SENGinar: The Most Pressing Concerns and Questions of Parents of Gifted Learners

In this session, we focus on the most important considerations for parents who seek to support and encourage gifted/high-ability learners. And, for those who wonder, “What matters most?” the answer is, “That which is central to, and has a bearing upon, children’s day-to-day well-being.” However, kids’ lives are like whirlwinds—busy, unpredictable, and demanding—and therefore lots of parents have serious concerns. Many also raise questions that warrant thoughtful address.

Dr. Joanne Foster reveals some of the most pressing concerns about children’s and teen’s well-being, and she discusses several of the most often-asked questions— in particular, those relating to eight areas of focus: 1) health and happiness, 2) productivity, 3) coping mechanisms, 4) academic strengths and weaknesses, 5) creative expression, 6) relationships, 7) emotional literacy, and 8) sense of self . Dr. Foster addresses each of these key areas in turn, drawing upon her expertise in child development, decades of professional experience working in the field of gifted education, research findings, and material in her award-winning books.

This SENGinar will inspire those who seek to better understand what’s most important for parenting gifted learners in today’s increasingly complex, changing, and tumultuous world. Dr. Foster offers information, reassurance, up-to-date resources, and practical strategies to help parents empower children to strengthen their capacities, overcome challenges, embrace possibilities, and thrive—as the new year unfolds, and throughout the months and years ahead.

About Dr. Joanne Foster

Joanne Foster, Ed.D., is a parent, teacher, gifted education specialist, educational consultant, and award-winning author. She conducts teacher-training workshops, gives presentations to educators and parent organizations in local, national, international, and online forums, and serves on advisory committees concerning children’s education and optimal development. She is co-author (with Dona Matthews) of Being Smart about Gifted Education, and also Beyond Intelligence: Secrets for Raising Happily Productive Kids. She is the sole author of Not Now, Maybe Later: Helping Children Overcome Procrastination, and Bust Your BUTS: Tips for Teens Who Procrastinate (winner of an Independent Book Publishers Association 2018 Silver Benjamin Franklin Award). Dr. Foster’s work focuses on supporting and encouraging children’s well-being—including their intelligence, creativity, productivity, and self-confidence. Her articles have been featured in publications around the world, and her column “Fostering Kids’ Success” appears online at The Creativity Post. She taught Educational Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto for twelve years, and she continues to provide leadership in areas of giftedness and high-level development in schools and communities across Canada, and beyond. To find out more, please go to www.joannefoster.ca

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$20 Members / $40 Non-members