Nick Ambrosino has three decades of teaching experience, and he’s well aware of the struggles that come with being an educator. In Ambrosino’s books, “Coffee with Ray” and “Lessons with Matt,” the main character, Matt, is at a point in his career where he’s frustrated with teaching.
Ambrosino says many educators find themselves at the point where they’ve “had it.” However, they often stick with it because of a love and a mission to help others.
Ambrosino’s books follow Matt as he reignites that spark for teaching and learns important strategies for communicating with students along the way.
The lessons Ambrosino writes about come from his own experiences working with students and other educators.
Ambrosino offers subtle communication strategies he calls “diamond distinctions” in “Coffee with Ray.”
For example, Ambrosino says, “When they [students] come to a lesson with me it’s never ‘did you practice?’ Because any intelligent child is going to say yes.” Instead, Ambrosino likes to ask, “What did you do this week that you felt proud of?”
Ambrosino says the little changes you make in how to communicate with students can refocus the magnifying glass. The child then realizes that learning isn’t about pleasing the teacher, it’s about if the student is proud of what they’re working on.
To hear all of Ambrosino’s conversation listen to Episode 42 of Class Dismissed.