Happy Juneteenth from CT3
Happy Juneteenth! Our ancestors bind us to the continued honoring of this day. We welcome and embrace the opportunity since we know that as...
17 Jun
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15 Jun
Scholars Can’t Wait for Our Wokeness to Emerge
It’s easy to imagine that, as educators, our jobs exist in a bubble. However, we’ve all experienced circumstances in our lives outside of...
15 Jun
How Anti-Racist Educators Harness Their Instructional Power
Nataki Gregory, Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer talks with Dr. Tanji Reed Marshall of The Education Trust. They explore the intersection between teachers’ instructional...
15 Jun
Ujima: When Young People Support Young People
Makita Kheperu, Associate interviews Leah Holmes, a member of Chicago’s SuperGroup, a collection of young artists and entrepreneurs who host cultural events that target...
15 Jun
All Aboard the Train of Thought
Max Brooks, M.Ed.Vice President of Strategic Partnerships interviews and highlights the work of Damen Fletcher, CEO of Train of Thought, an organization that...
14 Jun
Supporting STEM Scholars
For more than a decade, my job has been inspiring people with data insights and enabling them through technology systems. I love the...
13 Jun
Reading, ‘Riting, ‘Rithmetic, and Relationships
I read an article a few months ago, written in 2010, that predicted the state of public education if it remained on its...
13 Jun
Bringing Black History to a Town Near You
“Why do some white people think they’re better than Black people?” This was the opening question asked by a five-year-old in the audience...
10 Jun
Deconstructing Racism in Schools by Taking Action
I am a mother, stepmother, wife, educator, researcher, author, school board member, and so much more. However, my professional life and personal life...
10 Jun
Reflection and Realities
This post is a Special Edition of CT3's "Dear Walkie," a mini-series of podcast episodes that provide a quality place for advice for...
23 May
Racism Is Not a Mental Illness
In recent weeks, I planned to write a blog about problems of practice that affect instructional coaching and support in schools. However, due...
18 May
Fellow White Person, What Are You Prepared to Do?
The atrocity that occurred in Buffalo this past weekend is the latest horrific installment in this country’s war on Black people, a war...
17 May
Stop.Killing.Us.
For too long, Black people have been murdered because the color of their skin is offensive to someone with a weapon and the...
02 May
CT3 Team Scales to Deepen Impact
As we seek to serve millions of students and thousands of schools, CT3 is planning for broad expansion over the next five years....
10 Mar
Statement on Recent Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
Proposed legislation to exclude the identities and histories of LGBTQ+ students are emerging across the nation. As our commitment is to every student,...
09 Feb
It’s Black History Month. Sigh.
February is here, so the Black History Month ornaments are everywhere. Company statements on websites affirming their commitment to celebrating Black history. The...
19 Jan
Still Living in “The Other America”
Seeking to write something poignant about him as we celebrate the King holiday always pales in comparison to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s...
16 Nov
Critical Race Theory Isn’t the Problem
Critical race theory (CRT), which has been around for decades, has become a catch-all for ideas, movements, curricula, teaching styles, and ideological stances,...
14 Sep
Need a New Pair of Shoes
This post is part of CT3's "Dear Walkie" blog series, and this one includes part of a mini-series of podcast episodes that provide...
14 Sep
Diminishing Returns
This blog post is part of CT3's "Dear Walkie" series, a place for advice for anti-racist educators. CT3 Associates Chris Cantu and Jackie Surratt, both veteran...
14 Sep
Tired Magician
This post is part of CT3's "Dear Walkie" blog series, and this one includes part of a mini-series of podcast episodes that provide...
14 Sep
Willies About the Walkie
This blog post is part of CT3's "Dear Walkie" series, a place for advice for anti-racist educators. CT3 Associates Chris Cantu and Jackie Surratt, both veteran...
14 Sep
Critical Race Theory: There’s the Argument to Have, and How to Have the Argument
Recently, I joined a client’s (CT3) internal meeting to discuss Critical Race Theory (CRT). I was doing really well. Right until I started...
12 Jul
CT3 CARES: #StolenHistory
Sometimes history didn't just go missing; it was stolen. From horse riding to superstar musicians, join Dr. Richard Frank on an investigation of...
08 Jul
Dear Walkie
Educators from across the country have questions on equity; CT3 associates have answers in the Dear Walkie podcast series....
07 Jul
Anti-racist Read Alouds
I realized that one way I could help my kids address racism in their lives was through exposure to literature and conversation that...
19 Jun
Juneteenth
June 19, 2021 A year ago today, CT3 moved to honor Juneteenth as a holiday. We created space for our team members to engage...
