Reviews & Resources
Whether it's through her books, conference presentations, or enrolling in her class, Dr. Small has the knowledge
and experience to teach you how to lead smart.
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Parenting the Smart Kid
Publication date: July 4, 2023
Parents of Smart Kids know they can have complex social, emotional, and intellectual needs. This resource condenses the wisdom and experience of teachers and school leaders who have experienced thousands of students with the same needs into 25 key tips for parents seeking to help their Smart Kids thrive.
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Featuring 25 illustrated strategies for navigating situations unique to Smart Kids, with confident, informed support given every step of the way.
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Full of relevant tried-and-true suggestions that are immediately implementable solutions to the common challenges of parenting Smart Kids, this invaluable resource is a must-have for parents seeking to confidently navigate the exciting and challenging journey of their Smart Kid's teen years.
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Serving the Needs of Your Smart Kids (2022)
This is a practical guidebook for school leaders, teachers, parents and school staff who strive to create an environment that serves the unique characteristics of the advanced learner.
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Students will thrive as their supporters learn up-to-date strategies that meet their social and academic high-level learning needs with budget sensitive and student-centered actions.
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Packed with practical tips, real life scenarios, current research and best practices. The reading resource questions in every chapter provides opportunities for collaborate with teachers, coordinators, school leaders, and parents.
Tools within the book:
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Discussion Questions for Chapters 1 to 21
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Registration Materials: Registration Fair Set Up, Individualized Student Registration Sheets, front and back
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Teacher Preference Survey
Smart Kid Terminology (2019)
Smart Kid Terminology is your go-to resource for helping gifted and advanced learners identify and work through their feelings, thoughts, and experiences in relevant, accessible terms.
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The illustrations and descriptive definitions in this book demystify educational terminology that can often be dense and difficult to understand.
Each section features a description, example of the term in action, and a solution with recommendations for practice. Light-hearted and encouraging, this book covers terms like perfectionist, procrastinator, bored in school, isolation by choice, and more!
Presentations
Invite Dr. Small to speak at your conference.
The following are titles of presentations given across the country from New Orleans to Denver to Atlanta.
“Serving Students Through a Global Mindset of Teachers and School Leaders”
“Serving the Needs of Your Smart Kids. How School Leaders Create a Supportive School Culture for the Advanced Learner”
“Counselor Strategies to Influence Administration Decisions for Students”
“The Power of School Administrators to Meet the Needs of Their Diverse Learners”
Education Consultations
Dr. Small is an active practitioner and researcher. She can advise school administrations in their principalship and in the selection of school person.
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After an in-depth assessment of needs and goals, she creates positive solutions to set in motion. She provides resources and support in creating a productive pathway for new and veteran school leaders.
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The selection of talented school personnel is the first step to school improvement. Dr. Small will provide resources and support in selecting positive and innovative school staff. To receive a consultation, email servingsmartkids@gmail.com.
Publications
Small, B.K. (July 2023). Parenting the Smart Kid: 25 Tips No One Told You About Raising Gifted Teens,
book, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
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Small, B.K. (March 2022). Smart Kid Terminology. 25 terms to help gifted learners see themselves and find success,
book, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
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Small, B.K. (January 2022). Serving the Needs of your Smart Kids: How School Leaders Create a Supportive School
Culture for the Advanced Learner, book, Gifted Unlimited, LLC.
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Small, B.K (Dec 2021). The Global Mindset of Students, Teachers, and School Leaders. Collegial Exchange, Vol 88-2.
Hardman, B.K. (2011). Teacher’s Perception of their Principal’s Leadership Style and the Effects on Student
Achievement in Improving and Non-Improving Schools, University of South Florida. (Dissertation)
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Hardman, B.K. (2006). Career ladder of classroom teachers: all tiers lead upward. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin,
72(3), 30-33. Reprinted with permission by the National Social Studies Supervisors Association, Fall 2006.
Academia Experience
Colorado College, Colorado Springs
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Field Supervisor for Teacher Candidates seeking secondary Social Studies Certifcation
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Coaching and evaluating students in this 2-semester program
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
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Adjunct: Instruct and write updated graduate course content in the Department of Teaching and Learning
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Course taught: Gifted Program Leadership
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​Regis University, Denver
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Affiliate: Instruct and develop curricula for graduate level Education Leadership and Principal Licensure.
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Serve on Equity and Social Justice Committee developed to bring quality training to Affiliates.
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Courses taught: Education Research for Leaders (co-writer), School Strategy and Sustainability.​
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, Research 1 University
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Adjunct: Instruct Education Leadership doctoral candidates relevant curricula practices in online and face-to-face models.
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Dissertation Committee Chair and Committee Member edit and guide students in writing dissertations.
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Courses taught: Principles of Education Administration, Developing Curriculum and Evaluating
Programs, Leading Instruction to Advance Student Learning, Utilizing Effective Leadership Principles.
National Louis University, Tampa, FL
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Adjunct: Instruct Education Leadership doctoral candidates relevant curricula practices in online and
face-to-face models.
