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My Classroom RULES!: The Essential Art of Motivating Students from the Core

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About Me:

I am a teacher. When I say that, it means something way more than just someone who teaches math, reading, or writing in a school. It means someone who holds a reservoir of specialized knowledge and the tools to effectively convey that knowledge to their students in a way that moves them to inspired action. Ten years ago, I would not have thought of myself in that way, but here I am, living from that role and that intention to create powerful human beings who can take what they've learned from me and create their lives and their careers in whatever way they choose.

I come from a long line of teachers and principals, so I knew that I wanted to work with and for children in some form or fashion. Through the years I began doing so, in various ways from acting as a volunteer teaching assistant, while getting my degree in Human Development at Cornell University; to teaching 5th grade in Brooklyn public schools, while working for my Masters in Education from Long Island University; to running a successful business as a director at SCORE! Educational Centers; to teaching 5th grade again.

All of that valuable experience was great, but I knew something was missing for me. Somewhere inside of me, I knew that I was meant to do more than just "teach," or run a business. I knew that my ability to personally connect to my students and those who I worked with in business was what I was really passionate about, and it was what created our success. I knew that behind the success my students and employees had, was a burning desire and knowledge that they could succeed no matter what… and I provided them with that.

That revelation lived inside of me for years until I made the most important decision of my life. In 2006, upon the birth of my son, I decided to leave public school teaching for good to become a "teacher of life," and I went on to graduate from The Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching. Now, as a Certified Empowerment Coach, I have been able to realize my mission by creating Tru Transformation Coaching, a company that caters to the urban school community, and the urban community at large, with the express and sole purpose of taking them to a new plateau of thinking and creating in their schools and in their lives. That passion and dedication to the true transformation of my clients got me the name, "The Butterfly Queen," which has stuck with me ever since.

As a result, I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to work with many different non-profit organizations, and I currently write a column with the Teachers.net Gazette entitled Coaching the Urban Educator.

I feel so blessed to be able to share what I "teach" with so many people, and because of that I have adopted a new name! Yes, I will confess. My name is Andrea, and you can call me that if you'd like. However, I've adopted Kioni, a Swahili name that means "the one who sees," to express my clarity of thought and purpose as it pertains to my clients and my community.