Background
Carolyn Ragatz holds a California Teaching Credential and a Master's Degree in Education with an
emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. She has also obtained a certification in Gifted Education
from the California Association for the Gifted and an Endorsement from the Arizona Department of
Education. She has taught as an adjunct professor at The University of Memphis and Arizona State
University East.
Carolyn spent ten years in the classroom teaching, during which time she served as a mentor and
master teacher for the Torrance Unified School District. She left classroom teaching for a position
as the GATE Resource Teacher, where she spent two years implementing many new elements into
Torrance's gifted program. While in that position, she spent much of her time training and
coaching teachers on ways to meet the needs of high ability students in a heterogeneous
classroom. She currently teaches in a self contained gifted classroom in the Chandler Unified
School District in Arizona.
Carolyn has presented at numerous conferences, as well as consulted with multiple school districts
to provide teacher training. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in gifted education at Arizona
State University.
Carolyn has experience in many areas of gifted education and is available for work with school
districts regarding their program.
Consulting Services Available:
*Staff development workshops
*Leading parent discussion or book groups
*Curriculum development
*Designing summer or Saturday programs
*Coaching teachers in the classroom setting
*Gifted Program design
*Gifted Program evaluation
Workshop Topics
Workshops will be designed to fit the needs of the school district and the teachers involved in the
training.
Possible topics include:
Characteristics and needs of gifted students
Rationale for differentiated instruction
Curriculum Development
Teaching strategies for differentiating the core curriculum
Questioning techniques
Tiered assignments
Compacting
Flexible grouping
Independent study
Literature circles
Using Games in the Classroom
Creative Writing Projects
Parenting Gifted Children
Boys & Girls Brains
Resume Available on the Conference Handout Link
References available upon request
