What do teachers say and do to make a lasting impact? How do teachers stay engaged so they can keep making an impact? These are the questions that keep me wondering (especially around 2 in the morning). As a professor and researcher, I wrestle with big questions, and I love to share what I learn with educators. I’m a qualitative researcher, which means I spend countless hours with teachers in schools trying to understand their work and identifying strategies to help them stay longer, grow stronger, and keep making an impact.

I’m a third generation educator (and mom of a fourth generation educator) who spent decades as a teacher and principal in k12 schools before becoming a professor in educational leadership. I believe that teaching is the lever for creating a better world. But teaching is complicated, messy, and incredibly challenging. I can’t make teaching easier, but I can equip teachers with the tools and strategies that help them navigate the challenges.

I share my research-based tools and strategies in my books, talks, and professional learning programs. I’m the author of Safe, Seen, and Stretched in the Classroom and Pause, Ponder, and Persist in the Classroom. I founded the Chalk and Chances project, a vehicle for celebrating and elevating teachers, in 2017. And my TEDx Talk, The Teachers We Remember, has been viewed by educators all around the world. One of my favorite roles is co-host of the Lessons That Last podcast with my teacher bestie, Laura Estes-Swilley. I hope my research and my work honors the teachers who shaped me.

I’ve worked with thousands of educators, and I’d love to work with you. Just click that little button below to connect with me.