09 Jun
Collective Teacher Efficacy is the #1 Influencer of Student Achievement — But How Do We Achieve It? Tips for School Leaders
Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE) is defined as a staff’s shared belief that through their collective action, they can positively influence student outcomes, including...
07 Jun
The No-Nonsense Nurturer® Leader Is Committed to Being an Anti-Racist — Part 2
The following blog is the final of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
03 Jun
Living History Makers: Jillian Turner, Math Teacher, Baltimore City Schools
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 is recognizing some of these educators through Living History...
01 Jun
Builds Trusting Relationships
The following blog is the tenth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
26 May
Generate a Culture of Accountability
The following blog is the ninth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
17 May
Innovation — Both Opportunity and Responsibility
The following blog is the eighth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
10 May
Solicits Voice and Perspective as an Anti-Racist
The following blog is the seventh of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
03 May
The No-Nonsense Nurturer Leader Recognizes and Develops Growth Mindsets, Always Striving to be Asset Based
The following blog is the sixth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
26 Apr
Virtual Coaching: Not Just for Personal Training
One of the ways I like to destress and demonstrate self-care is by taking group exercise classes and going to the gym. Due...
20 Apr
The Verdict is In
We heard the three guilty verdicts in the George Floyd murder case. Yesterday, April 21, all CT3 team members refrained from email, Zoom meetings,...
19 Apr
Builds collective efficacy
The following blog is the fifth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
14 Apr
What to Consider When Planning How to Spend CARES/ESSER Dollars
Over the last 18 months, we have faced more challenges as educators than one would hope to encounter in an entire career. Because...
12 Apr
Creating a culture of coaching
The following blog is the fourth of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
07 Apr
Performative or Substantive?
At CT3 we commit to support real change — internally and externally — in the anti-racist movement that is well overdue in our...
05 Apr
High Expectations…
The following is the third of 11 posts dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
29 Mar
A Humble Approach to Being An Anti-Racist Leader
The following is the second of 11 posts dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
19 Mar
Taking a Stand Through Direct Language
On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, eight people — six of them Asian women — were killed by gunfire at Asian-run massage spas in...
17 Mar
The No-Nonsense Nurturer Leader Is Committed to Being an Anti-Racist — Part 1
The following blog is the first of 11 dedicated to providing an overview of the No-Nonsense Nurturer leader behaviors in anticipation of CT3’s...
12 Mar
CT3 Supports Partner Jackson Public Schools with Safe Water Donation for Staff
Education company donates $5k to Jackson Public Schools’ teachers and support staff for safe drinking water. The Jackson, MS water crisis shows a city...
12 Mar
Living History Makers: Kimberly Moody, Ed.D., Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 is recognizing some of these educators through Living History...
11 Mar
Academic Discussions — Part 2
In the first part of our series on Academic Discussion, we unpacked the critical balance between teacher inputs and student outputs to measure...
09 Mar
Academic Discussions — Part I
Sharing our thoughts and discussing concepts and content help us integrate new information into personal knowledge. When we explain and develop our thinking,...
05 Mar
Living History Makers: Roberta Freeman, Ed.D., Chief Academic Officer
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 is recognizing some of these educators through Living History...
04 Mar
There is No Neutral Ground
To say our national language has become polarized is an understatement. Even topics that seem innocuous are somehow linked to the voracious political...
26 Feb
Living History Makers: Chineka Jones, teacher & middle school grade level lead
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 and ASCD are recognizing some of these educators through...
19 Feb
Living History Makers: Arryn Chenault, Intervention Specialist
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 and ASCD are recognizing some of these educators through...
10 Feb
Living History Makers: Ethel Lett, teacher
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 and ASCD are recognizing some of these educators through...
05 Feb
Living History Makers: Teshira Newton, teacher
Every day, educators are making history through their selfless service to our communities. CT3 and ASCD are recognizing some of these educators through...
29 Jan
Unprecedented leadership for unprecedented times
A conversation about pandemic school leadership with Dr. Errick L. Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools, by Dr. Kristyn Klei Borrero, Founder, CT3 Dr. Errick...
25 Jan
Resource: classroom walkthrough tracker
Classrooms, whether physical or virtual, are where the action is for a school, but all too often school leaders and their teams do...
18 Jan
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day…
Every day — but especially today — we should all be reminded to act on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, his...
14 Jan
A lesson in humility
I decided to write this post after I witnessed the events of January 6, 2021 in our nation’s capital. Like many, I was...
08 Jan
Our children are watching
The ongoing challenges to the November 3 election outcome culminated Wednesday in an obscene, shameless, abhorrent display of violence that resulted in extremists attacking...
