections, and digging for deeper understandings. Challenge Lab curriculums provide the opportunity for students to acquire and build collaboration, effective communication, and problem-solving skills while inspiring students to become lifelong learners.