Workshop Description: Register Today
Three-part series: Have you taught those students who devour advanced texts, challenge your assumptions in class discussions, or show incredible depth in their chosen subjects? Are you looking for ways to truly stretch and support the intellectual and emotional growth of your most capable learners in grades 6-12? During the series, we’ll focus on the unique characteristics of gifted adolescents.
These sessions aim to equip secondary educators with a comprehensive understanding of giftedness, enabling them to effectively identify, engage, and support the diverse academic and social-emotional needs of gifted adolescents and pre-adolescents within their content areas and beyond.
This isn’t just about high grades; it’s about understanding their intensity, perfectionism, asynchronous development, or even how overexcitabilities might manifest in a high school setting. We’ll explore why some highly capable students might underachieve, disengage, or struggle with social connections and identity in the complex middle and high school environment. Through insightful case studies, we’ll analyze real-world scenarios and discuss how to respond effectively to their varied academic and social-emotional needs.
Finally, we’ll focus on strategies that work within your content areas. We’ll explore various models and frameworks that allow you to extend learning, promote critical thinking, and engage gifted students in meaningful ways. Get ready to deepen your understanding, refine your strategies, and truly empower your brightest students to reach their full potential.
All sessions will take place online from 13:00 – 14:00 GMT
Part 1: 21 Oct. 2025
Part 2: 28 Oct. 2025
Part 3: 04 Nov. 2025
As a result of participating in this institute, attendees can expect to:
Critically analyze common myths and complex issues surrounding giftedness in secondary education
Identify the unique academic and social-emotional characteristics of gifted middle and high school students, including potential issues like perfectionism, intensity, or asynchronous development
Explore and adapt advanced differentiation and enrichment strategies applicable to various secondary subject areas
Understand the complexities of identification and underachievement in gifted adolescents and respond with inclusive, evidence-based approaches
Target Audience: Grades 6-12 Teachers, Special Education Staff, Gifted Program Coordinators, School Psychologists, Counselors, and Administrators
Facilitator:
-
Anita is an international educational consultant and founder of the HAGT Learners Collaborative. She conducts professional development workshops, comprehensive school audits, and provides courses and ongoing coaching for school leaders and faculty at a number of private international schools. She previously coordinated special education programs and created gifted education programs at the American School of Bombay, the American School of Doha, and Academia Cotopaxi.
Prior to relocating abroad, Anita supported more than a dozen schools in her role as a program specialist in the Los Angeles Unified School District in California. She has a master’s degree in special and gifted education, a K-12 principal’s license, certification as an educational diagnostician, certification as an instructional coach, and she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.
In addition to presenting regularly at regional and global educational conferences, Anita serves as a NEASC accreditation school visitor, a professional mentor for AIELOC, an Advisory Board Member of the Parents Alliance for Inclusion, and a SENIA India Board Member.