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CHAPTER 2

Effective Classroom Management: No-Nonsense Nurturers

Now that you have investigated the relationship-building paradigms of unintended enablers and negative controllers, let’s take a closer look at how No-Nonsense Nurturers build relationships with their students. The stark difference between ineffective relationship-building paradigms and those of No-Nonsense Nurturers is the relationships these highly effective teachers build with students, the positive tone they set in their classroom, and the high expectations they believe each student can achieve. These elements encompass the words, actions, and strategies they employ in their classrooms—with every student, every day.

I was blessed in my first year of teaching. I started my career in Princeton City Schools in Southwest Ohio, and like many districts, the human resources department assigned me a mentor, Patricia Hooks Gray. Ms. Gray was a No-Nonsense Nurturer. Of course at the time, the term didn’t exist, but she was an amazing educator and support for me to better my practice. Ms. Gray modeled for and coached me on how to best support my students. She noticed my assets as well as the areas that I needed to improve as a teacher. She consistently used my assets to support my opportunities for growth. For example, I was great at building relationships with my students, but I would sometimes get lazy with lesson planning and begin “shooting from the hip.”

Ms. Gray pointed out to me that my relationship with students was the reason they wanted to learn from me and with me; however, she also helped me self-assess the days I was well-planned verses those where I was shooting from the hip. Through simple assessments, she quickly helped me realize that my students weren’t getting as much from the lessons on the days I was not well planned. She also held me accountable to the fact that because my relationships with students were so strong, I owed them my best every day. Otherwise, I would be taking advantage of the respect I had earned and my positional power as a teacher.

Ms. Gray was a No-Nonsense Nurturer to me. She was my mentor, and I was her student. But she also modeled how to be a great teacher. When I would observe her teaching, students moved through her classroom procedures flawlessly and engaged in deep conversations. She rarely taught students, rather she facilitated their discussions with well-planned questions and curriculum that was relevant to them. She challenged them both academically and in how they saw themselves contributing to their communities and the larger society.

Ms. Gray held high expectations for her students, listening to their excuses but always turning their excuses into opportunities for learning. If a student got a grade on a test or paper that was not satisfactory to her, she gave him or her another chance to retake the test or provided additional support or tutoring so the student could raise his or her grade. Because her students thought so highly of her and spoke about her at home, I would often walk into her classroom to find family members seeking advice about their children. Ms. Gray had a way of giving families advice without ever judging their actions. I learned more from her in my first year of teaching than I did in my entire four years of college as an undergrad.

Through research, I have learned that most No-Nonsense Nurturers weren’t born with these motivations, attributes, and mindsets; they listened to their students, observed great teachers, and had mentors who supported their development and mindsets (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). Becoming a No-Nonsense Nurturer isn’t a destination—it is a journey. With each incoming class of students, new learning takes place because these teachers are relentless in their pursuit of 100 percent student engagement, 100 percent of the time.

Before analyzing the successful strategies of No-Nonsense Nurturers, it is important to review the attributes, motivations, impacts, and mindsets of these highly effective teachers. You will likely already be implementing many of these practices, but be sure to read critically for how you might tweak or even change your practice to better serve students and increase your success in the classroom.

No-Nonsense Nurturer Attributes

What does it take to be a No-Nonsense Nurturer? Following are some of the attributes and characteristics of No-Nonsense Nurturers and the effect they can have on student relationships and learning.

No-Nonsense Nurturers understand that their relationships with students and high expectations drive strong student achievement. These teachers don’t accept failure. They meet all students where they are and push them to achieve more than they may realize they are capable of. These teachers incorporate formative assessment and data-driven instructional practices to adjust their lessons for students who might need extra support or enrichment (Fisher & Frey, 2013). They use the relationships and structures they build with students to support student learning, social-emotional development, and confidence by providing a caring, supportive environment where all learners are valued.

No-Nonsense Nurturers not only hold their students to a high standard but also themselves. They use every minute they have with their students, are well prepared for lessons, and organize their time so they can balance a personal life as well as meet students’ needs.

No-Nonsense Nurturers never give up on their students. They are relentless in the pursuit of finding what works for every student and assume the best in him or her. They believe each student can exceed expectations and portray this in their words and actions when working with students (Bondy, Ross, Hambacher, & Acosta, 2013; Ladson-Billings, 1994). No-Nonsense Nurturers realize every student is a puzzle, some easier to figure out than others, but when they do, the rewards are beyond any standardized testing measure.

No-Nonsense Nurturers hold students accountable for completing their academic assignments, expect all students to engage in learning, and help students recognize challenges as chances to grow and learn. No-Nonsense Nurturers motivate students to remain engaged in assignments and work to the best of their abilities. If students do not meet the teachers’ high expectations, these teachers take the actions needed to support their students so they do not miss learning opportunities (Adkins-Coleman, 2010; Wilson & Corbett, 2001).

No-Nonsense Nurturers use a positive, strong voice and tone (as needed and appropriate) when dealing with student behavior and setting expectations for learning to communicate urgency and importance in the classroom (Lemov, 2015).

No-Nonsense Nurturers have an expanded view and, in many ways, redefine their role as educators. Highly effective teachers do more than merely provide academic content in their classrooms. They also provide the extra support needed to help students succeed in class and in life (Kopp, 2011). Having an expanded view of their role helps No-Nonsense Nurturers develop life-altering relationships with students because they know that for many students, a positive relationship with the teacher is a precondition for meaningful school experiences (Brown, 2004; Jensen, 2009; Milner, 2006; Valenzuela, 1999).

