Hi, I’m Dr. Patricia Porter
I was a Seed Pod Kid.I struggled in school, barely made it to high school, didn’t do well enough to get into a university and ended up having to take jobs that no one wanted. It was hard. I didn’t feel good about myself.When I finally became a teacher, I taught the kids that no one wanted to reach. Slow learners they were called. They were angry, confused, hated the system, and knew that they were the ‘stupid’ kids. I recognized my own. Their story was my story.I wanted to know more. I wanted to discover why these bright kids, with so much hidden potential, were struggling to learn.It took me years of hard work, heartache, and help from some amazing people, plus an innate doggedness (some might say ‘stubborness,’) for me to find the answer.If I had known then what I know now, my road to academic and career satisfaction would have have been so bumpy and paved with bouts of depression and a failed marriage!But here I am. And I don’t want any other child to have to go through what I did. For the last 20 years I have been striving to help parents crack open their child’s seed pod and unleash their super powers.Seed Pod Kids fall through the cracks of education systems and never get the support they need to grow and bloom.You can turn this around. In fact, you, the parent, are the only one who can help your Seed Pod Kid grow into their full potential.
Here’s the formal stuff –
I trained in the early 60’s (yes, I am that old!) and taught a variety of classes in the UK.
I obtained diplomas in Educational Broadcasting and Special Education and I carried out research at Birmingham University for which I was granted a Master in Education.
After that I was granted a Churchill Scholarship to travel around the USA looking at how educational programs. My only claim to fame is that, while on this trip, I had lunch with Fred Rogers!While working with slow learners in Vancouver I had the opportunity to work with and be trained by Professor Reuven Feuerstein and his colleagues who taught me about how kids learn.I worked as a Home/School coordinator and as a researcher at the University of British Columbia where I started exploring how parents supported children’s learning.I was granted a Ph. D. (yeah!) and now use my expertise, experience (35 years teaching) and training to help parents unlock their child’s potential.I have written a couple of books (see Resources) and intend to write more.
