Professional Development for Educators

Barbara Johnsonʼs Background 

Barbara created and operates the MindStein Challenge Center in Coquitlam. MindStein is a tutoring facility providing enrichment activities for elementary age advanced learners. Barbara spent twenty-three years designing and delivering gifted programming for the Burnaby School District, and acted as the districtʼs gifted consultant for the last four years of her public school career. She holds degrees in education, psychology, and counseling. Her specialty areas are gifted education (academic, social, and emotional), math enrichment, and critical and creative thinking. She has volunteered as a coach, workshop presenter, and judge for Odyssey of the Mind since the mid 1980s. 

The following workshops are designed for teachers of intermediate/middle school students. Due to the interactive, hands-on nature of the first workshop, enrollment is limited to a maximum of 32 participants; the gifted workshop has no number restrictions.  

Putting Pizzazz Into Your Math Program

Play is a powerful teaching tool. This workshop provides teachers with ready-to-use strategy thinking and skill building games and activities. Playing thinking games can enhance: observation, concentration, visual-spatial skills, logical reasoning, offensive and defensive planning ~ while providing a setting to address and practice positive social interactions. Watch students have fun while they improve strategic thinking, math skills, and social understanding. Most students are far more receptive to practice when no pencil is required. 

We will also use group problem solving techniques, flexible enough to  accommodate varying learning levels. Group problems can provide differentiation for the diverse range of understanding levels found in most classrooms. 

An extensive handout is provided, with engaging activities ready for immediate use in your classroom.  

Accommodating Gifted Students in Regular Classrooms
         while preserving your sanity ~ and theirs

So, you have one or more students in your class that have already mastered some or most of the grade curricula. How can you meet the needs of all the diverse learners in your class without staying up all night? We’ll look at ways to provide for gifted students that will capitalize on their personal interests and strengths, give them some freedom to create their own self-motivating programs, keep them accountable, make assessment manageable, and preserve both your sanity and sleep.