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INTRODUCTION

The Need for No-Nonsense Nurturers

Necessity is the mother of invention.

–Plato

In my travels as an educational consultant and executive coach, I am constantly reminded of a reality that all too many educators face. While many are well prepared in curriculum, most are not prepared to handle classroom management or support the academic culture necessary for all students to succeed. Teachers spend years studying at universities to learn how to effectively prepare lessons and reach students through content. Yet all that time and expense is potentially meaningless if students don’t see your classroom as a culture of high expectations deeply embedded with a relentless belief in what is possible for them.

Because teachers aren’t typically well trained in how to develop and maintain a classroom culture that balances strong management with high expectations and relationships, I can only imagine how first-year teachers will feel in their fifth, sixth, seventh, or even twentieth year of teaching. Many teachers will still be struggling with the same issues—disruptive behavior, low engagement, and test scores that don’t represent their relentless efforts. Frustrated probably doesn’t begin to describe their state of mind. This book presents the strategies, concepts, and philosophies of high-performing teachers, each a No-Nonsense Nurturer, and the lessons, mindsets, and strategies we all should have been taught in our teacher preparation programs. Here, in the introduction, I investigate the need and reason for No-Nonsense Nurturers.

The Problem

Since the late 1980s, the education community—educators, reporters, parents, communities, and politicians—have documented the supposed failure of U.S. public schools.Especially in urban contexts, they place much of the blame directly on teachers and students’ families. I believe that this blame is misplaced, and a vital cause stakeholders often overlook or discount is the acute lack of classroom management training the majority of teachers receive (Aloe, Amo, & Shanahan, 2014; Chang, 2009; Marzano, 2003). Because teacher preparation programs have not addressed this need effectively, it is one of the major reasons our profession loses so many educators with unending potential. Therefore, effective classroom management is one of the central themes of this book.

Throughout the book, the terms classroom management and classroom culture are interchangeable because they are related, but it is important to define and think about them to support your understanding as you read. Classroom management refers to the strategies and structures teachers use to keep an orderly, high-functioning environment where students can engage in on-task behaviors that lead to rigorous learning objectives. Classroom management is in service of classroom culture. Classroom culture involves the established values, beliefs, and rituals of a classroom that enable strong relationships and high expectations among teacher and students so teaching and learning thrive. With a strong classroom culture, adults and youth are all teachers and learners who share the knowledge, roles, and responsibilities in the classroom environment.

Research validates the importance of teachers’ need for effective classroom management training. A major study from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2010) finds the key to raising students’ academic performance is a teacher’s ability to establish a positive, disruption-free classroom culture with effective classroom management that promotes student learning.

Other research validates the conclusions of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2010) study.

Eighty-five percent of new teachers are particularly unprepared or underprepared for dealing with behavior problems in their classroom (Aloe et al., 2014; Hudson, 2012; Public Agenda, 2004).

In many classrooms, teachers spend half of their class time trying to deal with disruptive behavior (Chang, 2009; Cotton & Wikelund 1990; Dicke et al., 2014; Hudson, 2012; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995). This is time they could spend on teaching and working on critical-thinking skills.

A report from the National Council on Teacher Quality on teacher training programs summarizes the reality all too many teachers face: “New teachers deserve better. It is time for teacher prep programs to focus on classroom management so that first-year teachers are prepared on day one to head off potential disruption before it starts” (Greenberg, Putman, & Walsh, 2014, p. i).

If research identifies the lack of classroom management training as a problem, why don’t teacher preparation programs tackle it in order to better prepare and equip future educators? While I have struggled to find research on this, I would hypothesize that classroom management is more difficult to address than other education domains. Why? Because to manage classrooms well, teacher educators and universities would need to evaluate and confront the middle-class cultural norms that are interwoven into the fabric of U.S. school systems (Nieto, 2002; Rist, 1970).

The structural inequities in schools and throughout the history of U.S. public education created norms about behavior and expectations that prioritize white, middle-class values. These cultural norms, which no longer represent most of the students we serve, are particularly evident in classroom management because the discipline in schools is highly cultural—subject to a person’s race, gender, and socioeconomic upbringing (Deschenes, Cuban, & Tyack, 2001). Taking on these historical inequities in public education systems would require a deep analysis of culture and race, something that may be uncomfortable, yet necessary for all educators to evaluate.

The Impact

Research indicates the issues that result from ineffective classroom management training have a profoundly negative impact on both teachers and their students.

