Don Barefield, B.S. Mathematics
Presenter and Parenting Coach
“I’ll move to Miami and teach high school math if you give me the toughest school you have” Don told the Director of Human Resources for Miami-Dade County schools. Later that day, he was hired to teach high school mathematics in Liberty City in one of America’s toughest schools. The statistics were astounding: most students failed the state graduation test and the neighborhood that fed the school had one of the highest crime rates in the country. Because of overcrowding, Don taught 42 high school students in a book storage room on the third floor with two hour blocks!
Having no formal teaching training, Don set out to change the students in his class with a whole lot of love, a little common sense and a style that is anything but common. After having spent the previous year teaching in the highest rated high school in Georgia, Don learned through his experiences in Miami that kids are kids. They all want and need the same things: love, structure and direction. When these three elements are present, learning takes off!
Don has been where you are- a classroom teacher and a parent. In fact, his approach to parenting evolved from his time spent in the classroom. He figured the same principles and strategies that work with 42 high school kids in a book storage room in inner city Miami ought to work with his own children. . . and he has discovered they do. Now, Don teaches teachers and parents those principles and strategies with astounding results. Don knows how it feels to be punched in the mouth by a student, surrounded by a group of hostile students (not his own!) in the hallway and have his life threatened by kids who would just as soon cut him as look at him. BUT, he, too, knows the joy of hearing one of those kids say,“Mr. B, this is the first time in 11 years of school that I’ve been able to learn. Thank you for giving me a safe place to learn.” In fact, his passion led to him to earn the title of New Teacher of the Year.
We don’t parent because it is easy. We do it because they need us.
Now, our team travels the country teaching parents and teachers (aren’t teachers surrogate parents for 8 hours a day?) these principles and strategies of parenting. We believe the problems facing our country will only be solved when we take our families back!
Less interesting stuff- Don graduated with honors with a B.S. in Mathematics. He enjoys playing hide-and-go-seek, basketball, cycling, reading, playing the drums, his guitar and a challenge
Rachel Massey, BCBA, M. Ed. (Special Education)
Presenter and Parenting Coach
Rachel graduated from Western Michigan University in 1997 with a B.S. in Behavior Analysis. She is the mother of three beautiful girls, each separated, in age, from the next by one year. When they were young, Rachel stayed home to raise her three active girls! When they were old enough to attend school, Rachel obtained a Master’s degree in special education and became an elementary school teacher. Then, in 2014, her family’s direction was altered when her husband died of cancer. She had three girls (ages 11, 12 and 13) to support and care for so she decided to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She obtained her BCBA and spent the last six years working with children with autism as a licensed behavior therapist.
Now, all three of her girls are in college and doing well! They are majoring in psychology, marketing and veterinary medicine!
Rachel is passionate about enabling children with special needs to develop their unique gifts and talents. She accomplishes this by working directly with children, training their parents to recognize and correct inappropriate behavior and helping parents create a plan that will allow their children to realize their full potential!
Shelia Barefield, Ed. S.
Presenter and Parenting Coach
Shelia was a stay-at-home mom until her youngest child began kindergarten. Then, she decided to pursue a career in education. She earned her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and began teaching kindergarten in 1985. That year, she was awarded the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher of the Year Award for Georgia. She continued as a classroom teacher for 7 more years until she became an instructional specialist. In that capacity, she worked directly with teachers to enable them to become more effective in the classroom. She was then promoted to Director of Professional Learning where she worked until she retired. However, her itch to teach soon led her back into education where she has worked as an educational and parenting consultant. Now, she uses the knowledge and skills she gained from over 30 years as an educator to enable parents to effectively raise their children!