Meet Your Trainer

My philosophy about teaching is simple. I agree with Madeline Hunter when she said, “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” Many think she was being too “warm and fuzzy” but what she meant was you are not going to reach some kids academically until you first reach them on the “human to human” level. To children, sometimes what happens outside the classroom competes for their attention and wins, compared to the subject matter we are trying to teach. The main ingredient missing in a lot of our classrooms today is a “connection with kids.” I believe that research is clear, when students know you value them as a human being, not just another student; they will work harder for you and challenge you less.

I believe teachers need to be given research based, proven, practical strategies and applications that teachers can start implementing immediately – without throwing anything out that is working in their classroom. With all the various roles teachers in todays classrooms play – nurse, school psychologist, counselor, advisor, and more – it is important teachers have practical tools they can utilize to make their classrooms a place of mutual respect, caring and learning.

I understand that students come into our classrooms and schools with different backgrounds and cultures and their cognitive abilities, assets and experiences are just as wide ranging.  One size does NOT fit all. All of the characteristics that make each student uniquely, also creates a unique classroom dynamic.  Teachers need to be able to adjust and adapt to this in order to create a successful learning environment that values the unique dynamic students bring to class daily.

One of the biggest unchallenged assumption by many today (especially those who have never been in a classroom) about education is that kids are coming to school willing and ready to learn. As educators, we know this is not the case. We have a generation of kids coming to our schools lacking basic socialization skills, and the post pandemic era has only exacerbated this issue. Many students are learning behavior from TV shows, video games, social media and a myriad of other influences. Many students come to class having never been taught what classroom behavior should look like, or have experiences from their past that influence their behavior. 

I know there’s not much we can do when students are not on our campuses and in our classrooms but there is a lot we can do from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM. I am dedicated to helping educators be successful through motivation, inspiration, humor and a common-sense approach to stress management. I have been there. I have lived it.  My goal is to leave educators with as many proven, practical strategies as possible. I had my own mentors who guided me through life as a teacher, providing me with first hand knowledge and experience and “tips and trick”. My goal is now to return the favor and pay it forward to the next generation of teachers so that we continue to have empowered educators who feel ready to tackle the challenges of today.