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 series. You can see Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.) The new question-of-the-week is: What are the best ways to respond to educators who say they “don’t see race” when […]
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 Pair Share is a strategy that many teachers have heard of, but may not be implemented as rigorously as possible. When executed effectively, we frequently hear comments from teachers like this: “I […]
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 and leaders perform at the highest level for your students. However, you ALSO need social-emotional support for your students, AND technology AND a new copier… The list continues to grow, but […]
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 effort to sit down with the family in their home sends powerful messages: I care enough about your child that I will do whatever it takes to support his or her success. […]
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 building? Below are questions to help you reflect. 1. Think about the first-person people see when they enter one of your schools. Does this person accurately represent the tone and mood of […]
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 been consistently surprised by how many students have their phones out in middle and high school classrooms, and how difficult it is for teachers to get students to put them away. For […]
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, it means you are actively pursuing and working towards getting 100% of your students engaged, 100% of the time. That takes a relentless pursuit of continuous growth that will include making […]
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, but how do you get teachers and school staff on board? In education, coaching is often viewed as a necessary evil, aimed at new or struggling teachers. It shouldn’t be! You owe […]
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 them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be.” — Rita Pierson While teenagers sometimes act as if they know everything and don’t need anyone, […]
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 step further as we ask teachers and school leaders to think about building life-altering relationships. Think back for a moment to the teacher you had that truly made a difference in your […]