06 Jan
A story of caring school leadership
Stories emotionalize information. A well crafted story can take data, figures, and theory and turn it into something memorable. Transformational leaders understand this...
18 Dec
Holiday greetings
Dear partners and friends, And so we have come to the end of what feels like the longest year in recent memory. You have no...
10 Dec
Offering grace vs. unintentionally enabling
What is the difference between unintended enablers and someone who offers grace? We are living in unprecedented times and no matter what, this...
02 Dec
Leading with data across learning modalities
This year more than ever, school leaders are filtering an unprecedented amount of information to support prioritization for student impact. They are balancing...
19 Nov
Vulnerability and our journey to become an anti-racist organization
Origin of our journey to anti-racism On Juneteenth, CT3 made a commitment to become a leading anti-racist organization. Soon after, our seven-person anti-racism (AR)...
17 Nov
Meet Our Team: Tim Valenti, Director of Data Strategy
In this blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
09 Nov
Meet Our Team: Andréa Martinez, Chief of Staff
In this blog series, we are highlighting a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
09 Nov
What the 2020 election decision means for CT3
A majority of Americans have elected a new administration. We have a new president-elect and our first ever Black, Asian-American, female vice president-elect....
02 Nov
What do we do on Wednesday, November 4, 2020?!
The SY2021 school year is presenting a number of challenges for educators — too many to count. In the coming week, national (and...
28 Oct
Managing online learning fatigue for scholars
This online learning blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and new challenges. Whether you are managing a virtual...
21 Oct
SEL Book List: Teacher and School Leader
Excerpt reposted from Glose for Education blog, originally posted October 8, 2020. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) within the school is primarily associated with...
16 Oct
Black Poetry Day
On October 17, 2020, we celebrate Black Poetry Day in honor of Jupiter Hammon, who is believed to be the first African American...
13 Oct
Meet Our Team: Marcus Blanks, President & COO
In this blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
11 Sep
Relationships: More important now than ever before.
This is a repost and certainly as timely now as it was in March 2020. This blog series is aimed at helping educators...
24 Aug
Selecting Culturally Relevant Texts
Culturally relevant educators acknowledge and appreciate children’s home cultures and validate every student's experience by seizing opportunities to strengthen the connection between home...
11 Aug
Our partnership with When We All Vote
At CT3, we value civic engagement and are excited to help our education community make their voices heard in every election. We are teaming...
04 Aug
CT3, Prominent Teacher Training and Leadership Coaching Organization, Names New Senior-Level Executives
Nataki Gregory Appointed Chief Executive Officer and Marcus Blanks Appointed President/Chief Operating Officer SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 30, 2020 – CT3 (www.ct3education.com), a leading teacher training and...
14 Jul
Meet Our Team: Chris Cantu
In this blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
29 Jun
An Educational Leadership Field Guide for Addressing and Unpacking Antiracist Inhibiting Mindsets
Antiracist Teaching In response to the Black Lives Matter protests following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, a principal I...
22 Jun
A call to reflection and action for white female educators
A 2017-18 National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) report shows that 79 percent of elementary and secondary educators are white; 7 percent are...
19 Jun
In celebration of Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865: the day that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their...
08 Jun
A snapshot of a Black man’s perspective on pain and oppression
Pain For most, it is internal and external. One is normally worse than the other depending on our personalities and how we deal with...
02 Jun
An acknowledgment on behalf of our community
At CT3, we're publishing a series of blogs to address the COVID crisis and offer support for our community and partners. We also...
01 Jun
A challenge to White folks…
The events in NYC and Minnesota over the weekend are additional examples of how our communities of Color are under constant attack in...
27 May
Coaching in the Classroom
During our most recent webinar entitled “Coaching in the Classroom: How Real-Time Feedback Leads to Lasting Improvement”, we were delighted to be joined...
21 May
What coaches can be doing right now to support teachers and students
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and challenge. Are you a coach at a school? Has your...
14 May
How No-Nonsense Nurturers Leverage Breakout Rooms for Scholar Learning
As No-Nonsense Nurturers, we know the power of scholar discussion and discourse. In the current virtual world, we also understand that many of...
13 May
The Power of the Check for Understanding (CFU)
The No-Nonsense Nurturer pedagogical model was developed over several years by observing highly successful teachers in action, then creating a coaching system to support...
08 May
Setting Purpose for Your Students in a Virtual Learning Environment
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of challenge and opportunity. As No-Nonsense Nurturers, we inherently believe that all scholars...
