Gifted Education 2.1: Social and Emotional Needs

Dr Eileen Slater is a research fellow with the Edith Cowan Institute for Education Research at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Eileen is an early career researcher with over 20 years experience as a teacher, school administrator and district curriculum consultant. Her research interests include Gifted Education, Science Education and Educational Measurement.  She works closely with the Gifted community to advance community and professional understandings of the needs of gifted children. In all of her current research projects, Eileen aims to better serve the needs of students by working with and supporting teachers in their schools and classrooms.

Deborah is an educator with 24 years of experience, currently working as an education consultant. Her strengths include interpersonal, communication and organisational skills. She is a "big picture' thinker with a strong future focus, a passion for learning and a commitment to achieving excellence. The majority of Deborah’s professional career has centred around primary schools where she has been a school psychologist, teacher, executive coach, Assistant Principal, short-term principal and a learning area specialist. She has worked in remote, rural and metropolitan schools in both the public and Catholic Education sectors.

As a leader, Deborah’s passion lies with developing, nurturing and supporting teachers, especially early career teachers, so that they can provide the best education and experiences to their students. She firmly believes that all staff have many gifts within them and as a leader she enjoys helping empower people so that they can identify those gifts, build their capacity and achieve their potential.  Deborah’s doctoral research was completed through The University of Notre Dame Australia, and examined the experiences and self-perceptions of early career teachers in W.A. Catholic primary schools that led them to remain in the profession.

Deborah loves learning and as a teacher strives to instil a life-long love of learning in her students and to empower them to realise their potential. She aims to make learning fun and to provide opportunities for all students to achieve success and to set themselves goals. Deborah has a broad knowledge of curriculum and assessment, using data to inform instruction, integrating technology into the classroom, differentiating the curriculum and catering for diversity.