with Dr. Mary McInerney, Ian Berry and Dr. Michael Degen
From Break Down to Breakthough:
Supporting 2e Reluctant Writers
Many twice exceptional students have rich ideas and advanced thinking, yet writing can feel overwhelming or frustrating. In this Speaker Series panel discussion, Dr. Stacey Hilborn will facilitate a conversation on why gifted and 2e learners struggle with writing and how adults can support them. The panel will explore barriers such as perfectionism, executive function challenges, and writing related trauma, while sharing strengths based strategies that help students move from avoidance to confidence.
Mary McInerney, Ed.D is a writer, educator, and lifelong advocate for student voice who discovered the joy of writing later in life and made it her mission to help young people find their way in. She holds a doctorate from the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education and is the author of Creative Writing with Miss Mary Mac, bringing a strengths based, student centered approach to writers for over forty years.
Ian Berry, M.A. has taught English at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas for the past decade and studied literature at the University of Texas and the Sorbonne. A former student of Michael Degen, and co-author of The Instructional Coach's Playbook he continues to bring curiosity and play into the classroom and enjoys long distance running, detective fiction, and French poetry.
Michael Degen, Ph.D. has taught AP English for more than thirty years, primarily at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, and has served as a College Board consultant and national workshop presenter. He is the author of multiple books on literature and writing, including Crafting Expository Argument, and co author of The Instructional Coach’s Playbook.