30 Apr
Being a No-Nonsense Nurturer Coach in a Virtual World
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of challenge and opportunity. Alex Price has been a trained Real Time Teacher...
29 Apr
Making the Most of Recorded Lessons
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of challenge and opportunity. Are you suddenly tasked with recording lessons that you...
23 Apr
Being Dean of Students during the Pandemic
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and challenge and to provide tips for pandemic school leadership. A...
09 Apr
Adapting the Practices of Successful Teachers at Home
This blog series is aimed at helping educators with virtual teaching in a time of uncertainty and challenge. At CT3, we train teachers to...
07 Apr
Meet Leila Kubesch, 2020 Ohio Teacher of the Year
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and challenge. Staying Connected in the Midst of COVID-19 Closures 2020 Ohio...
03 Apr
Creating powerful moments: Deepen students’ feelings of safety and security
This blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and challenge. Does anyone else feel like Alice when she falls...
01 Apr
Leadership: Taking on all new meanings for me…
This leadership skills blog series is aimed at helping educators in a time of uncertainty and challenge. Great leaders are made during time of...
30 Mar
Five Ways Leaders Can Support Teachers in a Virtual World
This blog series is aimed at helping educators with online school leadership in a time of uncertainty and challenge. In just a few short...
18 Mar
Working from Home: How do you do it?!
This blog series is aimed at helping educators with online learning in a time of uncertainty and challenge. I got a text today from...
14 Mar
Meet Our Team: Joey Roane
In our new blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the...
06 Mar
Meet Our Team: Meaghan Loftus
In our new blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the...
03 Mar
Claiming to Not See Race Leads to Inequity in Education
A post about anti-racism. This post originally appeared in Education Week's Classroom Q&A on February 9, 2020. (This is the fourth post in a five-part...
30 Sep
Think Pair Share…Gives Voice!
Our Think Pair Share blog series exposes teachers and administrators to examples of high-leverage strategies that support strong pedagogy in every classroom. Think...
05 Sep
Education Support: Affording the Support You Need
You know that your educators need education support. You also know that professional development (PD) is the best way to help your teachers...
13 Aug
Guidelines for Student Home Visits
The thought of student home visits may at first seem intimidating, but the impact can be powerful. Taking the time and making the...
18 Jul
School Culture Quiz
School culture impacts everything we do as educators, and reflects our ability to meaningfully engage students. How is the school culture in your...
16 Jul
Cell Phones in Schools: One No-Nonsense Nurturer’s Perspective
I train coaches in schools around the country to support teachers with student engagement. This year, more than any year before, I have...
15 Jul
The 5 Rules Every Happy Teacher Follows
Happy Teacher Rule #1: Don't look at discomfort as a negative. Teaching is hard, and it should be. If you are doing it well,...
24 Jun
Selling Your Team on Professional Development
How do you sell your team on teacher professional development? You know your school needs coaching to raise expectations and increase teacher effectiveness,...
05 Jun
Repost: Every Teen Needs a Champion
This post originally appeared in ASCD Express on May 9, 2019. "Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on...
03 Jun
Three Relationship-Building Strategies Found in Your Classroom Library
It’s commonplace to hear the phrase “student relationships” in any school you walk into across the country. At CT3, we take it one...
29 May
Repost: How to Have ‘Courageous Conversations’ About Race That Can Help End Inequities in Our Schools
Courageous Conversations Training This post originally appeared in The 74 on September 18, 2017. With the election of our first black president, many clung to...
02 May
Using Game Tape for Coaching
The Importance of Using a Game Tape I watched all of the March Madness games with my husband and was excited to see number...
01 May
Repost: Do You Care Enough to Save a Life?
This post originally appeared in ASCD Inservice on February 27, 2017. As a turnaround principal of a high school in Washington, D.C, I lost...
30 Apr
How to Build a Great Leadership Team
A leadership team is a group of people who lead organizations and work together to collaboratively serve organizational purposes in which they hold themselves accountable. It’s no...
26 Apr
Who Can We Run To? Supporting Black Males in the Classroom and Beyond
Supporting Black Males in the Classroom In a country where one in three black males will be incarcerated at some point in their lives...
09 Apr
Meet Jennifer Lee, Director of Academics, Social Studies Teacher, & Real Time Teacher Coach
CT3 Associate Heidi Towne recently sat down with Jennifer Lee from Detroit Collegiate Academy in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to being a Real...
08 Apr
Meet Randall Duval: Author and Real Time Teacher Coach
When I met Randall Duval, Real Time Teacher Coach and 12th Grade Language Arts Teacher at Denver Center for International Studies at Montebello,...
