Nurturing the Future

At Forman, professional development is essential to ensure student success in and out of the classroom. To educate and empower students who learn differently, colleagues must remain knowledgeable about their specific subject matter and skilled in applying the latest research-informed teaching techniques. This is why professional development is identified as a strategic priority.

Through collaborative sessions, partnerships with educational leaders, webinars, and more, Forman ensures teachers have the training and expertise to deliver cutting-edge interventions and support the development of discipline-based knowledge and skills for students.

Mind, Brain, and Education Science at Forman

One highlight from the 2024-2025 school year was training with Glenn Whitman, Executive Director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL). Glenn, co-author of Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education, led colleagues through workshops exploring research-informed strategies that help students learn best.

His sessions introduced the Placemat tool, a user-friendly framework for applying Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Science in everyday teaching. MBE is a transdisciplinary field that draws on research from Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Education to improve teaching and learning. Colleagues also collaborated to create a Word Wall—a set of intentional terms that extend beyond Forman’s core values of Truth, Respect, and Kindness. These words, organized into categories of growth and development, collaboration and connection, and learning and exploration, guide teaching and student learning. From self-determination and neuroplasticity to belonging and awe to wonder and reflection, the Word Wall reflects a shared commitment.

“Glenn’s expertise in the science of teaching and learning aligned with our commitment to focus professional development on executive functions and the need to build self-determination in our students, both in the classroom and all areas of student life,” says Head of School Amy Clemons. “His best practices were parallel to the direction of our Cognition and Learning programming and reinforced our commitment to being better in June than we were in August.”

Kristin Simmers, Director of Cognition and Learning, joined Forman in July and brings prior experience as a faculty member at CTTL. She views the MBE research as a natural fit for Foman.

“Forman supports students holistically throughout their whole day, 24/7,” Kristin says. “Understanding the interconnectedness of how all these elements can improve how a student shows up in your classroom and what supports might be best for them is incredibly valuable. A big part of MBE is helping teachers understand how the brain learns best, so that they can empower their students with a better understanding of how they learn.” 

“The professional development provided by Glenn Whitman gave me an easy-to-follow framework to improve my course planning and day-to-day lesson plans,” notes Brittany Bloom-Price, Cognition and Learning Teacher. “Glenn provided us with easy and practical strategies to implement in our classrooms, helping our students become the best versions of themselves.”

Executive Function Coaching

Another major initiative was executive function coaching training with Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, Founder and CEO of JST Coaching & Training and a world-renowned expert in ADHD/executive function coaching. Jodi led training over 24 hours with ten colleagues across multiple departments, including Cognition and Learning, English, and Student Life. 

This training encouraged colleagues to have a coaching mindset when working with students in various settings beyond the classroom, shifting from providing answers to asking questions that enable students to develop their own solutions.

“Instead of giving students solutions, I now focus on guiding them to uncover their own strategies,” says Nicole Ostaszewski, Director of Student Life. “When I’ve helped students design accountability structures, the impact has been noticeable. Not only do they feel more empowered, they follow through more consistently because the plan comes from them rather than being imposed.”

“Whether in the classroom, dorm, or on the playing field, integrating coaching skills has allowed me to engage with students in a way that builds confidence, promotes independence, and unlocks potential that other approaches simply do not,” adds Jenai Fitzpatrick, Chief Cognition and Learning Officer.

Jane Benson, an Executive Function Coach who retired last year, helped bring Jodi to Forman and highlights how transformative the shift can be. 

“It’s so different from what you’re taught as educators,” Jane says. “You move from being the person who is supposed to have all the answers to asking really powerful questions and together designing how to move forward from managing assignments to how to tackle a messy room.” 

Forman’s long-term vision is for every colleague to be trained and equipped with executive function coaching strategies, ensuring consistency in all aspects of a student’s life at the school. In the 2025-2026 school year alone, 19 more colleagues are set to undergo Jodi’s training. 

“If you get those skills in the water here, that is a game changer,” Jane adds. Jon Davis, Director of Studies, sees benefits extending across campus life. 

“Having common language to use when posing questions to students, being consistent in how we hold them accountable, and using these practices, whether in or outside the classroom, is immensely beneficial,” he says.

Culture of Continuous Learning

Beyond workshops with Glenn Whitman and Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, Forman supports colleagues in attending conferences, webinars, and online courses through sites like Coursera. Teachers also participate in reflective practices, such as setting classroom goals and creating door signs that highlight the research-informed practices they are committed to. 

“To be our best selves, we need to be lifelong learners,” says Allie Maxwell, Associate Head of School. “What worked for students five years ago may not work five years from now. It’s all about building, understanding, and utilizing our strengths, and then putting that into practice.” 

“We want teachers to stay current with best practices for educating students who learn differently,” Jon adds. “We also want to support teachers in subject-specific professional development, which could look like a Math teacher learning new strategies to help make abstract concepts more accessible, or an Arts teacher learning new skills that could further expand our diverse offerings in the Arts.” 

Kristin emphasizes the importance of professional development as a continuous process. “For professional development to work, it has to be sustained and iterative,” she says. “Ideally, you continue to support teachers in utilizing all the things you presented in the previous year.”

Looking Ahead

Professional development at Forman is designed to help colleagues be the best educators for students who learn differently. As we look to the future, Forman plans to expand executive function coaching training, train internal facilitators, and continue weaving MBE research into teaching and learning. Additionally, the school seeks to add a Structured Literacy Coach to further support literacy instruction and share expertise with external educators.

“The priority is to continue to support colleagues internally,” Kristin says. “The next goal is to extend Forman’s reach externally so that others can see the exceptional work happening here, not just to raise the profile of Forman, but also to become a resource for the community, independent schools, and anyone working with neurodiverse learners. This means all the great effort and resources we’re putting into our students doesn’t just stop on this campus; it can benefit beyond.” 

By investing in our teachers, we ensure every Forman student has access to educators who are prepared, passionate, and ready to help them thrive.

This article was originally published in Forman School's Fall 2025 Forman Letter magazine.