No-Nonsense Nurturers see themselves as important and caring adults in the lives of their students. No-Nonsense Nurturers’ students often refer to their teachers as second parents, and these teachers take that role seriously, caring for students’ emotional health and well-being (Weinstein & Mignano, 2003). Students often note that their teacher is someone they can count on and has their back. Even when teachers seem strict or firm in the classroom, students interpret this coming from deep caring. Students understand that accountability and high expectations support them in their future success. They understand their teachers want what is best for them, just as a family member would.

Having a No-Nonsense Nurturer view of teaching requires demonstrating a different kind of caring. Instead of simply being nice to their students by making positive comments to them and interacting with them during the instructional day (Nieto, 2008; Shevalier & McKenzie, 2012; Weinstein, 1998), No-Nonsense Nurturers recognize that demonstrating care to students requires truth, authenticity, and respect.

No-Nonsense Nurturer Motivations

No-Nonsense Nurturers are highly motivated to build relationships with students, realizing the benefits these relationships have on student learning and achievement and on their own professional development and job satisfaction. Following are several of the motivations driving No-Nonsense Nurturers in the classroom.

For No-Nonsense Nurturers, building life-altering relationships with students is fundamental to establishing a classroom culture where motivated students achieve at high levels. Teachers must enter classrooms with a foundational belief in their students’ capabilities and a desire to build authentic relationships that honor students’ life experiences (Borrero, 2011; Camangian, 2010; Hammond, 2015). This is an important motivation for No-Nonsense Nurturers. These teachers build life-altering relationships with students that also bring satisfaction in their own careers and make them feel they are making a difference in the lives of future generations.

No-Nonsense Nurturers have a burning desire to positively influence students’ lives. This desire often arises from an intense sense of social justice and activism, as well as a belief that education is a civil rights issue (Losen & Skiba, 2010; McAllister & Irvine, 2002; Milner, 2006).

Many No-Nonsense Nurturers talk about their work as a matter of life or death for students who are overcoming challenges associated with poverty, violence, and limited opportunities (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018; National Research Council, 2004). No-Nonsense Nurturers do not operate from a savior mentality; rather, they operate from a desire to learn with and from their students. They understand that education provides students with choices for the future. To that end, No-Nonsense Nurturers approach every day of learning with their students as precious and are mindful not to miss learning or relationship-building opportunities.

Many important benefits arise from how No-Nonsense Nurturers interact with their students, including the following.

No-Nonsense Nurturers build life-altering relationships with students, which enable them to academically challenge students beyond what negative, controlling, or enabling teachers can.

No-Nonsense Nurturers establish mutually respectful, academically achieving, equitable classroom cultures that empower students to take risks and learn at high levels (Delpit, 2012; Ross, Bondy, Gallingane, & Hambacher, 2008).

No-Nonsense Nurturers consistently support students to put forth their best efforts, resulting in high academic achievement and confidence (for teachers and students).

No-Nonsense Nurturers have positive, life-altering experiences that result from the relationships they develop with students. Many of these teachers report being better people because of these relationships (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). Their students teach these teachers about situations and factors they would not normally consider. Their students help them build a better lens and sense of reality of what is happening in the communities where they teach. No-Nonsense Nurturers recognize any bias they may bring to their teaching and reflect on it to ensure it doesn’t impact their ability to effectively reach all students.

No-Nonsense Nurturers enjoy their work as educators and have long, fruitful careers, impacting thousands of students’ lives because of the empowered mindsets they have about their students and their own abilities as educators. These teachers report loving their jobs despite the constant demands of standardized testing and the politics among the adults in many schools.

Empowering Mindsets of No-Nonsense Nurturers

The empowering mindsets of No-Nonsense Nurturers center on holding high expectations for 100 percent of their students, 100 percent of the time, and developing positive, life-altering relationships with students and their families. Consider the following.

“I Get Into My Students’ Hearing”

When managing the success of twenty-five or more students in a classroom, clear, concise, and often direct communication is important so you can get into your students’ hearing and they follow your directions. What does get into your students’ hearing mean? As teachers, we may use language conventions that are confusing to students or miscommunicate our expectations. For example, a teacher might ask, “Students, can you please put away your materials?” when he or she really means, “Students, it is time to put away your materials.” The difference in your tone and intonation can determine whether students perceive your words as a question—giving them a choice in the situation—or understand that you are stating an expectation. Getting into your students’ hearing means you recognize that there is a difference in your communication style and the communication style your students are used to. Some teachers struggle with getting into their students’ hearing because they are afraid that by being direct, they sound mean. However, for many students, using clear, concise, and direct language when setting expectations shows students a confident teacher with expectations everyone must follow and high confidence in each student’s ability to be successful.

If teachers are unsuccessful in communicating expectations with students, there is a risk of students misinterpreting what the teachers want. This can result in teachers feeling certain students are noncompliant and, as a result, they may become frustrated. All this could be happening while students think they are following directions, which can lead to consequences for both teachers and students.

Following are two scenarios that illustrate this point.

Scenario One

Unintended enabler: “Students, I think we’ve spent enough time reading. Let’s put away your reading books. Take out your journals and get started on your writing lesson for the day.”

What students might hear: “The teacher thinks we’ve spent enough time on our reading, and when we are ready, she would like us to take out our journals.”

So, some students feel they can choose what to do. Some students continue reading, while others begin writing, to the consternation of the teacher.

Scenario Two

No-Nonsense Nurturer: “Students, we have spent twenty minutes reading. Silently put away your reading books and take out your journals. We will begin our writing lesson in thirty seconds.”

What students hear: “The teacher expects me to put my reading book away and take out my journal now.”

A firm, clear tone sends a message students understand clearly and, as a result, they are more likely to follow the directions in a timely manner.