18 Mar
Repost: Reflections on How I Could have Been A More Effective Educator and Administrator on Behalf of Students
This article on "Every Student, Every Day" is re-posted from Sid Haro's blog on Medium. I consider myself a deeply reflective person and educator....
26 Feb
The Special Education Teacher: A Trained Engineer
Honestly, when I first started out as a teacher in special education, I didn’t think I offered anything different to my students than...
14 Dec
If you see something, say something
If you see something, say something. I started my teaching career in middle school with a resource room math class. I had never taught...
30 Oct
Caring About vs. Caring For
Travel to schools across the country, and you’ll see it’s clear that teachers are working hard and truly care about their students. Otherwise,...
27 Sep
Punishment or Restorative Practices: The Only Two Choices in School Climate?
For more than a year, I have been struck by the ongoing school discipline “wars.” Sometimes the fight seems as much a war...
18 Sep
Top 8 Tips for New Teachers That You Probably Haven’t Considered
Here are some teacher guidance tips for new teachers. Being a first-year teacher is rewarding, challenging, and filled with lessons that you plan...
10 Sep
Supporting & Coaching Teachers in Effective Co-Teaching Models
Like many, I had challenges as a child. One of the biggest challenges I had to overcome came around the second grade when...
09 Jul
The No-Nonsense Nurturer® Leader: Behaviors for Transformational School Leadership
A healthy culture is the essential foundation for any high-performing organization. While it is the collective responsibility of all adults in the school...
03 Jul
Classroom Management for Engagement, Empowerment, and Achievement
Classroom management issues lead many of the schools and districts that I work with to seek outside support, such as our approach here...
05 Jun
4 Ways to Build Relationships with Teachers at the Beginning of the Year
Building relationships is an important first step during coaching, and the trust created leads to more successful and impactful coaching cycles. Here are...
22 May
4 Steps to Classroom Turnaround: How do you turn around a class that you’ve let get out of control?
Transform My Classroom: I recently walked into a classroom to hear a teacher tell a student across the room “Jason, you’re on step...
15 May
Meet Our Team: Nataki Gregory
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
08 May
A Powerful Paradigm Shift for Educators
Given the amount of time teachers and students spend together over the course of a year, relationships between the educators and students will...
30 Apr
Meet Our Team: Jackie Surratt
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
25 Apr
A Note to Teachers…How to Get Support from Your Administrator
Leading CT3 takes me to schools across the country. Many teachers tell me that despite having a degree or background in education, they...
27 Mar
Effectively Leading Change through Inspiration and Accountability
In my office, to the right of my desk, is a bookshelf. The first four shelves are filled with books about topics that...
06 Mar
What is your classroom intentionally messaging?
When I’m in classrooms, I see teachers spending a lot of time thinking about how students respond or react to their words and...
15 Feb
How No-Nonsense Nurturers Respond When Tragedy Strikes (Even Somewhere Else)
Even if your school doesn’t share a zip code with Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, your school community may be dealing with...
08 Feb
Coaching Resolutions for the New Year
It’s a new year! I work with so many coaches across the country, and this year I wanted to think through some goals...
30 Jan
4 Lessons for School Leaders from Sports Coaches
Head coaches of our national professional and collegiate sports teams are responsible for bringing some of the best and brightest together in order...
23 Jan
Climbing the Ladder
We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our lives. As teachers, that means not only building...
17 Jan
Meet Our Team: Eyka Stephens
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
02 Jan
Pedagogy Matters! #1: Do Nows and Exit Tickets – The Essential Bookends to a Lesson
In our blog series about pedagogy, we’ve challenged teachers to put their lesson plans to the test! We recommended a six-point “checklist” of strategies that...
08 Dec
Meet our Team: Vynesha Johnson
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
07 Dec
Meet our Team: Heidi Towne
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
20 Nov
Do your lesson plans pass the test?
Do your lesson plans pass the test? In our first blog in this series, Pedagogy Surpasses Curriculum, we discuss that while a worthy tool,...
14 Nov
Meet Our Team: Joy Treadwell
In this blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise that...
12 Oct
Meet our Team: Ronardo Reeves
In this new blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
03 Oct
Meet Our Team: Wanda Perez
In this new blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
12 Sep
Meet Our Team: Richard Frank
In this new blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
05 Sep
Meet Our Team: Karen Baptiste
In this new blog series, we are interviewing members of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the expertise...
29 Aug
Meet Our Team: Leah Pearson
In our new blog series, we are interviewing a member of the CT3 team about their background in education as well as the...
