About TeachingWorks

Since 2012, TeachingWorks has worked with teachers and teacher educators to develop the practice of teaching. We focus on using the power of teaching to advance equity and social justice.

See Our Mission & Values

Our Approach

At TeachingWorks, we believe that it’s not enough for teachers and teacher educators to be aware of the patterns of injustice that are often enacted inside of classrooms. Instead, teachers must be prepared to disrupt these patterns and create classrooms for justice as they use high-leverage teaching practices to engage students in learning academic content.

We use an approach that intertwines three dimensions to achieve this mission.

Learn About Our Approach

“Teaching is revolutionary act.”

——Marcelle Haddix, Distinguished Dean’s Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice, Syracuse University; 2018 TeachingWorks Streaming Seminar Series Presenter

Meet Our Growing Team

Experienced. Energetic. Exceptional. Our team is relentless in helping educators do more with new skills and perspectives.

Nicole Garcia

Associate Director

Nicole Garcia focuses on the design and implementation of practice-based approaches to the professional training of K-12 teachers. At TeachingWorks, she leads work focused on supporting in-service teachers, including district partnerships, professional development and coaching programming, and K-12 laboratory classes. Her research, including Organizing to Learn Practice and Developing Equitable Discussion-Leading Practices, focuses on professional development that supports the enactment of equitable teaching practice.

Susan Atkins

Research & Design Specialist, English Language Arts

Susan Atkins is an English Language Arts Research & Design Specialist at TeachingWorks and an instructor in the Educator Preparation Program in the School of Education. Her work centers on preparing teachers to work with multilingual learners. Susan creates teacher education curriculum materials and tools to support novice teachers in developing their practice with multilingual learners. She collaborates on several projects with partners using high-leverage practices and frequently provides professional development in university and school-based settings.

Kyana S. Taylor

Project Manager

Kyana S. Taylor has been employed by the University of Michigan for more than 17 years. Kyana joined TeachingWorks in 2011, and over the years she has held multiple roles as the organization has grown. Currently, Kyana is responsible for providing organizational support across the myriad of sponsored projects, consulting engagements, and partnerships at TeachingWorks. Such support includes budget creation, oversight and management; logistical support; and organizing and communicating with external stakeholders and collaborators.

See Our People

Our Roots

TeachingWorks grew out of the Teacher Education Initiative at the University of Michigan. We set out to address the unjust pattern that students of color and students living in poverty were far more likely to have underprepared teachers. We were committed to strengthening the quality of beginning teaching to serve these communities.

Today our work focuses explicitly on supporting teachers and teacher educators to disrupt persistent patterns of injustice through academic subject matter, teaching practices, and creating classroom environments where children flourish.

Explore Our History