SENG Community Group: Educators of the Gifted

SENG Community Group: Educators of the Gifted

Mondays, March 4th - April 8th

5:00 PM PST | 8:00 PM EST

Facilitated by SENG Directors Shaunne McKinley and Gayle Bentley

Required Book: When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers (can be purchased via Bright Child Books, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble).

The SENG Community Group for Educators of the Gifted, formerly known as SMPG, provides a platform for educators of gifted and talented students to convene virtually and discuss the unique challenges they face in their classrooms. This group offers a supportive environment where participants can exchange resources and seek guidance. Led by two experienced facilitators, the meetings ensure that discussions are both secure and confidential, fostering a space for constructive dialogue.

About the Facilitators:

Shaunne McKinley is currently a Gifted Specialist in the Deer Valley School District in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been in education for 20 years. Shaunne teaches reading, math and social-emotional lessons to gifted learners. She is a member of her campus leadership team and the advisor for the National Elementary Honor Society.  Shaunne has also been a member of the district Gifted leadership team for 5 years.    Shaunne is an active member in her church community, and is an advocate for promoting gifted information and awareness to families. She is married to a Marine Corps veteran and has two adult sons. Her youngest son was identified as a gifted learner in second grade, which began her journey to learning more about giftedness.  Shaunne is a trained SENG Model Parent Group facilitator and a member of the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented. She is a graduate of Arizona State University.

Gayle Bentley is a third-year doctoral candidate at Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education and the mother of three neurodivergent sons. She has taught instrumental music in the public schools for 23 years and now serves as the Academic Director of 2e4ME Academy in Newport Beach, California. She is also the founder of The Bentley Center.  Last year, she published her first book with Dr. Lin Lim, Using Picture Books to Help Little Ones Learn About Themselves. She regularly presents at state and national gifted and 2e conferences, including SENG and NAGC.