Professional Learning in USA & Canada
James partners with pre-K-12 schools and districts to improve student learning. He runs demonstration lessons, leads institute days, provides coaching, collaborates with leaders to gather impact data and provides online learning. James Nottingham is also a sought-after keynote speaker, heading national and international conferences.
In early 2024, James’s newest book TEACH Brilliantly will be released by Solution Tree and James will be available to provide accompanying professional development to help schools improve they learning culture through research based teaching practices.
James helps educators to use the Learning Pit to strenghten outcomes for their students. This includes improving how feedback is received and used; improving attitudes and responses to challenge; building strategies for overcoming setbacks; and boosting collective and self-efficacy.
He helps the adults feel comfortable working through ‘The Pit’ so that they can better understand how to support their students in their learning journey.
James can help your team:
- Build collective efficacy
- Identify strategies to achieve your SIP Goals
- Highlight student progress
- Engage learners
- Increase student dialogue
Are you ready to take the next step in your school improvement journey?
James recognizes that leaders and teachers may be on a journey through your own 'Professional Development Learning Pit'. If any of the statements below ring true for you, we encourage you to see how he can support you!
Our teachers are overwhelmed - we cannot add one more thing to their plate
Our founder and CEO, James Nottingham is the creator of the Learning Pit. We also work closely with professors Carol Dweck (Mindset) and John Hattie (Visible Learning). All of this – and more – ensures we bring a rare blend of academic rigor and practical expertise that sets us apart from the rest.
James uses his expertise and knowledge of learning research to examine which practices are working well for your team and which practices can be eliminated or enhanced. He does not bring a ‘program’ or introduce new practices. Rather, he takes what you are already doing well and coach you in the ways to maximize the benefits and to measure and monitor impact. In short- he helps you to focus on the learning environment so that you can achieve your vision for learning.
We must put our resources into improving the mental health of our students and teachers
The Learning Pit framework helps to build a sense of empowerment about learning that will help to build confidence, reduce anxiety, and improve communication. While these benefits will not erase all of the mental health challenges, they will help to provide an environment where learning and social emotional growth can occur at the same time.
We have had a lot of turnover in leadership, which slows our professional development
Much of the work James does with schools is to help them clarify their vision and ensure that everything is aligned to the vision. He helps to build capacity for the leadership TEAM to help with sustainability over time.
He offers coaching for leaders and stays with you for the long term, with the goal of embedding the skills and attitudes that he helps you to build. He happily makes himself redundant by building the capacity of all members of your team to not only build, but also sustain an effective learning culture.
Our budgets are very tight
Often budgets say much more about priorities than visions do- ‘Don’t show me your vision, show me how you are spending your money.’ James can help you to find ways to make your vision match your spending.
Because he does not have a set ‘program’, he can be very flexible in his delivery. He has a wide variety of options for in person and virtual delivery. He also has options for delivery on pupil attendance days, reducing the need for substitute teachers. If you provide him with a budget, he will find a way to build a plan to work with you.
We are focused on building curriculum maps and addressing our learning standards
In his work around the world, James hears this over and over. He helps you to build a culture where the focus is on teaching learners HOW to learn. This is not to say that the content is not important, but rather that the content is the vehicle that can be used to help build the skills and attitudes necessary to become a learner.
Reach out to discuss how we can help you.
Please feel free to email us, or fill out the form below
JAMES NOTTINGHAM
Consultant, Author, Keynote Speaker
This site represents two tradenames:
THE LEARNING PIT®
This trademark is held by James Nottingham (reg. No. 6.381.157) Uses of the Learning Pit for educational and not-for-profit purposes are usually permitted when seeking permission via this site.
CHALLENGING LEARNING
This is the name of the group of companies founded by James Nottingham (full details shown on the Contact Us page). It is also the name of his first book.