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New Specialized Trainings
We heard you! In response to requests from our Critical Friends Group® community and partners, NSRF is excited to launch brand-new certification training opportunities—including specialized topics and streamlined, shorter sessions focused on specific protocol sets. Whether you’re looking to deepen your expertise or get a quick boost in a key area, there’s a new option designed just for you.
Facilitative Leadership Training
This new five-day certification course, is now available to new and experienced leaders in administrative roles. This unique course leverages the participants’ strengths and expertise to foster mutual support for greater professional growth. It includes its own training manual and workbook full of customized tools specifically designed to address the challenges that education administrators face. The agenda covers skills and strategies to problem-solve, navigate challenges, resolve conflicts, structure effective meetings, efficiently create action plans and nurture a healthy school culture. And because leaders don’t solely work with groups, this training includes a new range of NSRF protocols designed exclusively for 1:1 use! By the end of the training all participants will have the experience of working with their own personal Critical Friend.
Looking for shorter PD from NSRF?
Data Discovery and Decision-making:
Look at data afresh, then learn how to take action!
Unlock the power of collaborative data analysis with Data Discovery and Decision Making, a dynamic new offering available in two on-site days or just ten virtual hours across three days. Participants will learn to use two powerful NSRF protocols to analyze data with clarity and purpose, followed by a deep dive into next-step protocols that help turn insights into action. Need to generate a wide range of ideas to solve challenges revealed by your data? Facing a complex dilemma that demands thoughtful exploration? This training equips your team with tools to move from data review to data-driven action—emphasizing that meaningful solutions don’t just come from the top, but from the collective wisdom of all involved.
Collaborating For a Child:
Structure collaborative meetings among key adults to strengthen support for a student at school and home.
When communications between a student’s teachers and their parents/caregivers have become stressful, and teachers struggle to address the student’s needs, structured collaboration can be transformational. By gathering a student’s parents/caregivers, teachers, and other important adults in that child’s life, participants can all see a more complete picture of what is happening within and around that child. Collaborating for a Child is a facilitated, structured conversation that includes pre-writing by all participants and note-taking by a neutral party. After hearing from each presenter, the group looks for themes and patterns that arose and “aha moments” each person achieved through careful listening. Next, the participants build meaning together and create an action plan so participants have next steps to help this student and a follow-up meeting to check on progress. This training brings forward an expanded protocol, with prep sheets for each presenter, a guide to pre-conferencing with people unaccustomed to protocols, facilitation tips, and more. This training can be booked for half a day or a full day.
Learning through Observations:
“You can learn a lot by watchin’.” (With apologies and appreciation to Yogi Berra)
A trusted favorite in our lineup, Learning through Observations is a focused, one-day experience—offered on-site or virtually—that transforms how educators view and engage in peer observations. Participants explore a variety of NSRF protocols that promote growth for both the observer and the observed, while also providing structured ways to examine physical spaces for evidence of learning. This training shifts the culture of observation from evaluation to collaboration, empowering educators to learn from and with one another.
Text and Media Protocol Training:
Improve literacy in classrooms and engagement in adult meetings!
Text and Media Protocol Training teaches familiar and newer NSRF protocols to engage adults OR students in collaborative discourse and learning around a text or other media. Using these structures effectively helps readers of all ages and grade levels to improve comprehension, co-create meaning, use critical thinking to ascertain the implications of what they read, and support one another through small-group work. Designed as a two-day on-site workshop, this training may also be delivered virtually.
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And THREE options for those wanting to improve meetings or introduce CFG work to their schools:
Difficult Conservations
The Difficult Conversations Training, aimed specifically at school leaders, is a one or two-day, hands-on workshop that explores why some talks can be so challenging, and offers structures designed to lessen possible difficulties. The training includes using brainstorming, dilemma analysis, conflict resolution, and mediation protocols. Participants will also use scenario practice to prepare administrators to effectively deliver difficult but productive feedback.
Maximize Meeting Effectiveness
Want to Maximize Meeting Effectiveness in your school or district? Instead of leading low-energy meetings in which little seems to be accomplished, this day-long training explores why meetings can be so frustrating, then offers tools, templates, and texts to maximize productivity.
Team-building
Team-building: An introduction to NSRF protocols. Start your school year with purpose and connection. This energizing one- or two-day “working retreat” is perfect for teams looking to strengthen relationships, build trust, and lay the groundwork for a collaborative, productive year ahead. Participants will experience a variety of NSRF protocols and engaging activities designed for use in meetings and classrooms—tools that foster respectful dialogue, deep thinking, and shared leadership.
We’d love to talk to you about any of the options, and anything else that might meet your needs!
All of these training options can also be a powerful springboard: many attendees choose to continue on the path to become certified Critical Friends Group coaches based on their positive experiences with shorter trainings. Building on the trust established here to create CFG communities will effectively provide ongoing, high-impact professional development all year long, for many years to come.
If your group has already been certified as Critical Friends Group coaches, NSRF can also design Refreshers or Experienced Coaches’ Trainings to support your organization in continuing/rebooting this work.
Let's talk about your needs
Our number is 812-330-2702. We’re open Monday-Friday, 9-5 Eastern Time, but we’re happy to arrange appointments to speak with you outside our regular business hours as necessary. If you’d like to complete a webform so we can have a more focused conversation, please click the “Contact Us” button to get started.