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Dissertation Committee Chair and Committee Member edit and guide students in writing dissertations.
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Courses taught: Principles of Education Administration, Developing Curriculum and Evaluating
Programs, Leading Instruction to Advance Student Learning, Utilizing Effective Leadership Principles.
Saint Leo University, Tampa and Orlando, FL
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Adjunct: Instruct rigorous and professionally relevant curriculum to Education Leadership master’s level
students with online and face-to-face courses. Serve as a practicum supervisor.
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Courses taught: Ethics, School Law, School Curriculum for Diverse Populations, Behavior Theory &
Classroom Learning, Problems in Curriculum, Psychology and Social Foundations in Education Administration, Issues in Multicultural Edu, Teacher Evaluation, Design of Systematic Studies in Edu, Principles of Supervision, Foundations of Curriculum Policy Development.
Praise
for LeadSmart Education
Dr. Small’s book Serving the Needs of your Smart Kids: How School Leaders is an insightful resource packed full of practical information to help your gifted students.
The use of real-life situations is extremely impactful and empowering for parents, educators, and administrators. Dr. Small explains how to best service gifted students academically, socially, and emotionally so they can reach their full potential in clear achievable steps. She describes how adults can use teamwork to instill responsibility in each other and their students in order for everyone to get the tools they need to thrive. I highly recommend this book as a tool to help create student-centered schools where each students’ complexities are nurtured so they can reach their full potential.
Sarah McInnis
Elementary Educator
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book. Reading it brought me right back to many hours spent in your office absorbing your knowledge and wisdom! As parents of four gifted children who benefitted from the nurturing and dynamic school communities created by Dr. Small, we can attest to her ability to lead both staff and parents on a path to best serve these remarkable learners.
Melissa and Adam Putnam
Parents
What if we were to nurture and challenge our smartest students? How do we do that? This book provides answers to both questions and gives educators a roadmap to follow in meeting their needs. In Serving the Needs of Your Smart Kids, a highly successful school leader shares a step-by-step process to engage, nurture and challenge them. Dr. Small has knocked it out of the park! School leaders will be dog-earing this book and carrying it around as a guide for meeting the needs of their gifted youth.
Jerry Lawhon
Retired Principal, Educational Consultant, Smart Teams
Shelba Lawhon
Continuous Improvement Consultant for Collegiate High Schools, Smart Teams
It was my pleasure to serve as a gifted teacher while Brenda Small held the position of administrator at my school. Serving the Needs of Your Smart Kids
This book is a practical, no nonsense look at the process behind building an educational support system addressing the needs of gifted students. Dr. Small provides a comprehensive list of the why’s and how to’s that are essential in developing a truly functional gifted program. The information is practical and achievable. I have witnessed first-hand how Dr. Small has put this information into use and very simply put, it works.
Diane McCall
Itinerant teacher of the Gifted, Bartow HS, Summerlin Academy, International Baccalaureate, Westwood Middle
This is a go-to book to see what is behind the educational curtain! I have yet to come across a read that gives such a succinct perspective and approach to the needs of gifted students. I highly recommend this book for educators who believe in the positive, intentional culture that is truly student-centered for excellence.
Gemile Fleming
School Counselor - 2018 Colorado School Counselor of the Year
Dr. Hardman (Small) is a true advocate for students, one of the most impactful administrators with which I have had the opportunity to work. Serving under her truly changed how I view education and helped me become the best version of myself as a school counselor. I worked under Dr. Hardman (Small) when she served as Principal of Bartow International Baccalaureate School. She had previously served as an Elementary IB Principal which from my experience gave her a diverse, in-depth knowledge for dealing with accelerated learners.
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She taught me the true purpose of education is about putting the needs of students first, which often gets ignored because of the cumbersome processes and paperwork required, or school politics.
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Dr. Hardman (Small) always, and I do mean always, fought for what was best for students. She was not intimidated by any obstacle and was always ready to go into battle for what she believed was in the best interest of her students. She often said, “You can never be wrong when you put students first.”
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Dr. Hardman (Small) believed that all students deserve every opportunity available to them and she worked diligently to use every resource available to find ways to enhance a student’s education and open wider doors for their future.
In public education, change is often frowned upon, but Brenda believed that change is necessary to make things better.
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On countless occasions I remember her telling me, “Just because it has always been done this way, doesn’t mean this is the best way.” Many of the policies and procedures I had been taught as a teacher and counselor under previous administrations proved to simply be the easy way out and not actually what was required by the Florida Department of Education or even the district.
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Building class schedules for IB students always proved to be a challenge and as the school counselor I was charged with trying to make the puzzle pieces fit. When I would come across a schedule conflict that I was sure wasn’t solvable I would ask her how she wanted me to proceed, even though I knew what she would say, “If that is what is best for that student, then we will make it happen.” She led with passion and dedication; purposeful to overcome anything that could stand in the way of a student’s education or future for opportunity.
Autumn Moyer, International Baccalaureate School Counselor