Colleen Kessler believes that you are the absolute best teacher there is for your gifted, twice-exceptional, or otherwise differently-wired kiddo.
The author of more than a dozen books for parents, teachers, and children, award-winning educator, educational coach and consultant, and passionate advocate for the needs of differently-wired kids, Colleen has a B.S. in elementary education, a M.Ed. in gifted studies, and is the founder of the popular podcast and website Raising Lifelong Learners, as well as Raising Poppies, and community of support for parents of differently-wired kids.
Recent titles include 100 Backyard Activities That are the Coolest, Dirtiest, Creepy-Crawliest Ever!, Raising Creative Kids: A Collection of Creativity Prompts for Children, and The Anxiety Toolkit: 96 Ways to Help Your Child Calm Their Worries. Watch for Raising Resilient Sons: A Boy Mom’s Guide to Building a Strong, Confident, and Emotionally Intelligent Familycoming December 2020 from Ulysses Press.
Colleen lives in Northeast Ohio with her reading specialist husband, four delightfully differently-wired kiddos, pug puppy, and an ever-changing assortment of small animals and insects. You can find her online at RaisingLifelongLearners.com.
Learn about how worry tricks the body into feeling scared and triggers the fear response. This keeps our anxious kiddos on high alert, and they struggle to relax, be happy, and get things done. Colleen, an author, parent of children with anxiety, and someone who struggles with anxiety herself, will teach you to tell the difference between stress and anxiety (and why it matters), along with stress and anxiety management for kids (and the adults who care for them), building a toolkit of strategies and skills to walk away with that will help make anxiety better -- not worse -- in the moment and beyond.
Note: Handout/Notes are included IN the talk via a text code and mentioned at the beginning and at the end.
Burnout is a real thing when it comes to parenting and homeschooling differently-wired kiddos, and some days it feels like you've already yelled at and corrected your children more times than you can count -- all before you've had your first sip of coffee... Rest assured -- you are not alone. Differently-wired kiddos are not easy, but they are perfectly made for a purpose, and our job as their parents is to harness that uniquness and intensity for good, giving them what they need to maximize their developmental potential. In this practical and actionable session, Colleen an educational consultant, shares strategies to help parents shift what they're doing to help them feel calmer and more confident, creating a family dynamic where everyone -- parents and their exceptional kids -- thrive.
Note: Handout/Notes are included IN the talk via a text code and mentioned at the beginning and at the end.c
