Testimonials

I just wanted to thank you for the passion you brought to our training today. In my 13 years, I cannot remember having any speaker that moved the audience in the way that you did. I heard countless colleagues mention that you are the BEST speaker we have had in a very long time. So many times we have speakers that try to teach us about the “latest and greatest” strategies. But you GET it!!! Life is all about relationships and helping see our value and the value and potential in others. I am a teacher, but I also have a school counseling degree---so I have always believed in the power of relationships. Today, I saw some of the toughest “academic” focused teachers walk away with a new perspective about the power of relationships.

My favorite parts of this course were the activities used to bring the course material to life. These activities were ways of assessing student learning without having the feel of classic assessments. The class professors were able to measure student learning by observing rather than assigning a numerical grade. These activities demonstrated how I hope my classroom will become more often.

Thom Stecher has been by far the single most important influence on my professional career as a teacher of graduate courses, and in many other professional endeavors. One of his strongest attributes, other than his incessant, ongoing love of current research in the field of social emotional learning, is his emphasis on the need to build relationships as the key to academic success. He also easily and clearly transmits his knowledge and his vision to his students, in ways that are far more interactive and experiential than didactic. He sets high academic standards for his students, and expects high quality graduate level work back from them. He is always ready and willing to provide extra help and guidance to his students, whether one-on-one or in groups. Every time Thom teaches a class he has taught before, it is different because of the amount and quality of new and ongoing research he has unearthed and included, and the new activities he brings, all based on the most important social emotional learning issues. He is my most valuable role model, and continuously raises the bar for me to keep improving my skills.

Thom, I have been to many graduate classes in my lifetime. I have earned multiple masters degrees in business, engineering and education. On top of those, I have taken dozens of additional graduate-level classes - going all the way back to 1983. I tell you this because the classes I have taken through Neumann University that were affiliated with your good name have been the most enlightening, gratifying, productive and useful classes of all. Not only have they had the biggest impact on my professional life and emotional well-being, but they have also been the most reasonably priced. I commend you for the quality of teachers you have sought out (I know, persistent and kind), as well as the reasons you offer the courses (to improve the knowledge and well-being of those working in the education arena so that they, in-turn, can enhance the quality of their teaching through genuine interactions with students!)

I want to reiterate how amazing our most recent class was. Every time I leave one of your courses, I truly am inspired to do something great. After the third day I called my boyfriend and asked if we could build homes for a less fortunate community. He said yes, and when he asked why, I just said “because I want to do something good.” Thank you for making me feel so wonderful and drive us all to be better people.