More than 54 percent of teachers in schools feel discipline problems hinder their ability to teach their students (Aloe et al., 2014; Hudson, 2012; Public Agenda, 2004).

More than 40 percent of teachers quit or are fired from schools within five years, the major reason being their inability to deal with student behavior (Aloe et al., 2014; Chang, 2009; Public Agenda, 2004; Siwatu, 2011).

Students in urban schools have more new, untrained teachers, resulting in lower academic performance than their higher-socioeconomic peers (Emdin, 2016; Marzano, 2003; Peske & Haycock, 2006; Siwatu, 2011).

Students report a sense of alienation from school, believing that no one cares about them (Delpit, 2006; Jensen, 2009; Libbey, 2004; Mouton, Hawkins, McPherson, & Copley, 1996).

Noting this lack of classroom management training and its impact are important for two reasons. First, teacher preparation programs need to better prepare future teachers’ abilities to manage classrooms and build strong cultures. It is imperative for all teachers to receive training to effectively establish environments that serve all students from their first day. It is my hope that this book provides a start to this solution, leading teachers and schools to create classroom cultures conducive to student achievement.

Second, if you are reading this book and struggling with classroom management and culture, it is not your fault! You likely never received the proper training or feedback to support the wide variety of student needs and personalities in your classroom. However, it is your professional responsibility to improve your practice as an educator. Reading this book, working through the activities, and reflecting on your current practice support this professional obligation.

I also suggest administrators consider using this book strategically with the professional learning community (PLC) model and as professional development in an effort to align a coherent vision for classroom culture, establish a common language, and set a schoolwide approach to support staff and students. Immense growth occurs in schools when staff work collectively toward practices that embody empowered mindsets and efficacy (Hattie, 2016).

Mindsets refers to the beliefs that affect educators’ attitudes and how they view, interpret, and respond to interactions with students and their families. Teachers’ cultural beliefs influence their mindsets and impact their points of view, values, and assumptions. Mindsets influence decision making and can empower or disempower relationships with students. However, when teachers understand and reflect on their own mindsets, they can transform them to help build stronger relationships and increase student achievement (Dweck, 2007).

The reality is, the overwhelming majority of teachers, particularly those teaching in traditionally disenfranchised communities or diverse communities, unknowingly harbor disempowering mindsets about the abilities and cultural experiences of their students (Hudson, 2012; Marzano, 2010; Siwatu, 2011). While this may be unintentional, harm to students is immeasurable, as it reflects the larger deficit narrative that much of the education system harbors. Often, this deficit orientation is magnified when teachers haven’t had opportunities to reflect on how their mindsets may be impacting their actions. Mindsets impact classroom management more than any other part of education. Why? Because as we manage our classrooms and work to establish cultures for academic success, we bring in our own cultural norms that may or may not match those of our students (Aloe et al., 2014; Hammond, 2015).

Approximately 82 percent of teachers in U.S. public education are of European descent, while only 50 percent of students share a similar background (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Students in U.S. classrooms are far more diverse than their teachers, and this can be cause for miscommunications and misinterpretations when it comes to classroom expectations. Understanding the cultural and socioeconomic similarities and differences teachers share with students can significantly improve our abilities to support, build relationships with, and teach our students. The authentic relationships we build with students empower our mindsets because they teach us about what is important to students in their communities and in their homes. It is only when we build authentic, deep relationships and learn about students’ cultural experiences that we can provide highly engaging, student-focused classrooms.

Overcoming disempowering mindsets, therefore, is essential to teach all students. The good news is that research and experience highlight the most effective way to dismantle disempowering mindsets—by building relationships with students. Students can teach us about their cultures. They can teach us what we need to know about them. Relationships are going to form in your classroom, one way or another, and they need to benefit both you and your students!

Even when educators do not share the same cultural or socioeconomic background as their students, they can still be very effective. While some teachers we studied shared backgrounds with their students, the majority did not (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). In short, regardless of your culture and background, you can become a No-Nonsense Nurturer and support the needs of every student, every day. It requires a deep desire to unlearn some of your assumptions about students with humility and through self-reflection about your own learning and teaching, and passion for building meaningful relationships.

The Need for No-Nonsense Nurturers

As a young administrator, I failed to adequately support teachers in my school with classroom management. This was a harsh but true reality of my early administrative years. However, my failures were not for a lack of trying. I bought every book I could find, watched any video I could get my hands on, and sent teachers to seminars and professional development sessions that promised to help them improve classroom management. None of these books, videos, or seminars, however, seemed to answer the one question we needed answered: Why can some teachers establish a classroom culture where students are on task, engaged, and achieving at high academic levels, while their peers struggle?

