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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 more students to violence than I ever would have imagined. After losing five students in one year, I made a vow that I would tell all of my students, especially young […]

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, they wouldn’t be doing this job day after day. When I walk through buildings and talk with teachers, I hear and sense this. However, when it comes to what care actually looks […]

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 for your students and that you learn from yourself.  While your first year is likely to include late night planning, anxiety with each classroom observation, and tons of trial and error, there […]

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 to develop, share, and protect it, the process of building this foundation is anchored heavily in the behaviors, habits, and mindsets of its leaders (Coyle, 2018). All leaders feed the culture of […]