Setting the Stage for Inspired Learning

Principal and teacher greet students before walking into their classroom with an option board for choosing what kind of greeting they would like. They can choose from high fives, waves, or fist bumps.

Unveiling the Influence of Classroom Settings on Student Experience and Outcomes Imagine a workplace where vibrant colors and eye-catching displays replace mundane walls. Everything is well-organized, stocked, and accessible. It’s clean and well-lit, with natural light and lively green plants enhancing the atmosphere. Thoughtfully arranged seating fosters a sense of community. Multiple working and learning […]

30 Seconds to Success: Boost Classroom Engagement with Positive Narration

Teacher positive narration

30 Seconds to Success: Boost Classroom Engagement Want to create a sense of belonging in your classroom for every student, every day? Want a strategy that won’t require any more of your already limited time? Positive narration, simply noticing aloud the positive actions and behaviors of your students, ensures students are seen and acknowledged.    […]

Enhancing Student Engagement Through Individual Check-Ins: A Pathway to Student Ownership

Enhancing Student Engagement Through Individual Check-Ins: A Pathway to Student Ownership

When was the last time you met one-on-one with your students to discuss their academic progress? Could your students effectively articulate their strengths and areas for growth if questioned? If your responses lean towards infrequent or never, you might be overlooking a potent strategy for fostering student ownership of their learning journey. The National Institute […]

Leadership Confessions

Teacher teaching

Sometimes, the pressure for school leaders to know all the answers is overwhelming. Most of us have been taught that to be a good leader we have to lead from the front, never alongside and never behind those we serve. As a teacher, I would often tell my students, “I don’t know the answer to […]

Evolution: “Management or Die” is a Thing of the Past

Classroom Management For What? Compliance is NOT the goal When it started, CT3 Education (then, the Center for Transformative Teacher Training) partnered with districts, schools, and organizations across the nation, with a focus on improving classroom management. All of our work was rooted in the No-Nonsense Nurturer® Four Step Model, an approach to engaging students […]

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 in a time of uncertainty and challenge. The cornerstone of being a No-Nonsense Nurturer is building meaningful relationships – with students, their families, and our colleagues. During this time of COVID-19, most […]

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 doubt seen the multiple GIFs and Instagram posts calling for the rapid end to 2020, presumably so we can “get past” this difficult year. The truth is, the end of 2020 […]

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 talking.  First, some background on this group as context for why I wanted to be in this particular session. CT3 is an active anti-racism organization focused on transforming education, the team walks […]

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 Black History Month assignments where students have to select an inspiring Black person from “the list” and do “the report,” the best of which get read at “the program.” The endless name-checking […]