This question is actually quite complex. In pursuit of an answer, I collaborated with a well-esteemed colleague, Lee Canter. Together, we studied educators across the United States. During these studies:

We observed and interviewed highly effective teachers about their practices.

We interviewed administrators to cross-reference the evidence of these teachers’ highly effective classroom practices.

We interviewed students’ families about what set apart these high-performing teachers from their peers.

Perhaps most important, we interviewed the students themselves to identify what made these educators stand apart from their other teachers.

A consistent finding across our research indicates that these educators create caring environments for students through consistency, accountability, and high expectations (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). These educators establish effective classroom cultures by creating orderly, predictable environments so all students can meet their full potential.

Theoretical Foundations for the No-Nonsense Nurturer Model

It is important to note that the No-Nonsense Nurturer model is grounded in sound education theory. While I consider myself more of a practitioner than an academic, my coursework and my continued work with youth, families, teachers, and administrators has taught me the importance of grounding educational practice in contemporary learning theory. When it comes to applying classroom management models and systems—which can be reactive and rigid—theory must guide our practice. Educators have learned this from decades of research about the most effective ways to promote meaningful learning and teaching in the classroom.

Key research regarding meaningful learning and teaching in the classroom, which was influential in the work of the No-Nonsense Nurturer model, is Sonia Nieto (2002) and her writings about the application of sociocultural theory (Vygotsky 1978). Foremost in sociocultural theory is the tenet that learning is social—it happens through relationships, and the context in which it occurs is vital. Thus, for our purposes as teachers, the classroom culture matters. In her work, Nieto (2002, 2008) applies foundations of sociocultural theory to diverse classrooms and shows that effective learning is rooted in the interrelated concepts of agency, experience, identity, context, and community.

Sociocultural theory stresses that students learn in social and culturally embedded contexts. The concept of agency dispels old myths that students are empty vessels teachers fill, and instead asserts that students learn through mutual discovery and relationships with teachers and their peers (Freire, 1970). Teaching is not the practice of transmitting knowledge but rather working alongside learners as they reflect, theorize, and create (or recreate) new knowledge (Nieto, 2002; Picower, 2012; Stefanakis, 2000; Yosso, 2005).

Experience is the second concept of Nieto’s (2002) application of sociocultural theory. In education, we tend to take for granted that experience is necessary for learning. Why? Because we may ignore that our students’ experiences can differ greatly from our own. In order to share and understand a student’s experience, a teacher must build a relationship with each student. When we learn about and better understand our students’ experiences, we can then deliver content and pedagogy that is relevant and worthy of our students’ learning time.

Closely tied to a student’s experience is a student’s identity and context. Identity is closely tied to culture. Culture is complex, and in schools, we often reduce culture to the foods people eat, the holidays they celebrate, or the customs recognized in mainstream society. While these concepts are important, it is only through the relationships we build with students that we learn about their culture, including ethnicity, history, social class, and ways of being and interacting in the world. When we better understand our students as individuals continually navigating multiple cultural contexts every day, we are better able to see them in and through our education environment systems and better position them for success.

The final concept Nieto (2002) presents is community, which is strongly rooted in Vygotsky’s (1978) notion that society and culture influence learning and if used in positive ways, schools can support student learning. Nieto (2002) notes that teachers can best express this concept by acting as a bridge for students. Through relationships, teachers can acknowledge students’ differences and then bridge these differences with the dominant culture in society.

Sociocultural theory supports the importance of relationships in our classrooms and the effort needed to grow these relationships. As educators, it is imperative that we learn about and exercise our relationships with students to provide the best environment for all students to learn, grow, and further develop who they are as individuals and as part of society. This is the true goal of all No-Nonsense Nurturers.

The No-Nonsense Nurturer

Having established the reason for the model’s initial research and the theoretical framework, let me explain the term No-Nonsense Nurturer. I respectfully refer to the highly effective teachers Lee and I studied as No-Nonsense Nurturers because of the way students reference their highly effective teachers in our interviews with them (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). Speaking with students about their teachers and why they are successful in their classroom, many use phrases like “She doesn’t play” in the same breath as “She would never let me fail.” And they say, “He wants me to stay after school until my homework is done,” while at the same time noting, “He comes to my game to cheer me on. He really cares about me.” Students essentially talk about the no-nonsense qualities of their teachers—refusing to allow their students to fail—while also noting their nurturing sides—identifying specific actions these high-performing teachers take to build life-altering relationships with them.