21 Aug
What To Do When the School Year is Off to a Rocky Start (Teachers)
There are countless articles out there about planning for the coming school year and how to make it successful; we’ve posted many of...
17 Aug
Thoughts on Recent Events from our CEO and Co-Founder
As educators working with marginalized populations across the country, it’s been an emotional week following the events in Charlottesville and the response of the current administration. Our...
14 Aug
Student Diversity and Equity: 3 Simple Ways for Teachers to Support All Learning Needs
Almost 7 million children in the United States have a disability. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) became law in 1975, and...
07 Aug
A Note to Educators: Pedagogy Surpasses Curriculum
Recently we have noticed that many of the organizations we work with are focusing their coaching resources on implementing curriculum, meaning the content...
03 Jul
4 Ways to Improve Teacher Experience
As a former principal, I learned that one of the keys to successful leadership is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule...
26 Jun
No-Nonsense Nurturer® and the Social Needs of the Brain
I remember a time in elementary school when my friend and I were pulling at our Velcro shoes (making a scratchy sound) during...
09 Jun
Essential Summer Reading for School Improvement Leaders, Principals, Teachers, and Staff
Preview in new tab Educators know that summer is both a break and more importantly, precious time to renew and plan for the coming...
31 May
The Country’s Best Coaches: Ashley Gaymon in Brooklyn, NY
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
22 May
The Country’s Best Coaches: Samantha Reichard in Charlotte, NC
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
15 May
The Country’s Best Coaches: Marlise Burton in Syracuse, NY
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
04 May
The Country’s Best Coaches: Zonya Hicks in Brooklyn, NY
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
17 Apr
The Country’s Best Coaches: Abby Worland in Denver, CO
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
11 Apr
The Country’s Best Coaches: Molly Cohen in New York, NY
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
05 Apr
The Country’s Best Coaches: Jodi Ackerman in Syracuse, NY
At CT3, we are fortunate to be able to meet and work closely with educators all over the country. We often find that...
21 Mar
ACSA Leadership Magazine: Recruiting a Better Teacher – Unexpected Candidate Qualities
This post by associates William Sprankles and Kara Backman was featured in the Association of California School Administrators' January/February 2017 issue of Leadership...
09 Mar
ASCD Express: Teaching Teachers to Change the Discourse
We're thrilled that "Teaching Teachers to Change the Discourse" by CT3 Associate Vynesha Johnson was published in the November 23, 2016 issue of ASCD...
30 Jan
PD = Practice Deeper from Project L.I.F.T.
We're proud to share the following article written by CT3 associate Nataki Gregory for Project L.I.F.T. in Charlotte, NC. To read more about CT3's...
19 Jan
Featured Educator – Spencer Hill in Syracuse, NY
We often say how proud we are to work with amazing educators across the country, and Spencer Hill is no exception. Spencer is...
11 Jan
The Consequences of Not Giving Feedback
During a two-day training held for Cleveland Metropolitan School District leaders last summer, our organization led a session on the importance of feedback....
05 Dec
Featured Educator: Rachael Mingo in Flint, MI
CT3 Associates working across the U.S. regularly meet educators that demonstrate a deep commitment to transforming the lives of youth, some remaining committed...
28 Nov
Featured Educator: Tiffany Williams in Syracuse, NY
We love meeting educators all over the country who are passionate about serving youth! Tiffany Williams, first grade teacher at Dr. King Elementary...
18 Nov
It’s Not the ‘What’, It’s the ‘How’
There has recently been a focus on the amount of money spent improving public education in America. As taxpayers, educators and parents, we...
01 Nov
3 Questions That Enable Leaders to Call for Commitments
One of the major causes of frustration as an educator is when your school leader, parents, or colleagues don't appear to be committed...
12 Oct
School Culture Celebrations Across the Country
We can’t believe it’s already October! Many schools have only been in session for a little over a month so far this year,...
27 Sep
10 Outside-the-Box Relationship-Building Strategies Beyond A Student Survey
Most educators are already working on ways to build relationships with their students. There are hundreds of articles about this subject on websites...
21 Sep
Q&A with CEO and Co-Founder Kristyn Klei Borrero – Real Time Teacher Coaching®
Introduction: CEO and Co-Founder of Real Time Teacher Coaching and No-Nonsense Nurturer, Kristyn Klei Borrero, answers commonly asked questions about Real Time Teacher...
06 Sep
Asking the Right Questions
"No significant learning takes place without a significant relationship." (James Comer, 1995) As an educator, it's critical to devote time during the first days...
29 Aug
5 Ways To Develop a Culture of Coaching Through Language
In my work as a consultant in schools around the country, I’ve seen first-hand the power that effective coaches can have on teachers...
