In Part I of this series, I spoke to the importance of examining the unconscious strategies we use to navigate our roles and lives. I shared the shadow side of my seemingly benevolent strategy of “getting kids to like me” to prevent challenging behavior. And I asked you to reflect on the ways some of your own unconscious strategies might impact students and colleagues. In Part 2, I explore more ways self-awareness can increase your positive impact and reduce unconscious harm.

As a young teacher back in 1990, my unconscious strategy for classroom management was to be really nice to students so they would feel motivated to do what I asked and be nice to me back. It worked. It turns out that being nice to students — treating them with dignity, as human beings with needs, hurts, and struggles of their own — creates the respect, safety, voice, and sense of belonging needed for authentic engagement and real learning. This strategy had a lot of positive

From the very beginning, our work with Berkshire has been guided by curiosity and collaboration. What started as a grant-funded partnership has evolved into something much deeper: a shared commitment to helping students and adults thrive together. Over the years, funding has come and gone, but creativity and commitment have carried us through. Each year, we’ve built on what came before—layer by layer, relationship by relationship.

Every profession has a moment like this — when past training is no longer adequate to the challenges of the job. This is that moment for educators everywhere. Disruptive and dangerous behaviors in classrooms have significantly increased since the pandemic due to a wide range of factors.  We developed TIRSI to level up today’s educators by providing practical, evidence-based strategies they can use to strengthen the capacity, skill, and motivation needed to teach, learn, and l

Starling Collaborative had the privilege of working with Twin Valley Middle High School (TVMHS) last year. TVMHS is a small, rural school in Vermont, who wanted to build on the equity and anti-bullying work they started the prior year.

As teen anxiety soared, teachers and leaders fled the profession, suspensions and expulsions increased, and external pressures to “increase scores” pressed in, the idea of the Holistic Restorative Education Symposium was born.

We talked at our Starling Collaborative team meeting today about the changes occurring in our country that are starting to impact our work and our field. I came away from the conversation with deep gratitude for the team I work with and that we are in this work together. I also came out of our conversation with several insights.

The reason I became a consultant was because I began to see the "small" work I did in my classroom ripple out and impact the large. Other teachers asked if I would teach them. Those teachers experienced big changes. Students asked for circles. On and on it went until I chose to become a consultant full time.