The No-Nonsense Nurturers Lee and I interviewed and studied all noted the importance of relationships with students as part of their success (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). To understand what a life-altering relationship really is, take a moment to think back to your high school graduation. If you are like me, while the valedictorian and superintendent spoke, you took some time to reflect on your K–12 education experiences. As I did this, certain teachers stuck out to me because they had a profound impact on who I am as a learner and shaped who I became as a person. Impacting me both as a learner and as a person made these relationships life altering. Like you, as an educator, I want my students to remember me not only for what I taught them but also for how I supported them as individuals and how I made them feel. In the end, I think we all strive to be No-Nonsense Nurturers.

No-Nonsense Nurturers are educators who understand the importance of purposefully building relationships with each student, setting high expectations for every academic challenge, and holding themselves and their students accountable for success with little room for excuses. These teachers work to create environments in which they teach discipline, develop expectations and routines, and create predictable environments to establish trust, respect, and a positive culture.

But how do they do it?

The Four-Step Model

Studying these high-performing teachers, Lee and I notice that they create effective classroom environments using strategies and the following four actions, which we eventually translated into the No-Nonsense Nurturer four-step model (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018).

1. Give precise directions so every student knows how to be successful with each activity or academic challenge.

2. Narrate positive behaviors of students who get right to work and make choices in the best interest of their learning and the learning of their peers.

3. Implement accountability systems to encourage strong choices, self-discipline, and incentives for collaboration.

4. Build relationships with students beyond academics and really get to know them as individuals.

By using all of these strategies, the teachers built life-altering relationships with their students. By establishing a consistent, predictable, fair, and positive environment with the first three strategies, these teachers were able to earn respect, build trust, and set high expectations for students. By grounding it all in relational actions that helped them get to know their students and their students get to know them, they leveraged that initial trust by taking these relationships to transformational levels.

The Foundation of the Model

While building life-altering relationships is the fourth step of the model, it is truly the cornerstone of everything a No-Nonsense Nurturer does. However, relationships take time to build. A teacher’s precise directions (step 1) support students with finding success; positive narration (step 2) creates positive momentum in the classroom; and consistent accountability systems (step 3) support a culture of high expectations and care. These first three steps create a path to build life-altering relationships (step 4) that support a student to engage and take risks in the classroom. The power of the four-step model lies in how all the steps work in concert to enhance relationships between teachers and students (and among students) in unique, deep, and lasting ways. It’s through these relationships that transformational teaching has the platform to thrive. Precise directions, positive narration, and accountability systems are supports and necessary stepping stones to reaching the fourth step of building life-altering relationships, but none of the four steps can work without the support of the other three.

The types of relationships No-Nonsense Nurturers have with their students are life altering. Life-altering relationships for both students and teachers provide opportunities to transform one another for the better. They define how we communicate and relate with one another in school and ultimately in society. No-Nonsense Nurturers realize that everyone benefits from the relationships they build with students. Through these kinds of relationships, students gain access to rigorous academic content and find trusted adults in their teachers. Teachers who have built such relationships approach their students with an asset-based mindset, thinking about what they can do to help them grow, succeed, and learn. These teachers understand that building relationships is difficult, with ups and downs. Through self-reflection, they learn to adjust their own perceptions as they grow to better understand their students and their cultures.

The students you serve every day—whether from urban, rural, or suburban areas—are masters of their culture, and they are constantly exploring relationships. Students’ cultural mastery supports their learning every day. It is up to you to learn from them and use their cultural experiences as assets in your classroom. The best way to do this is through your relationships with them. Through consistent, caring, and interactive discourse, relationships between teachers and students become life altering.

You also must consider the power and importance of building relationships with students’ families. No-Nonsense Nurturers recognize the connection each student has to his or her family—culture, experiences, and care. Part of building a strong relationship with students includes building trust and respect with their caregivers. By communicating your expectations to families and making your approach to student learning and classroom culture transparent, you will likely enlist family members as teammates on this journey—ones who want what is best for their children and who will, when they understand your model, aid you in supporting your students.

This book presents the beliefs, attitudes, and techniques No-Nonsense Nurturers utilize to achieve their unique levels of success. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that our research and experience indicates that motivated teachers can learn and master these strategies, beliefs, and attitudes (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). You can do this! While it does take a commitment and a growth mindset, this book will support you in making a difference in the lives of every student, every day.