19 Aug
CT3 in the Media: Tulsa Public Schools’ First Teacher Institute
Here at CT3, we’ve trained thousands of educators to improve outcomes for traditionally underserved youth across the country. This week, however, marks one...
01 Aug
3 Tips for Transforming Relationships with Parents from Day One
It’s July, and for some teachers, school has already started; for others, it is just weeks away. A new school year with new...
25 Jul
Leaders…Create a Revolution
Leading a school is hard. No one can argue that. Leading a school after a year of dissatisfaction, low test scores, and a...
12 Jul
Guest Blog: Change for Greatness
As Major League Baseball kicks off All Star Week, where the greatest players of our American pastime come together for a game, as a Cincinnati Reds fan, I...
14 Jun
10 Things Great Teachers Do Over the Summer
CT3 works with thousands of teachers across the country. In this follow up to "10 Things Great Coaches Do Over the Summer", we...
30 May
10 Things Great Coaches Do Over the Summer
Great athletes make their careers in the off-season. The same is true for coaches that focus on the development of teachers. So much...
24 May
Don’t Settle for Doing ‘Good’
“Dad, I got all A’s!” “Good, but you can do better.” These were the words remembered by Lennox Thompson, a West-Indian American whose parents migrated...
16 May
Meet Ben Carman: Ewing Marion Kauffman School
While working in Kansas City, I met Ben Carman, the Director of Special Education Fellow at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School. After a...
09 May
The Triumph of Small Victories
At CT3, we believe that building life-altering relationships is a journey, not a destination. Therefore, taking time to reflect and celebrate the small...
25 Apr
5 Ways to Help Students Affected by Generational Poverty
By M. McClain. Originally posted in edutopia.org. I work with students who are affected by generational poverty on a daily basis. I see many...
19 Apr
Saying What I Mean and Meaning What I Say
What do you do when your principal comes to you and says, “We’re in need of a full-time teacher for 2nd grade yesterday?”...
11 Apr
A Teacher Who Defied the Odds is Helping his Scholars do the Same
Meet Donavan Jackson, a middle school teacher at Thomasboro Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I was once in their shoes and I’m breaking the...
06 Apr
An Educator’s Survival Checklist: Students with Trauma
I am not a clinical or licensed mental health professional, but I have been in low-performing classrooms as a teacher, coach, school leader,...
25 Mar
The Truth about “No-Nonsense Nurturing”
My name is Kristyn Klei Borrero. I have spent more than 20 years in education, as a teacher, principal and co-founder of CT3....
24 Mar
The Power of Restorative Conversations
Picture this… Student gets upset. Teacher kicks student out of the classroom. Student receives disciplinary action from the teacher. Student enters the classroom the next day and the...
16 Mar
Twitter Chat on 3/12/16: The Importance of Student Voice
Below is the link to our inventory of amazing questions, thoughts and commentary from our second Twitter Chat on the importance of student...
07 Mar
Twitter Chat on 2/27/16: “Why We Must Love and Nurture Our Scholars”
Below is the link to our inventory of amazing questions, thoughts and commentary from our first Twitter Chat on Why We Must Love...
29 Feb
Meet Katharine Bonasera – the Agent of Change at Allenbrook Elementary
Katharine Bonasera, the principal at Allenbrook Elementary School is a No-Nonsense Nurturer® that holds her school community to high expectations and believes that...
25 Feb
Featured Educator: Meet 61-year old Bill Heaning, first-year teacher in Syracuse City Schools
“I love the hardest ones the most.” Those are the words of Bill Heaning, a teacher that happens to be 61-years young in the...
27 Jan
Do No-Nonsense Nurturers say Please and Thank You? Absolutely!
All of the No-Nonsense Nurturers I know, and I know many, use please and thank you in their classrooms often. At CT3, we...
21 Jan
Segment on Good Morning America
This segment recently aired in January of 2016 on Good Morning America about our work with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina. We appreciate the...
19 Jan
Should we teach students to track the speaker?
Teachers often insist that it doesn’t matter if the student is tracking or looking at the speaker. “I can listen and not look...
11 Jan
The Food Network…Effective Teacher PD?
As a busy mom with a full time job that requires travel, I hardly have time to watch much television, but when I...
04 Jan
Put Growth Mindset into Practice via Precise Directions
“What looks like resistance, is often lack of clarity.” - Chip and Dan Heath Carol Dweck’s (2012) concept of growth mindset is all the...
14 Dec
Relationship Management 101: “Your students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
There are few statements that so simply and succinctly communicate the critical role that a teacher’s investment in their students plays in securing...
07 Dec
Record Yourself to Improve Your Practice
by Joe Gaston. Originally posted on Edutopia.org. "I took a speech class one semester when I was in undergraduate school. For our first assignment...
30 Nov
Ten Beliefs of High-Performing Educators
In the world of education, there are amazing teachers and leaders transforming classrooms and schools every day. On the other hand, there are...
16 Nov
Raising My Children Using the No-Nonsense Nurturer® 4-Step Model
Often, while supporting coaches and principals in schools across the country, I am asked the question, “Kara, do you use the 4-step model...
02 Nov
Guest Blog: How do Students Know You Care?
Building relationships with my students is the crux of the culture in my classroom. My students know that I love them deeply, and...
We Don’t Wait, We Narrate!
A short time ago, I had the privilege of supporting a Real Time Teacher Coach (RTTC) as she was conducting a Baseline Observation...
19 Oct
Guest Blog: One Classroom, One Teacher
I’ve previously written that student behavior is not personal. This is true. Pressure from students' outside lives can erupt in class. Unprocessed grief...
13 Oct
Building Relationships with Families
The education of children is a responsibility that must be shared by the teacher and families alike. We need to recognize what a...
10 Ways Well-Meaning White Teachers Bring Racism Into Our Schools
by Jamie Utt. Originally posted on Everyday Feminism. Teachers are some of my favorite people in the world. I mean I really love teachers!...
28 Sep
Guest Blog: It’s Not Personal
"There's a fight in the library!" It's 2 pm, and Chelsea is standing on the faded asphalt, yelling. Our principal, Ms. Benjamin, shoots...
14 Sep
Letter to a New Teacher
I recently received the following email from a career-changer who was beginning their first year of teaching. It got me thinking about the...
08 Sep
A Paradigm Shift to Transformative Coaching
During my tenure as a special education teacher and district coach, I thought I’d seen almost everything. I was an instructional manager supporting...
26 Aug
For What?
When I am brainstorming ideas about how to support educators or youth… one of the questions that is simple, sometimes infuriating, but always...
17 Aug
Why I Quit Special Ed…and Am Proud of It.
As a special educator, I dedicated my career to advocating, supporting, and loving my students. Students who not only needed someone to believe...
The Complexity of Nurturing and Showing We Care
Effective educators profoundly understand that “nurturing” scholars means demonstrating “care.” Many teachers may misunderstand “care” as unconditional praise, downshifting expectations for scholars...
05 Aug
The Power of Positive Narration
Positive Narration is the act of focusing on what students are doing correctly and openly saying those things aloud to help motivate students...
03 Aug
It’s Not the Students…It’s Us.
It’s not the students. It’s us. The evidence from CT3's work suggests that educators formulate their cultural responsiveness through connections with the people, places and...
29 Jul
I’m a Better Teacher Now Than I’ve Ever Been…
I teach everything from kids with horrifically unfortunate home lives to those with two parents and who live in million dollar homes (in...
27 Jul
Coach’s Corner: School’s (Always) In Session
Here we are at the end of July and summer is again flying by. Since my very first year teaching, the thing I...
26 Jul
Keep it Coming: Why Constructive Criticism Matters
Recently we have seen discussions about our work emerge online and via social media. What began as singular accounting of our work from...
25 Jul
Others Mock What They Don’t Understand
I started to reflect on my journey over the past three years with CT3, Real Time Teacher Coaching® and the implementation of the...
25 Jul
Every Kid Deserves World-Class Supports…
I have been blessed to serve as a public school educator for about 15 years. I have worked in foster homes, Detention Centers and...
25 Jul
At Its Core, Teaching is About Relationships.
Why are teacher relationships so important? Education has always been a rich source for personal experiences, both good and sad. As I celebrate my...
25 Jul
The Game-Changer
Teachers need to have the consistency and precision of an elite world-class athlete to be effective. Students need structure and predictability from adults...
25 Jul
Transforming This Negative Controller
It has been in the twilight of my 30-year teaching career that I have received authentic coaching. No-Nonsense Nurturer® (NNN) are designed to...
25 Jul
Lessons from a Real Time Teacher Coach
I am a Real Time Teacher Coach for management and instruction and I am not employed by CT3. At first, the process of...
15 Jun
Q&A with CEO and Co-Founder Kristyn Klei Borrero – No-Nonsense Nurturer®
Introduction: CEO and Co-Founder of Real Time Teacher Coaching and No-Nonsense Nurturer, Kristyn Klei Borrero, answers commonly asked questions about No-Nonsense Nurturer....