How to Use This Book

If you are reading this book, you will likely do so through one of three lenses—(1) new or struggling teachers, (2) midcareer teachers, or (3) mentor teachers and administrators. However, I hope this book has something to offer all educators, no matter where you are in your career.

New or Struggling Teachers

If you are a new or struggling teacher, it is important for you to know you are not alone—we have all been there! All teachers have felt ill-prepared to teach students, struggled to establish a culture of learning, or felt like no matter what they do, students just won’t listen or interact with the material. Teaching is the most important and sometimes the most stressful job if you don’t have the proper strategies, trainings, and mindsets. I encourage you to read this book with intention and planning. No-Nonsense Nurturer strategies allow you to bring your personality into the classroom and how you choose to implement each strategy through the relationships you build with students. There is no reason you should have to figure it out on your own. This is the playbook of how highly successful educators set the tone for success in their high-performing classrooms.

Midcareer Teachers

Midcareer teachers will likely view this book as a reboot or boost to their current teaching practice. If you are a midcareer teacher who is finding success in your classroom, consider these strategies as affirmation of your practice. Other strategies might be new to you. Take them on! They will support you on your journey as a No-Nonsense Nurturer.

Mentor Teachers and Administrators

As a mentor teacher or administrator, you have an important responsibility to support and coach teachers in your school. Being a successful classroom teacher is an accomplishment; however, finding the language to explain success and coach it effectively is a completely different skill set.

As you read this book, you will find that you already implement some (if not most) of these strategies in your classroom or observe high-performing teachers implementing them in theirs. This book will help you identify and build the language of successful teaching practices you can use to support and coach your teachers to become No-Nonsense Nurturers.

About This Book

This book is divided into two parts. Part 1 investigates the relationship-building paradigms of ineffective and effective educators. This helps set the stage for part 2, which explores the strategies and philosophies of high-performing educators—No-Nonsense Nurturers.

In part 1, chapters 1 and 2 review the relationship-building paradigms many teachers have with their students and how these relationships distract or support classroom management and culture. In part 2, chapters 3 through 6 present the strategies of No-Nonsense Nurturers and the importance relationships play in creating a culture of excellence in highly effective classrooms.

In addition, the end of each chapter provides reproducible reflection activities to support your learning. The reflection activities offer you the opportunity to reflect on your current and future practices and philosophies as No-Nonsense Nurturers. You may complete these reflection activities individually or in collaborative teams. Videos in chapters 3 through 6 offer real-life examples of how teachers use the No-Nonsense Nurturer four-step model in their classrooms.

An Important Note to Readers

I am an urban educator, and I completed the initial research for this book in historically marginalized and traditionally disenfranchised communities (Klei Borrero & Canter, 2018). The original No-Nonsense Nurturers I studied are also urban educators dedicated to combatting the deficit-based narratives about working-class communities of color and their academic achievement in the United States. However, after years of implementing this work in traditionally disenfranchised communities, it is clear that the work of No-Nonsense Nurturers is effective and beneficial for all students and teachers. An equitable education system gives all students opportunities to build meaningful relationships with their teachers. It is my hope that this work will support teachers and students in all communities, beyond the urban and rural settings we originally studied. Thank you for trusting me on your journey to become the educator you are meant to be.

Reflection Activities

The reflection activities on pages 13–16 are designed to help you reflect on your current professional practice and support your journey to becoming a No-Nonsense Nurturer. You may choose to complete them individually or in teams.

Preassess Your Relationship With Students

The following questions will help you preassess your current relationship-building paradigms. Read each sentence stem, silently reflect for ten to fifteen seconds, and finish it as honestly as you can. Consider coming back to these sentence stems at the end of chapter 2 after reviewing the relationship-building paradigms—unintended enablers, negative controllers, and No-Nonsense Nurturers.

Track Your Progress Toward Becoming a No-Nonsense Nurturer

One of the ways you’ll track your progress to becoming a No-Nonsense Nurturer is to periodically answer the questions and plot your answers on the following continuums. You will return to these continuums after reading chapters 2 and 6.

Place an X on each continuum in the following chart to show where you are today. Use a different-color pen each time you come back to this activity and record the date. Note the evidence (for example, classroom actions, how you think about your relationships with students, and so on) for why you answered the questions the way you did. If you struggle to provide evidence, it is likely you are weaker in this area. Decide on a way to track your progress to ensure your move along the continuum.

Next, place a star at the spot on each continuum to represent where you would like to be by the end of this book—a reasonable and achievable goal.

Establish Learning Goals

Based on the concepts presented so far, identify two or three learning goals for this book and write them in the chart below.